strange experiences on public land.

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ihookem
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strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby ihookem » Thu Oct 27, 2022 1:28 pm

Public land this year seems much different than the last few years. Last year , I had a heck of a time finding a doe. I saw 7 bucks last yr. but only saw the 2 does twice. Truth is , I like seeing does. This year , I have only been out 3 times , but saw 3 bucks , then 2 doe the second sit , 3 bucks tonight and a doe tonight . I have been seeing more deer the last 2 yrs. , but the truth is, there is less deer. There are less does cause in SE WIs. , even on public land , you can get 3 doe tags, for bow, and 3 for gun. You can even use the doe bow tags for gun season. . This means you can go on public land in some counties and shoot 6 does in gun season. It is having an affect. I have also noticed there is not as many hunters in the woods this year. I am quite certain that is the reason I am seeing more deer . . There are less shot if there is less hunters, and they seem to be moving pretty good. I saw a buck at 4;40 and another at 4:50 . This is pretty early for a sunny day . I was not even way back in the marsh . Has anyone else noticed less hunters and the deer moving really well for tis time of year.. As for me, I am really enjoying it.


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szwampdonkey
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Sat Oct 29, 2022 12:50 am

Yep, less hunters. The Covid Hunters have returned to shopping at the mall or whatever they were doing prior to Covid shutdowns.
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greenhorndave
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:00 am

It depends on the county too. Not all counties have a 3-doe tag. ;)
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby Sailfish_WC » Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:54 am

I haven’t noticed any difference on the private land I hunt in MI and Florida this year

My public land hunts don’t start until December.

But what I will say is over the years I’ve heard it mentioned many times; too many does killed, too many hunters, not enough hunters to move them, etc
What I’ve mostly observed is that it seems cyclical on the deer sightings. Maybe they’ve moved, maybe there was a year or two of heavy predation on fawns, who knows.

I’m one of the few who believes in the biologists and the work they do. I believe in most states they do a decent job of mainting herd balance, deer numbers etc.


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ihookem
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby ihookem » Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:02 pm

I actually saw another hunter where we park. Said he saw 8 deer. He said all he sees is bucks. I told him I saw 2 does and that is kind of unusual . Thought for sure I would see a buck , but it was so warm again.
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby Rich M » Tue Nov 01, 2022 6:52 am

I see a lot more deer on private than public. Tough to find those little pockets of deer at times.

Where I'm going with this is I hunted SC for a year and the guy I leased from had pics of all these bucks (12-15-20 bucks in one small field) - put a camera in the same spot and had few deer at all. Crazy. Then I left the lease and he has all these bucks again. Had run into a guy hunting against the property boundary - he said they changed the crops for the year and that there would be less deer. It was a real long drive, the guys were jerks after I told em i wasn't gonna do it again. Easy to walk away. But funny seeing the bucks in the photos - recognizable with landmarks in the background - was something. As simple as a change in the field crops made a diff of 15-20 more bucks using that property.

When I had scouted it, there were beds everywhere - shot a buck that came out of that bedding area. Did have a real bruiser on cam once and think I saw him when I hunted opening day, before I shot the diff buck. Will never know. When I checked on my last trip up there, no bucks or rubs or anything like that... All cause they didn't plant "x".

That kind of stuff has a strong effect on where the deer are hanging. That's all.
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Ognennyy
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby Ognennyy » Tue Nov 01, 2022 8:59 am

ihookem wrote:I saw 7 bucks last yr. but only saw the 2 does twice. Truth is , I like seeing does. This year , I have only been out 3 times , but saw 3 bucks , then 2 doe the second sit , 3 bucks tonight and a doe tonight.


Same here. Except that's my deer witness report for like my entire 8 year hunting career :lol:
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby G-Patt » Thu Nov 03, 2022 7:20 am

I would love to see less hunters in my neck of the woods. First time ever have I had 2 hunts where headlights were up in my business before shooting light. One guy walked into the bedding area after I gave him the head's up. No idea of what hunting etiquette is. Just kept on going within 35 yards of me and set up inside the bedding area, deer blowing like crazy. Saw nothing that sit. I walked out to the parking lot and it looked like the Kroger parking lot. It's insane. Totally avoiding that area. I thought the Covid era was bad, but seeing that a pound of 80/20 ground beef is fetching for $5.49, I can see why everyone is the woods.
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1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Fri Nov 11, 2022 2:44 pm

When there are low numbers of does I believe you see bucks a lot more. They have to put miles on to monitor doe groups. Even before rut they keep tabs it seems. When it’s a high density of deer and seemingly 10+ doe to a buck I don’t think they feel the need to move as much..and hold off till dark more often maybe as the urgency isn’t there.

I hunted Missouri public once yrs ago for 5 days. Those guys in that area hammered does. They shot doe fawns often even. Think I seen like 17 buck and 5 doe in 6 days.

I find a similar outcome in the UP in the southern range there are does galore and not many big bucks. Up north there are few deer and the ratio buck to do seems much more even. You won’t see many deer but higher odds of seeing the big one on the move.

Could be wrong, Just my observations over the yrs
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G-Patt
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby G-Patt » Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:17 am

I'm hoping this cooler weather this next 10 days gets them moving in my neck of the woods. Heading out this weekend and a couple of days next week. Hoping the hunter-to-deer ratio decreases. LOL!
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thepennsylvanian
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby thepennsylvanian » Sun Nov 13, 2022 8:28 am

I gotta ask, how is the CWD prevalence in your are? Do you think it has had an impact on the herd? Do you think it could be preventing the "casual" hunter from heading out? I'm curious because eventually CWD will eventually make to my area of PA, as it already established out east of me.....
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby ihookem » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:51 pm

I am in the CWD area and there are less deer than 10? yrs back, but I think it is cause of 6 doe tags for public land for gun and bow combined. I however did see another strange experience on public land. I was walking down a good size hill along a brush line and saw a hunter ,,, sitting on a stump, crossbow ready and he was texting away. I was 20 yds behind him and I kept an eye on him. I am sure he never saw me. I go past him to a spot that I have been giving deer close calls but never sealed the deal. I saw one before I got settled, saw 2 more does later and another deer at closing. First time in there this year , beds and trails all over.
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sun Nov 13, 2022 1:52 pm

Michigan you can buy 10 universal doe tags per hunter that can be used anywhere in the lower peninsula public or private land. I think they get hammered pretty good on the public. Private land I see more does. Thankful for our nasty swamps or there would be no deer on public. I think public hunters are up in my area from 3-5 years ago. I thought it was due to the popularity of public land these days. I don’t live near it so my observations are anecdotal. And I get there earlier and leave later than most
ihookem
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby ihookem » Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:02 pm

More strange experiences out there. What is going on?? I drive by a parking area and 2 trucks, another area and nothing, another area and still nothing. I have not heard a shot in 3 days. This is very high pressured public land too. I did get it done yesterday on the public land , (snicker)
Just 5 minutes before closing and here comes a nice size doe. Not a good shot, walks away,,, comes back,,, Not yet!! A little closer. Nothing I hate more than missing is wounding. At 25 yds, I let him have it with my little Ruger American .243 . About 40 yds and it was all over but the crying and the weeping for him. Walk up to it and it's a spike.. Oh well, 6 or half a dozen.
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Re: strange experiences on public land.

Unread postby Mtnmonster » Sun Nov 27, 2022 4:25 pm

I've seen a massive increase of hunters on public this year. I keep an eye on these wma deer totals through the state's site, and bucks are being hammered and just a handful of does. I know the does are there, but people just aren't killing them. I stayed on does pretty consistently throughout bow season. The buck I killed on Thanksgiving was the only buck I've seen all year so far, and I've been in good sign all season. Deer movement has been really odd too. Just moving at really unpredictable times and locations.

Something has changed, but I can't figure out what exactly is having the biggest impact. Seems like everything has been opposite of historical info and my winter/spring scouting. I've seen a lot of hunters from the other side of TN. West and middle TN are much better for big bucks, I myself would be hard pressed to drive 5 to 8 hours just to shoot smaller 2.5 year old bucks. Not a lot of mobile hunters either. Most just leave their climbers in small wood lots and on field edges with cell cams a few yards away.

Weather hasn't been normal either. Temps swinging a lot. 80F one week the 40 the next, with what seems like constant E or N winds, and very dry. Normal is in the 50s with S or W winds and the occasional rain with cold fronts. Just everything about this year seems to be outside the normal here


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