What is going on this Years deer hunting

[smaltcody]

So im not understading i seen hardly any great sign of rut Like seriously im still seeing mothers with fawns what does this mean where is the spot to hunt i have prime promising hunting land and im not seeing any deer i guess im kinda lost how do you hunt this warm weather that we are having what are the secrets and please dont hold out on me im not hunting your deer i just want to learn how to hunt my deer

[ray koziatek]

WARMER weather and what hunting press is on has em nocternal ....their there,, early morn has been best for me, they just ant in no hurry to move early evening ,,set up in am away from food source and try to cut em off before bedding area. once they lay down its a 1 to 3 hr wait before they stand up to poop and pee...then their down till 3ish in bedding area..unless yer lucky enuf to find the wandering buck lookin for a new honey,, time in stand will be key now with little movement on yer part if ya got a good setup....if yer still hunting put it in low gear 100yds in a 1/2 hour is almost too fast..and good binoculars will pay off.....the mature doe who have mated are on full alert for movement ,,,,kinda like a wife 1 time a year is plenty and they dont want any surprises..

[T_barb]

Ray, I have a stupid question.... I have had a good amount of success still hunting, but it has primarily been when there is "soft" snow on the ground or everything is saturated and quite... When things are "crunchy" is there anyhing that you do to ensure you are moving slow enough? I always feel like no matter how slow I am going, I am going to fast.. I guess maybe count to a hundred between steps or something simple like that.. Just curious to see what others do to ensure they are going slowwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[ray koziatek]

Still hunting ,IS for certian conditions (wet leaves,wind direction, snow,good sight). IE: I only still hunt with bow when its raining,or snow ...

Hillsides are the best with you on top of hill as deer bed 99.9% facing downhill.

Flatlands deer will bed 99.9% with their back to the wind if its a little breezy. So cross hunt the flats (cross wind).

Always be ready (gun at ready not slung over shoulder) when sight is limited. Usually a surprised doe will ,Stand, look ,maybe snort and stomp (if she dont smell you) ,then run with flag waving,usually pickin up a few more as she takes off.

A younger buck (Usually up to a 2.5yr ) will bed in a more open area and are easly moved.

They will usually stand and start walking away with the same motion so ya got about 1 to 2 sec to aim. The ability to raise yer gun and have scope on target is very important.

Might sound corny but you have to be "one" with yer gun or bow. this ant gonna happen overnite ....

Now the big boys ......."Keen eye sight" they know their woods like you know yer house . right down to the last stick.

They usually travel on different trails (more conceled) Unless the rut is on almost always in pairs.

Have ya heard people who drive deer after seein the "big ONE" enter a patch of woods and say he" musta slipped between us" yea that happens but more than likely you slipped past him laying tight to a log or in a tiny thicket.

With over 40 yrs doing something i Love (hunting) their are always the exception to all the rules....20 Years or so ago after church covered with cologn i had a smasher smell me turn and walk my way like i was a doe in heat in wide open woods ,yup at 5 yds i messed the shot with a bow (Think they call that buck feaver)

And that is only 1 of a hundred stories i could tell of unusual behavior Ive encountered.

The oll """""Right place at the right time"""" is more than just a saying ..from the moment you exit yer car till the last step to get back in you better be in the hunting mode ...

As for crunchy leaves not a real issue if yer slow ,,ya ant hunting 30 yds away ,and always look behind you on ocassion.....twigs and branches ya got about a 5 to 7 min window to freeze (longer with mature deer) so choose yer steps carefully .....rapid body movement makes it as easy for a deer to see you as you can see a deer that is running.

whew thats a lot of finger pokin so ill cut off the ramblin.....

BUT THEIR IS ONE RULE AS WITH FISHING THE BEST TIME TO CATCH A FISH IS WHEN YER FISHING,SAME WITH DEER i HUNTED FOR 5 HRS YESTERDAY IN THE WARM WEATHER AND RAIN AND ONLY SAW 1 DEER..... BUT THAT WAS 1 MORE THAN I WOULD OF SEEN FROM MY CHAIR.. many big deer are taken in odd times like that with very little deer activity to "warn them" yer comming..and even in deadly silent conditions i traveled less than 1 mile probly closer to 1/2mi ...

[Legacy]

Majority of the rut activity happens at night. Human pressure makes it even more so. While i do witness some rut activity during gun season, the majority of it is during bow season. No big surprise that does are with fawns. Fawns will be with their mother until she is breeding and the second she is done they will be right back with her. Mornings have still been the best for me. Concentrate on the thickest cover you have and if the deer are anywhere it will be there.

Evenings- With the wind in your favor, place yourself close to the thickest cover and the nearest food source. Corn is my fav once the weather pattern changes to something more seasonable.

Mornings- With the wind in your favor, place yourself close to the thickest cover and the best travel route back to bedding (in farm country it will be a funnel).

[ray koziatek]

PS:the one deer we saw was in a 400 acr mowed soybean field less than 20 yds from the truck... a small spike.....but maybe grandpa could of been near (he wasnt) so thats why were QUIET AND HUNTING TILL THE LAST MOMENT.....

[Gill-T]

Ray's points are spot on. I would add that later in the season deer get hip to the steady cadence of hunters' footsteps going into the woods. Give yourself enough time to still-hunt to your stand. If the leaves are cornflakes loud then walk on the front pad of your foot and throw in some soft grunts on your grunt tube. The idea is sound like a deer not a human. Walk into the wind to your stand, so if you have to go way around the long way......do it. Easier to pick a stand location at the head of a drainage common to southern tier hills. These cuts in the earth will mask your visability, sound and scent. Be invisible. Get in and get out with out being detected is key to not ruining a hunting spot. Also, as the season goes on think deeper into the woods and thicker cover.

[skipjack]

I hate to say this , I have resorted to still hunting at a fast pace. I guess it all depends on how hard the area is hunted. But the deer do get used to people still hunting slow and spook easy especially if the wind is not right. Keeping your eyes open is the most important for me I'm hard of hearing. I have gotten within yards this way and always get my deer. And yes mature bucks at that. Dave

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[fisherman21]

i was walking at a slow but steady pace wednesday and dropped a 5 point. it works

[Fish Hunter]

Still hunting is more looking/watching than being under motion.

Never stop without using a tree or other object to break up the human outline, if at all possible.

Killed a lot of deer slipping through the woods, into the wind.

That said..........

Saturday afternoon sit, had 'em moving over here.

My son had "live" decoys in front of his ground blind, and I did also.

He saw 11 different deer, and I saw 8. No bucks.

This coming weekend we will fill doe permits.

Hopefully now the jet stream will pull some COLD down, into NYS, and then, they'll be up on their feet much more, requiring much more caloric intake, ie corn, beans, nuts, staying later in the feed, and coming earlier.

Set up down wind of where they are coming to their favorite food source, in the afternoon, and IF there is a buck around, and IF, there are a doe or two, or early born fawn, coming into season, then you might stand a good chance connecting.

It's worked for us.

[fisherman21]

got another one just walking through the woods today.

[Mortigan]

Been a strange season for me. Saw a few nice bucks during archery but none within range. Had one opportunity at a DMP doe on opening day that I blew and haven't seen a deer since. I'm thankful my back healed enough for me to get out at all but now it's up to the muzzleloader. Looks like Saturday's going to be cold,, finally.

[Gill-T]

Mortigan, the season goes until Sunday the 11th.

[Mortigan]

Lol - yeah, realized something was off after I posted and hit the DEC website. I'm glad for the extra weekend.

[chowder]

Busiest single day of doe management for me was Sun Nov. 27th, 60 degrees w/ a S. wind blowing 10-15. Shot 3 does out of 8 mature/immature combined & saw 3 young bucks all from 1 ground blind from 3-5pm. All deer were foraging.

Still seeing fresh scrapes & rubs this past weekend (12/3-12/4) as well as one mating pair. -Andy