How do you judge areas where you are highly confident there should be deer using it but the sign is just not there....lots or rubs (BIG) from years past but not much current?
This is a new area to me and hadn’t been able to get cams out yet or so much observation so just going by on the ground sign at this point...also he area is basically a large ridge line leading from crop fields into mature timber (think farm/hill country) with various thickets and draws interspersed.
Could be sign is there and just hadn’t found it yet but the areas I’ve looked at should be holding big deer based on historical knowledge of the area.
No sign where there should be sign???
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No sign where there should be sign???
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
I would probably go off of your knowledge and history in the area if the sign isn’t showing up. I would maybe wait until the off season and do an intense scouting mission to either back up your suspiciouns or move on.
I had a spot this season that looked solid when I cyber scouted. I never scouted it though due to the season in full swing. I tried several observations but I never got any good visuals cuz it was a tag alder swamp/open meadow so decent trees were far away. I tried scouting the edge trying not to disturb it and saw some some but nothing to get excited about. I decided then to go all in. Try to back up my hunch or mark it off as a waste. I went straight to where I thought the beds were. There were beds galore in a very small percentage of the overall area. I hunted it two weeks later and had several buck encounters.
My inpatients and going right it probably costed me, but I haven’t been in there ever since hoping the area will remain a good.
My point is, if you have good history of deer in the area. The sign is there, you just have to narrow it down.
I had a spot this season that looked solid when I cyber scouted. I never scouted it though due to the season in full swing. I tried several observations but I never got any good visuals cuz it was a tag alder swamp/open meadow so decent trees were far away. I tried scouting the edge trying not to disturb it and saw some some but nothing to get excited about. I decided then to go all in. Try to back up my hunch or mark it off as a waste. I went straight to where I thought the beds were. There were beds galore in a very small percentage of the overall area. I hunted it two weeks later and had several buck encounters.
My inpatients and going right it probably costed me, but I haven’t been in there ever since hoping the area will remain a good.
My point is, if you have good history of deer in the area. The sign is there, you just have to narrow it down.
- Rob loper
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
In my teachings and learning videos books etc.
ive been taught that not much sign means the buck doe ratio is really out of whack
It doesnt mean that bucks arent using the area it just means ratio is like Like 10 does to each buck. The lack of other bucks gives no competition to each buck and he pretty much has his choice of any does in that area
I could be wrong but it makes sense
Start taking does out brother
Good luck
ive been taught that not much sign means the buck doe ratio is really out of whack
It doesnt mean that bucks arent using the area it just means ratio is like Like 10 does to each buck. The lack of other bucks gives no competition to each buck and he pretty much has his choice of any does in that area
I could be wrong but it makes sense
Start taking does out brother
Good luck
- Boogieman1
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
In my experience if you have a lot of old sign but nothing for this year something has changed. Eithier pressure b4 or after your property has altered there route, doe bedding is different this year so there's no reason for a buck to travel the ridge or the buck that made all the old sign got killed. You can have a great spot with no sign (scrapes & rubs) but if it historically had it then it should be there now.
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
What is the amount of hunting pressure? A lot of cars on the sides of the road? Foot tracks in the mud that a hunter carelessly stepped in? ( I never let my boot print show anywhere near my stands if I can help it.) May have human pressure. I have a spot , about 5700 acres . I scout that place like crazy. There is very little for buck rubs and they are 1" diameter , a few scrapes here and there. The only place I found real good buck sign was in an area not too many people go to cause the amount of water. Just happens I found this spot 1 yr ago and kicked up a few does and a buck to boot. This year I rescouted and kicked up a much bigger buck. I found where he bedded and more rubs there than anywhere. I see deer one in four sits but 3 bucks in 16 sits isn't so bad. I think we might have the same type of public land. Not a whole lot of deer, but they are there. It seems Lopedog699 might be right however, buck doe ratio is out of wack. What kind of land is it , swamp, marsh , hardwoods? How big is the acres?
- headgear
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
Usually old big sign is something I get very excited about but at some point the fresh stuff has to show up or you might be wasting your time. I have a lot of bedding areas where there was a ton of sign from the 2000's boom that just cooled off when the deer numbers went south. This forced me to re-scout areas and figured out what was being used and what wasn't, it was a real eye opener as many of my hot spots went ice cold, however I did find a few spots that I wasn't sure about that stayed active year after year. It also taught me to try and focus on just the best of the best spots because so many areas just didn't have the sign they use to have, once I started expanding my horizons a bit more I started finding more and more fresh sign so I at least knew that bucks were using these new areas.
You will also have beds that are a mix of both, they can go hot for a year or two and then nothing shows up. It just depends on what deer are in the area that make it to that age class you are after. Many bucks I am after show up one year and then they are just gone (rifle season, winter, wolves) then you have to kind of start the process all over again. I try and take a lot of rack inventory after rifle season closes, this at least gives me an idea of what areas had buck make it through the season and increases my odds for next year.
You will also have beds that are a mix of both, they can go hot for a year or two and then nothing shows up. It just depends on what deer are in the area that make it to that age class you are after. Many bucks I am after show up one year and then they are just gone (rifle season, winter, wolves) then you have to kind of start the process all over again. I try and take a lot of rack inventory after rifle season closes, this at least gives me an idea of what areas had buck make it through the season and increases my odds for next year.
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
Sounds like something a guy should take that up with the local road agent
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
I’m with headgear old big sign is good specially if there are large beds there. Bed may not have competition for it. Hunt it or hang a cam if there is a bed there see what happens.
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
I think we all starting out get hung up on rut sign, especially near doe bedding areas. Perfect example..
Last season I was scouting a ridge that was tore up with rubs and beds. Even had some solo buck beds and light doe bedding. I was certain a mature buck was living within these 2-3 ridges.
Well Turkey season I was calling to an ol tom 1/2 mile away and kicked up a lone, big bodied deer. Walked to where the deer was and realized the buck I "found" scouting was actually bedding all the way over here. The beds were from young bucks or a rut bed here and there.
The deer sign where the buck was bedded was half as much as where I previously scouted. Hunter pressure and a more favorable area pushed this buck out.
Had that guy with the climber & camera not hunted the same spot every time he may have tagged a public land P&Y...
Last season I was scouting a ridge that was tore up with rubs and beds. Even had some solo buck beds and light doe bedding. I was certain a mature buck was living within these 2-3 ridges.
Well Turkey season I was calling to an ol tom 1/2 mile away and kicked up a lone, big bodied deer. Walked to where the deer was and realized the buck I "found" scouting was actually bedding all the way over here. The beds were from young bucks or a rut bed here and there.
The deer sign where the buck was bedded was half as much as where I previously scouted. Hunter pressure and a more favorable area pushed this buck out.
Had that guy with the climber & camera not hunted the same spot every time he may have tagged a public land P&Y...
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- ghoasthunter
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Re: No sign where there should be sign???
if sign is near bedding make sure their is nothing obstructing the bed that can mess things up quick.Twenty Up wrote:I think we all starting out get hung up on rut sign, especially near doe bedding areas. Perfect example..
Last season I was scouting a ridge that was tore up with rubs and beds. Even had some solo buck beds and light doe bedding. I was certain a mature buck was living within these 2-3 ridges.
Well Turkey season I was calling to an ol tom 1/2 mile away and kicked up a lone, big bodied deer. Walked to where the deer was and realized the buck I "found" scouting was actually bedding all the way over here. The beds were from young bucks or a rut bed here and there.
The deer sign where the buck was bedded was half as much as where I previously scouted. Hunter pressure and a more favorable area pushed this buck out.
Had that guy with the climber & camera not hunted the same spot every time he may have tagged a public land P&Y...
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
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