How many deer are you seeing?
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: GoJakesGo
09-Oct-14
6 cameras have been in the woods (public land) in 3 townships in Oneida Co. since early August. Some over bait some in natural funnels. Have got photo's of 7 deer TOTAL!!! 5 bucks/2 does
Are numbers that low or do my spots suck this year? All the bucks are loners and only one would is a lil guy so im assuming I scouted nice pinch points?? . The rut is a few weeks away and I can't seem to find any decent deer numbers. Am I alone?
From: Novemberforever
09-Oct-14
Same numbers by me. This was last night. He was just cruising around, no rut sign.
From: smokey
09-Oct-14
I pulled my cams of the National Forest and will not be hunting those spots this year. partly because numbers are very low there and due to the harsh winter and to late springs the antler development is low.
Other areas close to my home have heavy acorn crop and deer on camera vary. But still worth hunting that area.
From: 10orbetter
09-Oct-14
Go Jakes, not alone at all. I have not had a buck on camera in weeks. Meaningless. They will get going in a week or two especially once the crops start getting harvested.
From: ACU bowhunter
09-Oct-14
Yea once the crops are down you will start seeing whats really out there. Same thing every year. Watched a dog run through a small corn field last week, almost instantly deer were busting out in ever direction. Why walk/ bed in the woods when you have everything you need in a corn field.
From: 10orbetter
12-Oct-14
Sat with my industrial/commercial camera and five GoPro cameras mounted on monopods. Did not see a deer all weekend. That is the way it goes.
From: trucker
12-Oct-14
I get a deer a week on my cam, No consistent time on any of them. I have not seen a deer while on stand yet. This is the slowest I can remember.
From: trucker
12-Oct-14
I get a deer a week on my cam, No consistent time on any of them. I have not seen a deer while on stand yet. This is the slowest I can remember.
From: bowhuntndoug
12-Oct-14
Saw most of our deer walking in and out. Not much during daylight.
From: Adamwipp07
12-Oct-14
Not seeing much when I'm sitting in my stand. But my cameras have been showing that that bucks are back but there still moving after sunset.
From: Zonks32
13-Oct-14
Howatt,
That's great news. Most of the reports I get from friends up their are always gloom and doom.
From: Bow Crazy
13-Oct-14
Both places I hunt, Monroe and Marquette Counties, seem the deer population is the same as the last several years. For those of you with trail cameras, think about doing a deer population survey. Do it every year and you should be able to track population trends (Learning a lot from the DMAP). BC
From: smokey
13-Oct-14
BC, I have been doing that for years. I always said the DNR should be doing that and glad to see they finally are doing just that.
I also keep a journal of what I see while hunting and it shows some interesting things. Trends in numbers vary little but sex ratios do vary from year to year.
From: stagetek
13-Oct-14
About 25-30 pic's a week between two cameras. Most are between 9pm and 3am. And only a few small bucks.
From: thesquid
13-Oct-14
Been seeing deer all but 2 times out - both of them were very windy days. Saw two pare of does with two fawns and a three pointer yesterday afternoon. And my trail cameras are loaded but the change to night movement has started.
From: FiveRs
13-Oct-14
I'm guessing that the only crops that GoJakesGo has to worry about are those "placed" by other hunters, so I doubt his sightings will go up after the crops are harvested.....there isn't a lot of ag in Oneida County.
I've had a camera out since mid June and finally got my second buck on camera, a nubbin buck with about 1.5" nubbs. Other than that, I keep getting the same(assuming the same) doe and pair of fawns. I've moved my camera all over and get about 2 - 3 pictures a week. I dug in a little watering hole yesterday and put the camera over that, I'll see if I get any pictures over that.
From: live2hunt
13-Oct-14
Up at our cabin in Phillips, we drove into town and I counted 22 does w/single and twin fawns in a 7 mile stretch of road. East of Eau Claire Bow hunting? 1 deer from my tree stand and maybe 2 on the roads back and forth from hunting. I had more action the one night I got to sit in Price county than East of Eau Claire.
From: RJN
13-Oct-14
Lots of deer on one farm in Lax cty but very few on another. Deer seem to be off the beans and into corn fields and apple trees.
From: WausauDug
13-Oct-14
i think last week was the bottom and will hopefully just will get better. That dang full moon and the huge Red Oak acorn dump has them fat and sassy not moving much. I did see two fresh scrapes Sunday morning.
From: wibuckwatch
13-Oct-14
I have been seeing a few deer here, but the last week the buck activity has increased on the cameras(at night). Scrapes all over!! I'm starting to really get excited about the next month!! Here is a sample of old charger.
From: grossklw
13-Oct-14
Consistent deer on camera during pretty much all hours, with work I won't be able to hit it hard until the rut but the 3 times I've went out I've seen an average of a dozen deer and 2-3 smaller bucks. I've stuck a couple of nice fat does for the freezer as well.
From: Adamwipp07
13-Oct-14
Here's one buck I've been getting a lot of pictures of. The only problem is its after shooting hours. I think he's only a 2 1/2 year old, but I'm going to have a hard time passing if I get an opportunity.
From: Novemberforever
13-Oct-14
Adam the belly, nose and gross screams 3.5yo to me. Fantastic g-1's
From: Pete-pec
13-Oct-14
Many many does. Yet to see a buck. Passed several chip shots, but I know I will regret taking a doe out now that will certainly atteact some bucks later. A lot of crops still up. When corn goes down, the sightings should increase.
From: thesquid
13-Oct-14
That's a shooter in my books Adamwipp07 - I love odd racks.
From: thesquid
13-Oct-14
I saw a nice doe and a three pointer today but the rain was just starting so I passed on the doe and I've been passing on that little buck since the beginning.
From: 10orbetter
13-Oct-14
Nice sunken swimming pool (waterhole) there. I would take him if he came by me.
From: Adamwipp07
13-Oct-14
That water hole actually is a swimming pool every night for about 5 raccoon. I have pictures of deer and raccoon Drinking out of it at the same time
From: Turkeyhunter
13-Oct-14
Seeing plenty. Southern Door County - nice mix of ag acreage and cover. Plenty of bottom land. Deer numbers are too high IMO (tree farmer). Passed on a nubbin last weekend and sailed an arrow over a nice buck. Equipment issue fixed after work today.
From: happygolucky
14-Oct-14
I hope you get that one Adam. He's a dandy for sure. I gotta agree with November in that he seems older than 2.5.
So far, other than does and fawns, only seen a 1.5yo 8pt with tiny brow tines. Heading back up north on Thu.
From: GoJakesGo
14-Oct-14
Where I'm hunting there is 0 ag fields and very little acorn crop. Most of the deer seem to be in 1-3 year old clearcuts. Been focusing on waterlogged cut areas with easy crossings. I sure hate to use my tag on a spike but I haven't seen much and im out of venison!
From: cblood
14-Oct-14
Florence County here
Hunted for the first time this wknd, was pretty slow at first but the light rain on Mon had them up most of the day. Saw several does and fawns, and two spikes sparring with one another. Was a pretty cool sight, hadn't seen in person before.
Overall deer population seems the same as last yr, but a bit concerned with overall antler development.
From: 10orbetter
15-Oct-14
Sat last night a saw a doe with her fawn. Still relating to standing corn. It is going to heat up in a couple days though. Once we push toward that new moon, they will be more active in the morning. Of course that depends on weather, amount of standing corn...
From: bowhuntndoug
17-Oct-14
Morning hunts zero sightings. Last night 5 inside 20 yards bucks too small and only doe gave poor shooting angle. No big buck except on cameras between 9 pm and 3 am.
From: Adamwipp07
17-Oct-14
I've hunted every night this week and only saw a total of three doe. My cameras show that there are mature bucks in the area. Only problem is there moving an hour before sunrise and at least an hour after sunset.
Anyone else having the same problem?
I'm starting to think I've made the deer nocturnal by over hunting my area.
From: basbh1
17-Oct-14
18 sits so far been out every weekend since bow operner 2 bucks (4pt & 8pt) 2 doe 3 fawns. 4pt doe and fawn 2nd weekend, 8pt 3rd weekend, doe and 2 fawns 4th weekend 430 acres of land that comes out to about 8 to 10 deer per sq mile and we are over goal?
From: Naz MacBook
18-Oct-14
Not trying to be a wise guy but impossible to determine the number of deer per square mile by sightings from a stand or two. Is all 430 considered deer habitat? If not, how much is? For example, if it's half open fields, then you're looking at 20+ deer/sq. just on what you've seen — and it's not likely you've seen all the deer in that square mile.
From: 1acrewhitetails
18-Oct-14
All I know is I've seen as many deer sitting two nights in illinois, 1 buck 2 does, as I have in 20 plus nights in wisconsin, 3 does. one things for sure, I'll gladly shell out the $410 non-res fee and shoot an illinois buck next year.
From: Naz MacBook
19-Oct-14
1acre, what county? Public or private? I'm sure it's pretty dismal in parts of the north, esp. where deer didn't have access to logging operations, young growth or cabin/home supplemental feeding, and where predator populations are high.
From: bowhuntndoug
19-Oct-14
Hunted morning and night Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and this morning saw a total of 12 deer while on stand with 3 sits with zero sightings. No good bucks and all the adult does didn't give me a shot. Jumped a lot of deer already bedded going in during morning hunts. Leaving these spots alone now for the next 12 days.
From: wibuckwatch
19-Oct-14
Sat Friday afternoon. Saw one doe come out early and feed briefly. Then 6 or so doe came out right before dark. Hoping next weekend things will start to heat up soon.
From: live2hunt
19-Oct-14
Finally saw another deer tonight, up to 2. Well, I wasn't in my stand yet. It was standing by my stand when I got in. Checked out a few other areas, pretty pitiful in the forest.
From: Zonks32
20-Oct-14
Jack Squat....that's what I've seen the last few times out. Squirrels galore and one owl, but I'm not hunting for tails to sell to Mepps. Things will turn around...I hope.
From: Bow Crazy
20-Oct-14
They were moving in Monroe County this weekend. I put up a new stand in a new area, my brother saw 5 deer on two different occasions. It's now his stand or so I'm told. :) Son had two does coming down a logging road towards him. They veered around a fallen down branch into the pines, too thick too shoot. (Note to self, remove fallen limb ASAP) Saturday morning 2 six pointers, 15 minutes apart, passed by me following a doe with 2 nubbin bucks. All bucks we saw were 1.5 year olds.
On trail cam, a 2.5 year old 8 pointer hit a scrape on the edge of a clover plot on Saturday evening. Plenty of shooting light left.
I'm not liking this warming trend!!! BC
From: live2hunt
20-Oct-14
Rattled in a small 6 tonight, best action I've had. They are talking about 70 on Saturday, and I'm supposed to set traps. Too hot for that.
From: BowBrother
20-Oct-14
Saw 8 doe from one stand Friday morning and 3 bucks from another stand in Green Lake County that evening, including a shooter that was at 60 yards. Couldn't tell how wide but tines looked to be at least 10 inches on the G1s and G2s. Broadside so I never could gauge spread.
From: Dampland
21-Oct-14
Northern Polk county, private land, that was totally UNhunted this year prior to this weekend.
Hunted 3 hours Saturday evening, and 2 hours Sunday evening. Saw a total of 3 does.
My buddy hunted the same days/hours as me, and he saw zero deer.
another buddy hunted Saturday evening for 3 hours, and saw 4 does.
final buddy hunted saturday evening for 3 hours, and saw 5 does and a spiker.
Sightings are way, way, way down!
From: 10orbetter
21-Oct-14
never enough, I want to see them everywhere 24 7. Lol
From: martinjame
21-Oct-14
Saw 6 my first 4 sits, which I thought was great. Haven't seen one since, 9 different sits. Hoping the acorns are keeping them from moving right now. Plenty of trail cam pics though, and more deer than I have had on camera in the past.
From: Jeff in MN
22-Oct-14
Seeing verry verry few deer. Even when I was driving 70 miles a day checking and setting traps I only saw 3 on the roads. All doe and all near golf courses.
I did see a bear in that 150# class walk by tonight, gosh they are pretty this time of year.
From: Tri-County
22-Oct-14
Saw a spike sparring with a fork, (2) 6ptrs, (4) doe this evening. Seems the young ones are moving more.
From: therealdeal
22-Oct-14
not much happening by me yet. Still too warm
