17 replies to this topic

[Buddly]

Is it just in my 'hood or have the deer turned nocturnal all over the state? I've got a month's worth of trailcam pix and only 2 of any deer in daylight.

[poacher57]

Laser genetics mounts top of scope do not have on xbow but mounted ovarmint gun could easly switched or look at just a laser

[SPECIALIZED]

Buddly, on 20 December 2011 - 02:53 PM, said:

Is it just in my 'hood or have the deer turned nocturnal all over the state? I've got a month's worth of trailcam pix and only 2 of any deer in daylight.

I have found in my area year after year that after gun season ,or around the end of November the deer sightings go down drastically.

[Sherman7057]

Same here in NW Ohio. Once gun week has come you can guarantee the deer will become nocturnal.

[Jetster]

Yep and thats when we start driving deer,only way to get up and moving!!!!!!!Other wise you will get nothing and waste your time sitting if nobody's moving them,this is gun season of course................

[dropzone]

Go where none of the other hunters will go. Back in the thickest stuff you can find and you will find deer. If you have a swampy area deep in the hunting area look there. Hunt at noon when most the other hunters are going in for lunch.

[Jetster]

dropzone, on 20 December 2011 - 06:22 PM, said:

Go where none of the other hunters will go. Back in the thickest stuff you can find and you will find deer. If you have a swampy area deep in the hunting area look there. Hunt at noon when most the other hunters are going in for lunch.

You actually think theres a secret spot where deer will roam free during daylight in the middle of gun season!!!!!And actually get in there unnoticed without them scatting out to a different part of the state....

[Aimo]

Where i hunt..if you don't get a deer in the opening day your cahnce drop to almost zero to see any brown arround you..and as DROPZONE said go to swampy area deep in the hunting area ..OR LOOK THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET ARROUND HOUSES( CHECK THE LAW IN YOUR STATE) YOU WILL BE SURPRICE WHERE THE DEER ARE HIDING .
,

[Jetster]

aimo61, on 20 December 2011 - 07:00 PM, said:

Where i hunt..if you don't get a deer in the opening day your cahnce drop to almost zero to see any brown arround you..and as DROPZONE said go to swampy area deep in the hunting area ..OR LOOK THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET ARROUND HOUSES( CHECK THE LAW IN YOUR STATE) YOU WILL BE SURPRICE WHERE THE DEER ARE HIDING .
,

Drives up our odds alot in PA......All ya need is 2 people walking around with 1 or  2 standers and you wont believe what ya can get up outta the brush/swamps/hedgerows!!!!!!!

[Buddly]

Dropzone;

"Go where none of the other hunters will go". I'm they only one with permission hunting these woods and when I'm at work the trailcam hunts for me. No daylight pix in 3 weeks!

"Back in the thickest stuff you can find and you will find deer." Been in all 35 acres, swamp and all.... Nothing!

"If you have a swampy area deep in the hunting area look there." With all the rain we've had 60% of the low area is swamp!

"Hunt at noon when most the other hunters are going in for lunch." If the trailcams don't get'em that means they ain't there. So hunting at noon ain't gonna help. Besides, I have a couple hundred pix of deer 20 yards from one of my stands..... all at night!

I guess my question boils down to WHY are they nocturnal all of a sudden. And do you guys see a similar pattern in your 'hoods?

This started before gun season. The pattern is new for this area.

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[Jetster]

Actually I think most big bucks are nocturnal most of the deer season (bow/gun)!!!!!Here there is no sense even spot lighting until at least 11 pm,cause the bigger/biggest buck will not even come out of the wood-work till then...........

[Buddly]

Ya Jetster, I think ur right about that.

It'll be interesting to see how much daytime movement starts up once the snow officialy arrives and stays longer than a day.

[Aimo]

Wow..Nice Buck..if i were you i will wait for FULL MOON night with clear sky ?!?!

Edited by aimo61, 21 December 2011 - 08:11 PM.

[Buddly]

aimo61, on 21 December 2011 - 08:09 PM, said:

Wow..Nice Buck..if i were you i will wait for FULL MOON night with clear sky ?!?!

I think we've all had that dream, Aimo!

[Sporty87]

Buddly, deer are nocturnal creatures as well as day time creatures.  When the pressure is on they do what they have to do to survive (and so would you) if that means doing less in daylight hours that's what they do!  That being said they are still, when not heavily pressured, on a 4-6 hour schedule of rest and food, they will sleep/rest for 4-6 hours and then forage for 4-6 hours and repeat through out the day/night.  It's a matter of finding their pattern and on a smaller property (like you and I hunt) when they are on your property and where are they on your property.  In my case they are on the higher part of the property in the very early a.m. times and as the day progresses they transit the property from different locations, if there is no pressure from neighbouring hunters they come through the creek on the back side mid-day to early afternoon transiting from one parcel of land through the property I hunt to another property (better grazing I think).  Then late afternoon going to sundown they are in the lower section of the property in the pecan orchard foraging and chasing each other and mating at times.  I have to catch them as they transit the property I hunt going from one place or thing to another.  So far it's worked pretty good.  Weekends there are a lot of gun hunters around and so I don't even go out on weekends - the deer seem to know that there is less pressure though the week so they seem to be more likely to be around say Tuesday (after little or no activity on Monday) through Friday.  At least thats what I've observed the last two years (since I'm able to hunt in the middle of the week).  These are just my observations - there's nothing scientific about them - but I do keep a log of when, where and what the deer I see are doing.  The log helps to figure out patterns.

[Aimo]

Sporty87, on 23 December 2011 - 09:02 AM, said:

Buddly, deer are nocturnal creatures as well as day time creatures.  When the pressure is on they do what they have to do to survive (and so would you) if that means doing less in daylight hours that's what they do!  That being said they are still, when not heavily pressured, on a 4-6 hour schedule of rest and food, they will sleep/rest for 4-6 hours and then forage for 4-6 hours and repeat through out the day/night.  It's a matter of finding their pattern and on a smaller property (like you and I hunt) when they are on your property and where are they on your property.  In my case they are on the higher part of the property in the very early a.m. times and as the day progresses they transit the property from different locations, if there is no pressure from neighbouring hunters they come through the creek on the back side mid-day to early afternoon transiting from one parcel of land through the property I hunt to another property (better grazing I think).  Then late afternoon going to sundown they are in the lower section of the property in the pecan orchard foraging and chasing each other and mating at times.  I have to catch them as they transit the property I hunt going from one place or thing to another.  So far it's worked pretty good.  Weekends there are a lot of gun hunters around and so I don't even go out on weekends - the deer seem to know that there is less pressure though the week so they seem to be more likely to be around say Tuesday (after little or no activity on Monday) through Friday.  At least thats what I've observed the last two years (since I'm able to hunt in the middle of the week).  These are just my observations - there's nothing scientific about them - but I do keep a log of when, where and what the deer I see are doing.  The log helps to figure out patterns.

Very valuable information SPORTY87..i will try to go arround noon time and see..we have 5 days only left

[Jetster]

aimo61, on 24 December 2011 - 09:31 PM, said:

Very valuable information SPORTY87..i will try to go arround noon time and see..we have 5 days only left

The deer here are all grouped up in feeding areas!!!!!Been spotlighting and there prolly aint a deer within a 1/2 mile from my house right now.....All on the southern side of the mountain with good food and sunlight.fields are pretty loaded.............Man I wish I had permission to hunt there but of course wish it was still hunting season as well!!!

Looks like it will/might be another good/great season next year here in NY....................

Edited by Jetster, 24 December 2011 - 10:12 PM.

[dropzone]

Buddly, on 21 December 2011 - 08:33 AM, said:

Dropzone;

"Go where none of the other hunters will go". I'm they only one with permission hunting these woods and when I'm at work the trailcam hunts for me. No daylight pix in 3 weeks!

"Back in the thickest stuff you can find and you will find deer." Been in all 35 acres, swamp and all.... Nothing!

"If you have a swampy area deep in the hunting area look there." With all the rain we've had 60% of the low area is swamp!

"Hunt at noon when most the other hunters are going in for lunch." If the trailcams don't get'em that means they ain't there. So hunting at noon ain't gonna help. Besides, I have a couple hundred pix of deer 20 yards from one of my stands..... all at night!

I guess my question boils down to WHY are they nocturnal all of a sudden. And do you guys see a similar pattern in your 'hoods?

This started before gun season. The pattern is new for this area.

Sounds to me like they have you patterned, and Unless you have trail cam's at every spot on the property then you can't know they're not there. Why not try changing it up and move to a different spot. I can tell you this about a week after season starts the deer in my area change there patterns of movement. Some say it doesn't matter but I wont hunt the same spot more than 2 times at most. I may not move more than 30 40 yards. This has worked for me and I kill a deer every year. Now I may not get the biggest deer in the woods but I don't wait for them either I shoot the first mature deer I can.

Edited by dropzone, 24 December 2011 - 11:19 PM.