Where have the deer gone!!!!!!!!

[stringtalker]

First things first, I'm in east Tennessee, deer are harder to come by, but I have never seen the lack of deer sign like this year. Absolutely no buck sign whatsoever and very few deer tracks. Last year at the end of season there was deer sign everywhere, if things don't get better I'm goin to shoot the ol muzzleloader and put everything up and not even fool with gun season. All I wanted was some freezer meat, if anybody in east Tennessee around Monroe county has some land where I can at least shoot a doe let me know, lol, seriously I've never seen it this bad!!!!!

 

[HuntingDicksonDTC]

Heck I am in middle tn. And its really slow. Been running cameras for months and not a single buck 3.5 or older seen. Have taken 2 mature bucks off this property over the last 3 years and have seen several others. Not this year.

 

[redhunterZ71]

Same for me in Bradley McMinn and Marion co.

 

[AT Hiker]

2 buck limit screwed it up[emoji14]

Its an interesting year to say the least.


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[Headhunter]

More deer than ever, public and private. Herd is for sure in great shape in middle tennessee.

 

[AlexDad]

I live in Wilson but had property in Trousdale and I guess got spoiled and it's gone. Got some land in Dekalb which is not deer bountiful to begin with. I get the time change curse for some reason. I'll have them patterned and things are going great and then time change I won't see another deer. You'd think I could just move everything up an hour but it has done this to me for years.

 

[Bone Collector]

More deer than ever, public and private. Herd is for sure in great shape in middle tennessee.

I've seen a bunch too on both public and Private. Mid TN was lacking inthe acorn department this year more so than last year and I think they are having to move more to find food.

 

[redhunterZ71]

No acorns in our areas and we have no fields just big woods so I think they have moved locations. I figured they would have to move more for food but I think they just moved off. Lol

 

[cg02175]

I think the low harvest numbers relate to a reduced overall deer population. Over the last several years, TWRA has allowed way too many doe to be killed. IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd. Yes, some hunters will say they are still seeing a lot of deer in their area, but you have to considered the state as a whole, not just your hunting location. The reduced harvest numbers tell the story, and the low harvest number trend will continue throughout this season.

4 deer a day (1 buck and up to 3 doe) in unit L counties is insane. I know all hunters don't kill that many per day, but the doe have still taken a beating here in west Tennessee. I applauded the two buck limit, but TWRA needs to reduce the number of doe killed as well.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I'm not seeing much. Sign is horrible. Have yet to find the first scrape or rub on the ridge I usually hunt. Hardly any mast in the area. TVA land where they haven't maintained the fields and I think many of the deer are not using the area because of a lack of food.

 

[lightsareout]

I think the low harvest numbers relate to a reduced overall deer population. Over the last several years, TWRA has allowed way too many doe to be killed. IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd. Yes, some hunters will say they are still seeing a lot of deer in their area, but you have to considered the state as a whole, not just your hunting location. The reduced harvest numbers tell the story, and the low harvest number trend will continue throughout this season.

4 deer a day (1 buck and up to 3 doe) in unit L counties is insane. I know all hunters don't kill that many per day, but the doe have still taken a beating here in west Tennessee. I applauded the two buck limit, but TWRA needs to reduce the number of doe killed as well.

Well said, get ready for the butt hurt when doe limits are lowered


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[Vermin93]

I think the deer on our place heard all the pickups and ATV's roaring by on Saturday morning and decided it was time to take cover. Yesterday I went deep into a big thicket on our property and found a lot of fresh scrapes and rubs. However, there are basically no scrapes or rubs around our food plots, fields, and big woods. Last year around this time we had scrapes and rubs all over the place. Deer sightings, especially buck sightings, are way down on trail camera, too....and I run a lot of cameras.

 

[catman529]

I think the low harvest numbers relate to a reduced overall deer population. Over the last several years, TWRA has allowed way too many doe to be killed. IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd. Yes, some hunters will say they are still seeing a lot of deer in their area, but you have to considered the state as a whole, not just your hunting location. The reduced harvest numbers tell the story, and the low harvest number trend will continue throughout this season.

4 deer a day (1 buck and up to 3 doe) in unit L counties is insane. I know all hunters don't kill that many per day, but the doe have still taken a beating here in west Tennessee. I applauded the two buck limit, but TWRA needs to reduce the number of doe killed as well.

sorry man but that's a huge load of BS about the HFTH program. they allow 3/day to keep the population in check because it's easy for deer to reproduce and become overpopulated. Some areas need fewer does killed yes, but some also need more killed, and allowing 3/day is a big help to those who want the meat or the management when they don't get much time to hunt.


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[Hunt 365]

I do not blame TWRA. They've done a phenomenal job with the deer herd in the last 20 years. I think the buck limit will improve too--but maybe it's just one of those cycles. Haven't seen them like last year, but I also didn't find too many winter kills either. I just haven't figured it out yet

 

[DntBrnDPig]

IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd.

This is the dumbest thing I have read on the internet today. I'm not trying to start a fight - but seriously man... You cannot believe this garbage.

 

[landman]

Didn't you know it's the Rut
Happens the same time every year
they say

 

[cg02175]

IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd.

This is the dumbest thing I have read on the internet today. I'm not trying to start a fight - but seriously man... You cannot believe this garbage.

Just because you don't agree it, understand it or are not educated enough to understand the underlying reasoning on certain issues doesn't mean it is dumb. I might think your screen name is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard, but that doesn't make it so for everybody.

There are also other people on here who agree with my previous post/thoughts. I am not asking you or pressuring you to believe what my thoughts are on the subject.

 

[landman]

I think the low harvest numbers relate to a reduced overall deer population. Over the last several years, TWRA has allowed way too many doe to be killed. IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd. Yes, some hunters will say they are still seeing a lot of deer in their area, but you have to considered the state as a whole, not just your hunting location. The reduced harvest numbers tell the story, and the low harvest number trend will continue throughout this season.

4 deer a day (1 buck and up to 3 doe) in unit L counties is insane. I know all hunters don't kill that many per day, but the doe have still taken a beating here in west Tennessee. I applauded the two buck limit, but TWRA needs to reduce the number of doe killed as well.

HFTH Funds are not made up from TWRA
mostly private funds

 

[Deerbuster1996]

I haven't seen any problems with doe numbers dropping in NW Tennessee

 

[onside]

Can honestly say that I have never seen as many deer or had as much visible sign as I have this year. I drove approximately one mile down the road in the community where I grew up and now hunt, right at dusk, and in that mile I counted 21 separate deer. My mother complains because deer are bedding in her flower beds and eating her ferns! Pulled up to our barn the other morning and a 130 class, dark horned buck was standing 10 yards away.

In fact there are so many deer, I haven't been able to walk In one time this year without getting busted. Step out of my truck in the morning, in the dark, and they will literally blow at me from four directions, often as close as 20-30 yards away.

 

[DntBrnDPig]

IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd.

This is the dumbest thing I have read on the internet today. I'm not trying to start a fight - but seriously man... You cannot believe this garbage.

Just because you don't agree it, understand it or are not educated enough to understand the underlying reasoning on certain issues doesn't mean it is dumb. I might think your screen name is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard, but that doesn't make it so for everybody.

There are also other people on here who agree with my previous post/thoughts. I am not asking you or pressuring you to believe what my thoughts are on the subject.

Ok man. I didn't realize other people on here agree with you. That completely changes my mind.

 

[Winchester]

The deer haven't all vanished from last year until now, its simply the hand we have been dealt so far.
Weather to start with has been far from good with rain on most wknds including both openers. Very odd weather patterns with winds being far from normal. Food sources, mainly acorns are spotty at best with Reds being the only real producer anywhere I have been.
When you have these oddball factors pile up, the deer react and change to fit their needs, problem is a lot of hunters have trouble reacting quickly enough and their hunting suffers. If your not hunting where they are most of the time you wont see them like other years.
All that said, I'm not saying the deer herd may not have declined some with all the doe harvests, just saying the deer aren't all gone suddenly.

 

[MrJim43]

Sure is slow around Benton Co. 4 days of hunting and seen only 3 deer and most of them were across 500 yard bean field

 

[Mike Belt]

Just listening to several of the hunters I know deer sightings and sign are down from previous years. Weather may play a role but a deer eats and moves to do so. I've never heard anything about wind direction stopping movement... only day time temps once the deer have their winter coats on. I expect that if observed deer movement is down once the rut kicks in it'll be like throwing a light switch and people will be getting excited at what they see.

 

[MossyBuck25]

IMO, TWRA cares more about supporting their free meal ticket program a.k.a hunters for the hungry program (which is one reason why they allow so many doe to be killed), insurance companies and politicians than our state's deer herd.

This is the dumbest thing I have read on the internet today. I'm not trying to start a fight - but seriously man... You cannot believe this garbage.

Agree or Disagree. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Thats why they call these things "chat forums". I do know that QDMA has acknowledged a decrease in herd numbers nationally, but I forget what the article said specifically. There are all sorts of reasons and discussions that can go on forever.

We have see an abundance of deer every year on my property in Sumner Co., especially between Halloween and Thanksgiving. This year however has been a different story. 200 acres, a dozen trail cams and I'm getting pics of nothing but coyotes. Dozens of them every week. Very few deer, just the occasional few does and small buck or two in the food plots. I counted as many as 6 in one pic. Crazy thing is, Im not hearing them yepping in packs like you do at night or some mornings on your way to the tree. They are like ghost, always have been. Just this year I'm getting several on camera. I think everyone's property and herds are different and carry their own reasoning's for decreased/increased numbers, but I contribute mine to coyotes. Come rifle season I will a coyote hunter for sure.

 

[deerkiller300wsm]

Thanks Obama ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^