Where are the deer?

[RutnStrut]

I missed the opening week, but hunted twice this past week with zero sightings from my stand! Mosquitoes and acorns are plentiful though! I believe activity will pick up soon when the cooler weather arrives next week!

 

[PossumSlayer]

Weather looks better this weekend..

 

[Bone Collector]

They are hammering the acorns right now and aren't having to move very far from their bed to find any.

I think this is my issue. I am too far from where they bed. Issue is they bed in different areas instead of the same one. I feel like they are not moving too far from their beds, so hopefully it will pick up some.

 

[BubbaGoneWild]

In the stand this morning hunting in a hot spot. It's a small patch of oaks outside a thicket. First sit in here I've saw 8 or 9 does and 3 small bucks so far

 

[camoman270]

Just an observation but not many kill pics on the forum this year. I know it has definitely been a slower than average year for me. There are a bunch of acorns, but spots that have continually produced for me for the past 10 years are not producing hardly any sightings and when I do see a deer it is a fawn (like last years deer), so I am not shooting that. Especially when it has spikes that may or may not be 3" long.

The last 3 sits in 3 high producing spots have netted me with 0 deer seen. Is everyone else not seeing deer or has it been business as usual?

Same here, not seeing game, not seeing sign in hardwoods. Puzzling

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Haven't hunted this year yet, but typically the only time I see many deer this time of year, is when there are zero acorns and I have lush food plots. If the acorns are plentiful, it's a guessing game. Too much guessing will stir up the woods more than I want to. I'm still holding off.

 

[ethanalex]

According to TWRA numbers the entire state is down in deer harvest from last year. From 30-50% depending on the county. They also reported that the first few weeks of season in indicative of how the rest of the season will go. Hope the statistics are wrong.

 

[knightrider]

To hot, and to many dont know how to hunt deer outside of sitting on a field edge! Get in the woods and find the hot trees!!

 

[philsanchez76]

I've killed 4 does so far, sat and watched my two shooter bucks in the backyard quite a few times but still haven't got a shot at either of them. Hunting was slow at the start of season for me, but once I started finding hot acorn trees I started seeing a lot more deer in the past week. Just found a spot yesterday that got potential to shoot a buck, just don't know how big a buck is in the area yet.

I think you're right. Finding that hot feed tree seems like the only way right now to kill a deer. Found an isolated persimmon and oak loaded with scat and killed a doe of it. Found my first Chinkapin I believe yesterday with a ton of cracked caps and scat. Only fawns were seen though. Do chinkapins usually drop early? How long to they drop for usually? Never found one before.

 

[Andy S.]

I've seen a fair amount of deer while squirrel hunting in the mornings. My cell cams have been busy last few weeks (mornings, midday and evenings) and stupid crazy this morning with action. The cold front passing and cooler temps have the deer moving good this morning and the yearling bucks fired up and pestering the does. SW TN.

 

[KevinC]

When I first read that I thought you said 11.5 does, 3 fawns & 3 bucks "how the heck do you see a 1/2 a doe?" haha.

Gender identity crisis? Maybe?!

 

[catman529]

I think you're right. Finding that hot feed tree seems like the only way right now to kill a deer. Found an isolated persimmon and oak loaded with scat and killed a doe of it. Found my first Chinkapin I believe yesterday with a ton of cracked caps and scat. Only fawns were seen though. Do chinkapins usually drop early? How long to they drop for usually? Never found one before.

I've seen the earliest ones drop at the end of September but most of em drop in the middle of October. A few hold out till early November

 

[BSK]

Strange thing is, even with a monster acorn crop, does and fawns are in my food plots daily. Really surprised by that. However, not one buck video in a food plot. All buck videos coming from traditional scrapes.

 

[Dbllunger]

I think you're right. Finding that hot feed tree seems like the only way right now to kill a deer. Found an isolated persimmon and oak loaded with scat and killed a doe of it. Found my first Chinkapin I believe yesterday with a ton of cracked caps and scat. Only fawns were seen though. Do chinkapins usually drop early? How long to they drop for usually? Never found one before.

Taste one. If chinkapin then it will taste sweet or neutral and not the normal bitter of other acorns. My chinkapin is dropping now which is pretty normal as timing goes I believe.

 

[huvrman]

Not getting anywhere near the deer on camera this year as the last three years. And no bucks over 1.5. So few I've not even gone out. And its been warm... And there are acorns everywhere...

 

[Brandon87]

I've hunted quite a few times this year so far haven't seen any while I've been out, From what I've seen on trail cams they are crossing my area every 2 or 3 days. Thinking about taking next week off work if the temps are right.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Got a 6 for the freezer tonight. Shot him with 10 minutes of light left. Gonna have to go back tomorrow with daylight to find my crossbow bolt. It's hidden in tall grass.

 

[tnanh]

Got a 6 for the freezer tonight. Shot him with 10 minutes of light left. Gonna have to go back tomorrow with daylight to find my crossbow bolt. It's hidden in tall grass.View attachment 116402

Congratulations. Nice deer.

 

[BSK]

Nice deer TNGunsmoke. Congrats!

 

[Bone Collector]

I found them... It only took me 4 weekends (I only really get to hunt on the weekends during Bow).

I went Saturday and saw 0 deer, scouted after and it was like no deer have been in the area for a while.
went to the last spot on public that I have and haven't hunted. I think the cold temps helped, but I saw for sure 9 different deer. Unfortunately most were small bucks and only the small bucks presented shots. Saw a small 8 pt pestering a doe and two fawns. White oaks raining in this area. Deer moved from sun up till 10 am. Went back in the afternoon, only saw one small 6 pt. Also saw a flock of turkeys on both sits (same flock) but couldn't tell if there were any males in the bunch.

It was nice to get off the schneid.