This past year was my third buck hunt to be drawn...I have not put forth any information or response to any PI thread as of yet, until now.
The prior years I hunted the Island, big buck sign was EVERYWHERE you looked, regardless of what you thought was a good spot on an aerial or not. You could literally step into almost any woodlot section and walk from one side to the other without stepping on leaf because of the number of scrapes. Rubs, big signpost rubs were literally within eyesight of anywhere you stood on the island. ON scout day, as soon as they allowed people in to look around deer would be running all over the fields. NOT SO THIS YEAR!
From my previous experiences, I thought I had a good game plan on where to look. Sorely disappointed on the amount of sign I saw. So, since I had pretty much gambled on one general area I placed a stand between two thickets in the woods and placed a ground blind on a field edge where the two hunts previous, I had seen a large number of deer and bucks passing from one patch of cover to another. I hunted the ground blind in the morning where I could see approximately 4-%00 yards into the field along with the wood edge. DId not see a single deer. Slipped into the treestand in the woods about noon. Around two pm I saw a doe and a spike. That is is, the only deer I saw until I came out at dark and bumped a small buck in the field in the dark.
With that said, I have a couple theories on the reasons:
First, the last few floods took a toll on the deer numbers on the Island. I think there are appreciably less deer...but there are still a good many deer and good bucks on the Island to hunt, coming from all over South Memphis and swimming the river from Arkansas. Additionally, from mankind activities and from standing water, the habitat has changed from the first couple years I got to hunt the Island.
Secondly, and IMO more importantly, the weather was not optimal for hunting the Island this year. It was a bit warm. I would have preferred it to bee about 10 to 20 degrees cooler for more optimal conditions.
Thirdly, the level of activity on the island from the pipeline work was a little disappointing, but probably had more of an effect on the hunters than the deer.
I did not hunt Saturday or Sunday this year for my own personal reasons, maybe things were different in my chosen area, but from what I saw Friday and from the reports online, I doubt it and am not losing any sleep over it.
If I had a number of points built up, I would continue to put in for it...I would NOT start trying to build points from zero now. I will not apply again for the buck hunt, but may put in for the doe hunts moving forward until the city and port commission do way with the opportunities to hunt there.
I would love to have access to hunt the Island for one full season, all weapons (even archery only for the year would be acceptable) as I still think a true monster is there and is killable under the right conditions and circumstances.