The Season In Retrospect

[Omega]

A bunch of sits on my 7.2 acres, only seen 7, one maybe twice. There are acorns everywhere, so I suspect they are just not traveling much for food, which is how they get on my place, getting to and from the larger places around me. I usually have a small food plot, but this year it didn't do so well, and the mineral sites just haven't been as active.

 

[MUP]

This has been one of the worst seasons ever for me. If I don't kill a deer Saturday afternoon, it will be the first year since I was young that I haven't killed a deer (even though I could have) and the first in many yrs that I haven't killed a good buck. Most years I have punched all of my buck tags but not this year. I even filled them both last year and seen more bucks when I got to hunt even though I couldn't walk much due to hip issues.

I didn't bow hunt this year due to hip surgery but hunted hard in November so no excuses there. I saw several deer and smaller bucks, but a 2.5 yo 8pt is the biggest I've seen. It seems like I haven't been able to make the right decision this year on which stand or place to hunt. It also seems that the wind direction has been all kinds of crazy this year and not exactly blowing as forecasted. I normally rely heavily on thermals in the places I hunt, but this year as been crazy. Due to that, I've been busted more this year than probably the last 5+ yrs combined.

My kids have had a pretty good year with 6 total between them. I have to work tomorrow but will hunt after church on Sunday so it could still happen. It's just been a weird year for me especially since good acorns years are usually great in the places I hunt.

That's been my seasons for the last two years. Finally killed again this year.

 

[Lost Lake]

As the end of this season draws nigh, a look back is in order as usual. Some things I noticed this year was a decrease in overall deer sightings. A normal season provides me around 120-130 sightings during muzzlloader and gun. This season I have had 92. Most of this is probably due to drought, heat, and an above normal mast crop.

Did any of you experience a similar decline in overall deer sightings in your area?

Do yo normally se fewer deer when there is abundant acorns?

I saw WAY fewer deer than in years past. Bow season was okay, but muzzleloader and gun was abysmal at best. But, we don't have the oaks on our place like we used to. Not that it would've mattered much, as I believe they didn't have to move far when they were everywhere.

 

[Ridgeline300]

Same here, usually have between 150 and 200 deer sightings in 30+ sits. I saw less than 50 this year. Bumper acorn crop years absolutely suck for me. I did tag out in tn and ky but it was brutal. Took longer than usual and I had to settle for a buck in ky that I normally wouldn't kill but I hate tag soup.

 

[Remi]

Bow season was pretty normal as far as sightings. Muzzleloader and rifle were way down for us on two different properties. I'm blaming the heat, weird winds, acorns and dogs. I saw quite a few bucks but only one buck that I would shoot and clipped a small pine between us I didn't see. No bucks for me this year.

 

[MickThompson]

That's crazy. What do you attribute this to?

On the surface, acorns. The private I have access to has all been cherry picked pretty hard the last few years. But a couple of my best public spots are loaded with red oaks. I was also hunting differently than I usually do because a big part of November was dedicated to getting my son on his first. That said, I had a 5 hunt deerless drought right through prime time. That drought was in 3 different counties too.

 

[Stalkhunter]

30+ sits, sightings way down. I did not see a mast crop. Hunting pressure did not help.

 

[Biggun4214]

I think I saw 18- 20 deer all season. I saw 4 bucks one day and 5 does on two separate days. I know that 16 of them were different deer.

Last season I saw 2 bucks together in January. Killed one of them. That was all I saw the whole season. The property holds fewest deer of anywhere I hunt.
I think some of you fellers may be a little spoiled.
Duck hunting can be even harder.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Declining deer population gets alittle worse here each year. What is being noticed now by a lot of hunters in the area is the decline of mature bucks as well. Acorns certainly didn't help. I do at least have several prospects for next year that were just one year too young this year.

 

[preachermantom]

Normal woods hunting but field hunting was pitiful. Guess because of nut abundance they didn't come out til after dark.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

This year I had planned to hunt as much as possible so I kept a log for it. I ended up having 37 sits with 71 does 45 bucks (8 shooters) and 4 goose eggs. This is all from a few heavily hunted public pieces. Sighting wise this was probably my best year. Ended up killing 3 bucks and a doe. Glad it's over cuz Im in need of some turkey therapy.

 

[muddyboots]

I don't know how many sits. Maybe 50 or so. I've not seen as many deer but a lot of bucks. A ton of what I call average bucks. 100 inches. I basically been hunting 3 deer on 3 properties. One I saw on Dec 23. He came in behind me and he saw me turn my head at about 15 yards. He was gone. That's been my only opportunity at a deer I wanted to kill. I've seen a couple by pics I said I was gonna shoot but when I saw them I didn't. I don't know. Getting soft. One of the bucks I was hunting got killed yesterday but far as I know the other 2 still around so I'm hunting one if them right now. My best day was 16does and 10 bucks. To me it's been tough for big bucks but all in all a great year. I'm tickled.

 

[Chiflyguy]

Opening weekend of muzzleloader, connected on a spike.
Many sits later, my #'s of deer spotted dropped to where I didn't see a deer the last 5 times out.
Ladder stands in the same place 2 seasons in a row, time to move them.
I'll be honest, I don't put anywhere the effort into it as most.
Hence my results.
Gonna scout in a few weeks and move them. Not gonna wait til August this year.
I found a couple better spots and know exactly where one is going.
The other, I'll be pickier.
Next November, gonna fish in between sits.

 

[killingtime 41]

I haven't killed anything yet either. But keep in mind last couple of years. Due to feeling tired I have hunted just about zero mornings. All my hunts have been afternoon. And in my mind I have crippled myself by at least 50 percent by not hunting mornings. Not that I didn't plan to. I would have everything ready night before. Then not get up cause I just felt so exhausted. I hope to get that fixed before next season and start going mornings again.

 

[TIGGREM2]

It was probably by far the worst deer season for me in 24 yrs of hunting in Tennessee ! Had a ton of pictures till the middle of October then fell completely off ! Havent seen a deer since Dec 8 th while out hunting! Havent had any cell cam pics in 10 days ! Im about to call it a season but am out in the shooting house one last time !

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Been my worst year in at least 10 years I'd say. Deer sightings have been way down and I've only seen one buck I wanted to shoot and let him slip through my fingers. I'm in unit CWD though and have a mature 8 point showing up very regular on one of my cameras. I just need a specific wind to hunt him which may never happen due to my work schedule. All that said I'm already looking forward to next year because I know of quite a few really nice bucks still alive that I should get to chase around next year.

 

[gobbler32]

Worst season since I started deer hunting in '84. Saw 7 bucks and 30 doe total. Only bow hunted twice but saw 6 one sit and 3 the other, all doe. After Thanksgiving I saw 12 total and 2 were bucks. Yes I could've shot a doe on a few occasions but due to the numerous 0 seen hunts, I didn't shoot when I actually saw a deer which wasn't muchat all. All of my hunts were in Hickman except for 2 and they were both in Dickson co with 3 doe and 5 doe seen

 

[Bgoodman30]

Tough season. The youth opener is one of my favorite weekends but it was 80 degrees and miserable no sightings. My son had some tough sits with me and missed 2 does and developed a flinch which has been really discouraging to him…

Hunted more this year than ever. I saw 3 mature bucks and bunches of young ones. Had more buck sightings and chases in December than November which was a first for me. Passed on one big 9 pt 4 times hope he survived. One MZ misfire on target buck and passed a 320 yard shot on another stud… 2 big ones in my crosshairs and nothing to show for it. Got a doe last week so still a successful season.

 

[MUP]

I really can distinguish between the East and West seasons on here. A bad season of seeing 10 bucks and 50+ does in West TN equals the season of a lifetime on the East side.

 

[348Winchester]

Declining deer population gets alittle worse here each year. What is being noticed now by a lot of hunters in the area is the decline of mature bucks as well. Acorns certainly didn't help. I do at least have several prospects for next year that were just one year too young this year.

Around Rugby/Burrville the overall populations seem to be down about 40-50%. It's a little worse in Scott County.