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Whoa. This is insane (from the stand)

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bpul2113

Member
I know i was complaining a week or so ago, but this is truly remarkable. I own and hunt quality farms, in great management blocks, in traditionally great areas. I have done well in the past and was really looking forward to this season. What a complete bust and nightmare it has been.

I have now hunted everyday since 30 oct 14 and have yet to see a shooter buck, in fact, the actual number of bucks i have seen is incredibly small. I would love to know what has happened. Again this morning, great wind, a little drizzle and nothing... Not one deer. I think that is impossible given the area i hunt.

Ok, i got that off my chest. I feel a little better, ok, think i'll stay in the stand for another 4 hours or so, then get these clothes dry and get ready for the evening hunt.
 
I feel for ya, sounds something like where I hunt. It's a 3 acre patch of trees in a funnel along a creek. Awesome deer movement all summer & then it slows down in September & then it almost stops once crops are harvested & completely stops once it snows. Zero deer tracks in the snow all winter. Been this way the 8 years I've hunted here.
 
Bpul2113 is up in his stand like

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Just kidding man. I have been there many times when you simply can't see a good one. It is frustrating but it only takes a couple minutes to change a bad season into a good season. Good luck man, keep at it!!
 
Last spring (2014) I spent a couple of days on a field trip of sorts on a couple of very high quality farms in the western Wayne and eastern Decatur counties where there is normally very high deer numbers and top end bucks aplenty. Only thing was...neither was true last fall (2013).

For reasons that even the local hunters could not be sure of, they had their worst hunting in years, probably ever. One comment was made to the effect that they normally would get 2000 pics at a given trail cam site in a week and last year they got 20 or 30 in the same time period.

That area of the state is not an area that I normally frequent, but I would have to assume the EHD hit it hard...very hard. I would also suspect the late rifle season as a culprit too, but the dramatic and sudden loss of so many deer lead me to think it is more likely that disease got 'em.

Over closer to where I hunt (Davis and Van Buren) I know of one landowner that used to always have multiple very nice bucks on camera and now has not seen, or got a picture of, a buck over 150" in 3 years. This is coming from a very prime location traditionally.

I feel your pain, but I know you are not alone, if that helps.
 
Been the same here, however we have power lines going up in the area, so I feel all the workers are pushing deer away from us...Last night I ended up shooting rabbits with my bow, as not a single deer was on the side of the farm I was on...
 
I feel for you on the lack of shooter deer, but have a serious question. What is your profession that provides you with multiple farms and time to hunt every day for 3-4 weeks? I was guessing farmer but with harvest it would still be a near impossibility to hunt every day the last few weeks. No matter what it is good for you! I am both curious and a little jealous.
 
How big are your farms? Hunting everyday could be pressuring them to other farms. Anways, been there...its tough when you put so much time in and don't even see a shooter. My advice is stay positive, be mobile and switch it up.
 
I bow hunt Central and Northern Warren County, and Clarke County (a couple miles off Madison County line). This year has been great, lots of deer and movement! Sucks that you ain't seeing anything! Keep at it!
 
I'm in Harrison county mo so I'm havin to deal with rifle season but I have sit daylight till dark pretty much every day for a 7 days and have not seen a mature deer. Have been on farms with no pressure, played the wind, good entrances and exits and nothin. Just does in the timber and absolutely nothin in the fields and pinch points. I set on a fresh picked cornfield yesterday that bordered a 300 acre timber that's not been hunted and wasn't even a doe come out. I had tons of pics all summer, killed my bowkill 9/16 and left everything alone till last weekend. Really frustrating.
 
I know how you feel. I spring and summer scouted on public and found lots of good deer. Once season has started I have yet to see a shooter. To make things worse two of my brothers and their friend came down last weekend to hunt and in their first three days they shot a 14pt (gross 150s) and 2 ten points (gross upper 140s low 150s). Sometimes it doesn't seem fair but I'm glad there are others who don't seem to see a shooter every other sit because I was beginning to think I was the only one.
 
Thinkin Rut said:
Not meaning to kick you while you are down but, it's very difficult to know what is happening on 4 farms in 4 counties if you are a one man show...even with trail cams.
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I agree with this. Maybe put all your eggs in one basket and figure out what the deer are doing on your best farm. If the ground is what you say it is then the bucks are there somewhere and obviously not where you are sitting. I would check some new areas of the farm and get some new stands up.
 
We have a spot in Harrison CO Iowa and we are experiencing much of the same. Not near so many deer as other years, and more hunting pressure around us, including some new people sitting awfully close to our fences and pressuring the deer in sanctuary areas where we are trying to leave them alone. The guys aren't doing anything wrong, its just bad form to hunt 8 yards off our fence line in a 1 acre chunk of timber that protrudes from our farm out into another guy's cornfield when you have permission to hunt the other guy's 300 acre farm and accessing your stand by driving out into the field and walking across an open field and then up into a gully where you are visible from several bedding areas. So much for getting everything done and staying out after July... But yea, I think most of the state is seeing a LOT less action than in other years. We are just hoping for a little redemption during shotgun and late muzzy season.
 
to answer a few questions

I am a Operating Room RN for the veterans hospital, that's how i get alot of time.
i have 35 cameras that I operate over the 4 farms i have. I wont shoot anything under 160 inches. I live on my warren 181 and it is normally great, but this year is totally different. I have food plots aplenty, have left over 17 acres of beans/corn. i dont pressure any farm too much.... at least i dont think i do.

just not seeing the deer numbers or bucks i am used too. Bottom line is I am a lucky guy to have what i have....dont want to sound like spoiled brat cause i am very lucky, just wish things get back to normal
 
danielboone said:
The guys aren't doing anything wrong, its just bad form to hunt 8 yards off our fence line in a 1 acre chunk of timber that protrudes from our farm out into another guy's cornfield when you have permission to hunt the other guy's 300 acre farm and accessing your stand by driving out into the field and walking across an open field and then up into a gully where you are visible from several bedding areas. So much for getting everything done and staying out after July...
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I have the same situation, wish I had a picture. Neighbors hung a stand 3 yards from the fence facing my property, did not remove any branches towards their property at all, just strictly facing an open area on my side from my TSI that I was hoping would become a bedding area. What do you do?
 
JayEC said:
I have the same situation, wish I had a picture. Neighbors hung a stand 3 yards from the fence facing my property, did not remove any branches towards their property at all, just strictly facing an open area on my side from my TSI that I was hoping would become a bedding area. What do you do?
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A guy can't hang a stand on his fence line facing whatever way he wants? I have a stand facing the neighbors because I have the tree between me and the likely travel route on my property. What am I missing?

Sent from my XT1030 using IW
 
arm said:
A guy can't hang a stand on his fence line facing whatever way he wants? I have a stand facing the neighbors because I have the tree between me and the likely travel route on my property. What am I missing? Sent from my XT1030 using IW
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No shooting lanes trimmed on his own property, yet openings into the neighbors and facing that direction. Don't be "that" guy, intent is obvious. 99% of serious hunters would take issue with someone doing this. There may be a few extremely limited scenarios where it's the only option such as a fence row.
 
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