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where did the deer go

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
well since sun i have seen very little movement at all, i mean 2 deer all week. one night coming outta the woods was lucky enough to see some bedded down in a field but couldnt shoot cause it was bout 10 min after last shooting light. its almost as if they have completly left the area. checked some state land, and no fresh tracks either it was in a different county, and its very nice woods surrounded by corn fields. anyone else having the problem of not seein any deer at all, i even walked the entire property makin noise to atleast hope to jump one up and still nothing. both these properties are packed with deer now they just aint around anymore......any ideas ?
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
They have, and are still, transitioning from summer areas to fall / winter areas. Combine that with the heat and what happens is they haven't been moving much during shooting times. We're not quite to the October lull yet. I figure we have a week or two before that.. But with this cold snap coming they deer should be more active.
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
so basically its just kinda at that dead time right now, cause like i said the state land i hunt and this property i picked up are packed with deer but lately there aint been nothing at all, the property it sometimes seems as if they just bed down all day and all night
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
so basically its just kinda at that dead time right now, cause like i said the state land i hunt and this property i picked up are packed with deer but lately there aint been nothing at all, the property it sometimes seems as if they just bed down all day and all night


I told ya months ago what would happen on that state land.. All summer you will trip over deer, and the first week of season they'll be in there.. But come the 2nd week they will mass exodus the state public property and head for safer lands.
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
yea thats true you did say that, i figured this one would be different cause its right up against refuge land and they cross constantly, last year during the last two days of gun season on the 1st morning we counted 24 deer standing in the cornfields just before daylight as we were pulling in i think 9 or so were taken that morning including the one i got. thats why i figured this was good land
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
If there are cornfields nearby, you can bet the deer are bedding in them. Right now, other than acorns, they don't have much of a reason to leave those fields.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
never thought of that, i thought acorns were early to mid october maybe i read wrong about the deer feeding on those

I'm sure they're eating both corn and acorns right now. I just know that when corn fields are around, that's going to be one of the preferred bedding areas.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
The deer are in the corn. With all the rain we have been getting and if there is any low spots in that field the deer have no reason to come out. You might get the one or two that bed in the woods and munch on acorns as they come and go from the corn but that's about it.
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
ok, well im gonna hunt the edge of this corn field tonight and there is a cut out spot in the woodline that i can sit back in and watch if they come back and forth so hopefully ill see one then maybe get on to stop so i can shoot
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
one thing that usually happens to me and not sure about anyone else, if im out squirrel huntin i wont see any squirrels, but yet ill see every deer in the county come past me, if im deer huntin ill see every squirrel in the woods and maybe one deer off in the distance its always been like that
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
one thing that usually happens to me and not sure about anyone else, if im out squirrel huntin i wont see any squirrels, but yet ill see every deer in the county come past me, if im deer huntin ill see every squirrel in the woods and maybe one deer off in the distance its always been like that

Sounds like my season last year lmao. I swore I was going to open a squirrel hunting outfitting business last year. Sat in my stand and seen nothing but tree rats.
 

Tree Monkey

Member
1,825
0
NW ohio
I can't believe u guys can't figure it out!?!?.....didn't u guys here about the increased visitor traffic? The deer obliviously been using the internet to out smart the hunters!.....damn they know everything about us.....use ur head boys!!
 

swamp_donkey819

Junior Member
seen quite a bit tonight seen a spike tryin to kill himself by playin in traffic, bout 7 or 8 does in a grass field between two corn fields and another 3 does crossing from a swamp area to a soybean field