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Thoughts

So for the most part, this year has been off for the vast majority of anyone chasing white tails. Obviously some nice deer have been harvested. My question is.... assuming that the deer have to travel further for food due to no acorns, could this be affecting their habits as we know?

I think just the opposite. I think they're bedding next to their food source and not traveling much. Therefore, if the food isn't on your property, neither are they. Of course if the food is on your property, you could be up to your neck in deer. I think that would explain why some guys are seeing plenty and the rest of us aren't.

I hunt a food source next to the bedding area. I would certainly agree but the property is mostly grass /hay fields.

Not really..they hurt my head..lol

NW corner has a bumper crop of acorns.

I completely agree with BrianM. No acorns for me means the deer aren't out browsing through the woods. They hole up behind houses and eat landscaping and grasses. They don't move much and travel less. The rut seems to be lacking, but based on a few reports here, bucks are now out moving around this week.

i think to a deer this is normal....there is plenty of feed out there...but like others said maybe not on the piece....warm weather keeps the movement at night

I hunted the big woods of nothern ontario for years....miles of land with not even a road....some years one area would be loaded with deer and then the next they would be gone....kinda shifted them for whatever reason...

Odd year for sure. I have a ton of acorns in one spot then none 10 minutes up the road and one spot I have an hour away has the most acorns I ever saw in my life. The spot with none I’ve been seeing the deer on lawns and fields just down the street.

Sometimes we tend to hunt the same way even though the deer have changed their routine from previous years, whether it's due to acorns, warm weather, snow, etc. If what you're doing isn't working try something different, nothing to lose. That's why I like to still hunt before the rut to check things out (state land guys). I'm also trying different areas this year as things have been slow in my usual 2 spots. There's a small parcel of state land I hunted turkeys on this spring that had good deer sign on, so I'm going to head there before the end of the season, its not bow only so can't do it now.

My right foot itches.

zey r kummings

Someone is starting the Thanksgiving celebrating early!!!

Weird but good. I have a small area of state land I have gun hunted for 9 years. This is my first year with a bow. There are 0 acorns here. I have hunted about 10 times over the last 5 weeks and have yet to see another hunter in my area. I have seen deer on about half of my hunts including 2 small bucks and I had never seen a buck here in previous years. Killed a doe 2 weeks ago and missed a spike. Anyone else noticing less hunters in the woods this year or am I just the lucky one?

Only thing I've seen is a trail cam, but no hunters.

Buck cam by out of range trailing doe, got down to stalk got close but followed. Ended up running into 5 bucks and no idea how many does all grouped together along with a fox and coyote. Drew on the largest buck, huge body, good rack but couldnt get a clean shot through branches at about 25 yards. Rut is ON.

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