Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

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BunB231
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Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

Unread postby BunB231 » Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:34 pm

Norther Michigan. This year from November 5th to the 13th I hunted public big bluff country, big woods. I had some incredible hunts, having seen 5 P&y caliber bucks, all within 70 yards, but none came within 40... I also saw plenty of does and younger bucks as well. So good numbers of deer. Pretty good sex ratio, and decent buck age structure as well.

I've spent lots of time in scouting these ridges for 2 years. In season, post season, spring, and summer trying to better understand the area. I've also spent time glassing and videoing in the summer, and on average I will see 1 shooter each summer night I go. So for Michigan I'm very pleased with the summer and I stand sightings.

Here's the crazy, the actual deer sign is light (few defined trails, few rubs and only in nighttime movement areas, pretty much no scrapes, heavily used beds are crazy rare sights as well.

Even with the lack of sign, I've hunted spots based on topography and terrain, that look like the deer should be there, and then when I hunt it sure enough they are there and I have great hunts.

Starting the weekend I'm going start my scouting for next year and hope to find more good setups, but I'm still confused as to why the sign is so light. Am I losing my mind!?! It's almost like the levitate and never have to walk on the ground, cause there's such light sign. From my observations on stand I know there should be some torn up areas, but there aren't. Anyone ever have a similar experience? Maybe I'm expecting the sign to be way too heavy, so dismiss good sign as light sign?


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Hawthorne
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Re: Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:24 pm

I think it’s a heavy doe to buck ratio or not much competition between bucks because of all the does.Good to hear your seeing nice bucks on Michigan public up there.
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brancher147
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Re: Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

Unread postby brancher147 » Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:42 pm

I have seen similar things, and I agree with Hawthorne, it usually seems to result from high doe to buck ratio.These areas are good to hunt, and I have had very good hunts in a similar area this year, but it is tough to get to and hunt sometimes because of all the does. But I know there are at least 2 less does now than there were at the beginning of the season...
Some do. Some don't. I just might...
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Mathewshooter
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Re: Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:54 am

In the areas I hunt it seems some years theres a lot of buck sign and other years theres next to none. I have yet to figure out a rhyme or reason for it. I saw more bucks this season than I usually do and the buck sign was almost non existent. One stand I saw a huge 10 point on 2 different occasions. I also passed two smaller 8 points because I knew the 10 was living in there. I also had my trail camera in this spot and it caught 5 other bucks going by during the last week of October. With all this buck activity in this spot there was only one small scrape and one rub on a golf ball sized tree. You would think the area would have been torn up! Last year there were scrapes everywhere and I didnt see nearly as many bucks as this year....go figure?
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rempse2
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Re: Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

Unread postby rempse2 » Sat Dec 16, 2017 4:59 am

I find the same situation where I've been hunting, Very little buck sign and doe sign for that matter unless you get up on the leeward hill sides and walk the edge of the laurels. Even then you'll be lucky to find a few fresh rubs amongst the doe beds. But the trail cameras over scrapes show the deer are there and a couple of them are good looking bucks. In my two years hunting this piece I've seen nothing but does, so this off season I'm going to make a serious effort to get on the buck bedding. I have a few ideas where I think they might be hanging out.
BunB231
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Re: Light Sign, but great hunts?!?

Unread postby BunB231 » Wed Dec 20, 2017 3:51 pm

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback! Now that I've taken some time to think about it; my handful of good hunts and sightings while on stand are a relatively small sample size, and have likely scewed my perspective of the actual buck to do ratio, which is certainly heavier on the doe side. But I still believe the buck age structure is there to make this area worth spending a good amount of time next year. For MI public land, I'll take it! Seems like every section has at least 4 3yr olds in it.

I just wish the sign was a touch thicker so I could use it to identify the best spots during post season scouting.

Anyone have any additional scouting advice for this type of area? I think the rut may be a crap shoot, but if the bucks are there like I think they are, early and late season should provide some decent opportunities.


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