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Thread: It’s that time of year again

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    It’s that time of year again

    First season archery and rifle season is now over. Muzzle loader season started Monday. Seems like after EVERY year ever since I’ve been a kid after about 10 am on opening day the odds of seeing a wall hanger buck is about slim to none. I’ve shot ONE that came by on a Tuesday after opening weekend that was a head mounter years ago. Then by the end of week deer seem to gone nocturnal and or left the area. This year was the worst for seeing deer in decades during rifle season. It didn’t help that I got harassed by the neighbors in the morning and night and opening day which I’m sure pushed them off my property. I don’t have a lot of acreage but enough to normally feel like they have a sanctuary when they get pushed most years. I just pulled the cameras last night when I went in the woods for the first time muzzleloader hunting. Rifle season ended last Sunday. Normally by Thursday or Friday it seems like they start coming back around. Still looks like they have left the country according to my trail cameras. I had a couple of bambis on camera like always every year at this time. I had one basket rack last Saturday around 12:30pm. That was a few minutes after I walked out. Looks like I also had a group of doe during the daylight at 3:48 PM two days ago. We are supposed to have 35 mile an hour winds today and was around 20 mph wind yesterday. It’s been like that all week. I talked to an Amish kid on the way out. He was about a mile or so up the road and didn’t see anything either. I would assume between the wind and the pressure they found a really good spot that no one‘s bothering them and are all denned up. Normally if I put in the time between now and antlerless season a basket rack 4 or 6 point normally shows up….or a l first year fawn. Never have seen any dandies this time of year. Just think they’ve been pressured way too much and literally don’t move out of whatever good hiding spot they found on someone else’s property for a few weeks. Archery season was pretty good this year though. I shot a monster but I didn’t have all the ridiculous non stop buck traffic like I normally do. I did manage to tag fill/party hunt an decent 9 point on the Monday after opener this year. Anybody else have issues like this? I might wait and go out on Monday since the wind is supposed to be ridiculous all weekend again. It’s gonna be a high of 45 today which it’s been in the 20s in the single digits for a couple weeks. Also the wind is gonna be 35 miles an hour I can hear it outside the house as we speak. It didn’t even sound like anyone was rifle hunting this year either. Very little shots at all. None during the week or last weekend. Guess it doesn’t mean people weren’t out in the woods knocking I’m nocturnal. Also a few miles down the road there were a lot of cornfields that got cut. I’m just wondering if they all headed towards the pile of free food and are hanging out and bedding close to the endless supply of food? Either way… I’m always wondering this time of year where did the deer go???

  2. #2
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    I have hunted over 20 days since October 1. Worst year for seeing deer i can remember. Trail cameras show them moving at night. Been very warm this year. Finally saw 5 yesterday morning but no shots. Going out this morning but 35 mph winds are forecast for noon. Climate change is ruining deer hunting here.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Yep, I’ve missed only 2 days since oct 22nd in the woods myself. It’s been about the worse year I’ve seen for daytime deer traffic myself.

  4. #4
    Boolit Bub white cloud's Avatar
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    I hunt on our farm and hunt about three days a week since October 11th. I believe that I have see right at 42 deer so far but not one decent buck. I need to change tactics. My normal practice is to sit in two man ladder stands. Next week its trading in the scoped bolt gun for a short lever and get a seat in the thickets.
    Last edited by white cloud; 12-02-2022 at 06:07 PM.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Where my land is, there is almost no deer sign, lots of coyotes, wolves moved further north along with all the fox, and coyotes moved back in, I believe the coyotes are getting all most all the fawns. Boy hunted hard all season, saw one flag, no shot. only one deer on any of the trail cams, lots of coyotes, bobcats, one wolf. Should be good around my place lots of logging, good feed, no deer.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    Brother in Northern Michigan saw only one deer during rifle season. Big doe that he got on Thanksgiving afternoon. Our family has gotten several deer after
    thanksgiving dinner. He and I are both too old to hunt in bad weather. He does have an elevated blind in his woods to keep warm in. Windows were made for
    bow hunting and are too large. His son came home from Singapore for hunting and the holidays. Got a six point buck opening day.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I am in the same boat as you Trip but I didn't shoot any buck yet
    heard minimal shooting on the opener but it seam's everyone but me got a buck this year
    as usual. I shot a big doe opening day and have not seen anything since.
    Muzzleloader is going on and I will head out tomorrow afternoon and hunt all Sunday
    then our doe only season for 4 days but can only make 1 of those days then the stupid holiday hunt
    which I will not partake in unless I get nothing till then
    sheese bad year but DNR says banner year, go figure


    the only bright spot is my wife and I are going to have a smoked black bear ham tonight
    yum yum
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    [ sheese bad year but DNR says banner year, go figure ] DNR is a business in charge or selling license's, Do you really thing they will tell the truth, that there are fewer deer ???
    Opening weekend of rifle deer season here on my land area, there was not a full box of shells fired in two days that I heard ! There were people in the woods, just ???

  9. #9
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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    I'm sorry to hear that about up north. The deer here have looked surprisingly good for a drought year. I see deer everywhere, including some nice bucks.
    I've already used my buck tags for freezer meat, so I just wave at them.


    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Rifle season this year I saw one deer. A basket rack buck at 2:20 pm. I passed it up waiting for something a decent size since there was no shooting basically an opening day around me. I sat all day except for from one PM till two PM. Sunday I was sick as a dog so I never made it out which was the first Sunday of weekend opener I don’t think I’ve ever hunted in about 30 years. Went out Monday morning and filled my dad‘s party tag with a nine point with a split G2. Wasn’t a giant but my dad‘s never picky. Went out Tuesday and Wednesday never saw a deer. I said a different tree stand Thursday morning and saw one Bambi. Friday I skipped and didn’t go. Saturday I went size 0 again and Sunday I had a Bambi walk up to me. When I walked out of the woods it got up with another one the same size and looked at me and walked away. I normally see more deer in one morning every day during gun season than I did for a total all week. Kind of weird because I was seeing a pretty good amount of bucks and doe every day trough the Thursday before opener. I know the farmers a mile or two down the road cut their corn down so I wonder if most work their way over to the food source before all hell broke loose on Saturday morning. If so I figured there probably held up far away from me hiding from the pressure. I probably won’t go again until Monday. Just like white eagle we have muzzleloader through Wednesday which we can use unused buck tags. Then Thursday through Sunday doe only. That’s when I always take out whatever experimental Cast Boolits I want to test. My plan is to get my 44 magnum Lyman Devon stater. My plan is to get my 44 magnum Lyman Deviators back out and test with 7.5 BH 40/1 alloy at 1600 fps. At the rate I’m not seeing stuff I will find out if I get to do any testing or not. We have 35 to 45 mile an hour winds with warnings tonight so between not seen any deer and the wind blowing extremely horrible like it has been for the last week I figured I would take the weekend off and hit it during the weekday. Figured if my neighbors were screwing around up on their property close to where I sit it’s gonna even make it worse to not see what I’m not seeing. Never did hear back from the sheriff after I did a follow up call with him but I also never did see my neighbors again so I’m sure he paid a visit and had a conversation with them at the very least.

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
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    We usually see them either in the back yard or on the front fence line.
    But we were talking about it just this morning, now none at all. Definitely moving at night.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    Here in Oct I went archery with my crossbow that I have a permit to use here in Iowa , and the 2nd day I went out, I got myself a good size doe. I am after them for meat and then when the early muzzle loader open still in Oct , same the 2nd day I went out during the season I got my self a 6 point. But what I notice during both times that the corn was still standing that the deer stayed in it and after it got harvest then you got to see them more. I go during Oct because for how it is for me . The really cold temps dose a job on me. for my hip and arm . Today is when the Shotgun season open and then able to use some center fire also.
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by BLAHUT View Post
    Where my land is, there is almost no deer sign, lots of coyotes, wolves moved further north along with all the fox, and coyotes moved back in, I believe the coyotes are getting all most all the fawns. Boy hunted hard all season, saw one flag, no shot. only one deer on any of the trail cams, lots of coyotes, bobcats, one wolf. Should be good around my place lots of logging, good feed, no deer.
    Sounds like a place that is screaming for some predator control!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Yep! Sounds like that place could use a lot of predator calling & trapping.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Apparently I need to plant corn on my property. My buddy that lives a few hours away has seen doe and fawn every sit this past week. He also had about a 130" buck on camera last Monday around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. They are just put there grazing on the cut corn. He shot a whopper doe with his muzzel loader last night being it was his last day to hunt. I'll have to get out this afternoon. I'll hunt the next three afternoons and see if I can fill my last Buck tag.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Sat from 2pm till dark yesterday. About zero mph wind and high 30’s. Really nice weather vs the 15 25 mph wind we’ve have for the last month. Zero deer seen again. Chased a possum up a tree on the way out. Today and tomorrow left to fill my buck tag…stay tuned.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    Had a group of 6 doe and fawn run up to me at 4pm today. Figured there was a buck probably chasing them but no. They all stood within 35 to 40 yards for 10 minutes and walked down the hill. I got greedy and was waiting for horns and let them all walk! Tomorrow’s the last day of muzzleloader season and use my buck tag so I will try it bright and early in the morning instead of afternoon tomorrow and see what happens.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    I would be tickled pink with a mature doe for freezer meat.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy

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    After the season you've had, yeah you shoulda shot one of the does that came by. As always with hunting, you gotta be at the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, sometimes your property may not be the right place. If they go nocturnal, you can't do anything except in the future avoid doing whatever it was that made them go nocturnal in the first place. It's just hunting. Good luck with the rest of your season.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    I have found that last year I made too much clearing for shooting, this can be a big turn off for deer. But I was fortunate, They came back this year

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