No sightings

[JeepKuntry]

Kinda frustrated. I have some trail photos from August but nothing lately. I tried a different approach and hunted a oak flat. Nothing. When I walked out this morning I was looking for feeding sign and saw nothing. We are dry. I can only assume they are tight to what little water there is.

 

[Dully8861]

I've had similar frustrations. All kinds of pics over mineral blocks in July and Aug but little movement over the past few weeks. Believe it's one of those years that only a few oaks are producing (at least in my area). I have hunted 2 stands on our farm and haven't noticed any acorns dropping and seeing very little action. My oldest son has hunted 3 sits at another spot (acorns dropping consistently on a couple of trees) and has seen several.mdeer. 8 one morning, 11 another and 14 yesterday. I'm with you. I think it's water and acorn shortage, again , at least in my area.

 

[catman529]

How much property do you hunt and what is around it?

I've seen deer near water and also not near water. Definitely on the oaks, but still gotta find which oaks have the fresh sign.


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[JeepKuntry]

Total land is almost 3000. The areas I hunt about 500-600 would be my guess.

 

[catman529]

Total land is almost 3000. The areas I hunt about 500-600 would be my guess.

that's a lot of land. I'd be covering ground looking for the fresh sign and acorns. Hunt where the deer want to be, not where you want them to be


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[PickettSFHunter]

Loads of acorns on the parts of the Plateau I hunt this year, assuming your still hunting Up there. That makes it rough when the majority of timber is oaks. Harvests are always down on good mast years. Plus the fact that deer densities are way down, most people from Middle or West TN just have no idea about that. The only way I'm seeing deer is hunting large clear cut areas that have small pockets of oaks to narrow the deer down.


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[JeepKuntry]

I am still in Morgan Co. Agree the deer numbers haven't recovered from ehd in 2017. I have been trying to hunt dmall strips of hardwoods surrounded by mature pines. Next weekend I am going to hunt the morning. Then scout.

 

[catman529]

I am still in Morgan Co. Agree the deer numbers haven't recovered from ehd in 2017. I have been trying to hunt dmall strips of hardwoods surrounded by mature pines. Next weekend I am going to hunt the morning. Then scout.

I know they'll bed in mature pines, but do you have any younger pines or other thickets you can get in between?


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[JeepKuntry]

I am still in Morgan Co. Agree the deer numbers haven't recovered from ehd in 2017. I have been trying to hunt dmall strips of hardwoods surrounded by mature pines. Next weekend I am going to hunt the morning. Then scout.

I know they'll bed in mature pines, but do you have any younger pines or other thickets you can get in between?


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Most of the pines are at least 10 years old. They are what is left of the pine bettle die off. We do have areas that are very dense other than pines. But most of my sightings last year have come from the hardwood flat I hunted in the morning. I think next I am going to lease in middle Tennessee.

 

[catman529]

I am still in Morgan Co. Agree the deer numbers haven't recovered from ehd in 2017. I have been trying to hunt dmall strips of hardwoods surrounded by mature pines. Next weekend I am going to hunt the morning. Then scout.

I know they'll bed in mature pines, but do you have any younger pines or other thickets you can get in between?


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Most of the pines are at least 10 years old. They are what is left of the pine bettle die off. We do have areas that are very dense other than pines. But most of my sightings last year have come from the hardwood flat I hunted in the morning. I think next I am going to lease in middle Tennessee.

don't overlook public land as well. But good luck scouting your place, I'm sure you'll come across something good.


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[Ladys man]

Dnt feel bad only been once, Sunday morning but hit pt 19 and had 2 mountain bikers come through 10 mins after sunrise and 3 hikers at 9. All talking and having a good ole time , no deer seen

 

[UTGrad]

4 hunts so far this year and haven't seen one yet. I'm holding off on my "good spots" till November.


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[whwood21]

I'm hunting major "Deer Highways" and still not seeing any heavy sign of Deer during daylight hours, I agree with the mention above of November...that will be the time to hit the good stuff. Glad I'm not the only one!
'

 

[tree_ghost]

I'm not to hot so far in deer sightings either but as I left my set this morning I found a bunch of frustration scrapes and two trees that were absolutely shredded! Slowly but surely they will get there.


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[Winchester]

Food is key right now, Acorns are falling good here in East TN and they are the real draw right now anywhere you have good hardwoods.

 

[catman529]

I'm hunting major "Deer Highways" and still not seeing any heavy sign of Deer during daylight hours, I agree with the mention above of November...that will be the time to hit the good stuff. Glad I'm not the only one!
'

highways aren't always hot, fresh sign is key right now, especially with acorns falling.


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[whwood21]

Catman, will take on some new strategies. Good tips on looking for food sources. Appreciate the input!

 

[MUP]

4 hunts so far this year and haven't seen one yet. I'm holding off on my "good spots" till November.


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Only 2 for me, and the same for holding off my inner stand locations until more buck activity ramps up. I generally hunt my satellite stand locations to kinda scout the area for deer movement, and so far my tcams show they are more concentrated toward the center areas of my property, moving in and around thicket areas that have oaks bordering the edges. Seems to work for me most years.

 

[huntncoach]

Total land is almost 3000. The areas I hunt about 500-600 would be my guess.

that's a lot of land. I'd be covering ground looking for the fresh sign and acorns. Hunt where the deer want to be, not where you want them to be


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Catman, I assume by looking for fresh sign you mean fresh droppings, tracks, and used trails. I am also having a hard time finding acorns on my areas of my lease. There are no farms nearby with corn or beans, so food sources - along with water - see very scarce. I've sat basically four times and saw one single deer a week ago and it was running away from me when I got to my stand location for that sit. I've not hunted any of my historically productive stand sights yet, though. May hit one next weekend before I anticipate things getting quite a bit better.