Anyone else SKUNKED?

[Wild Bill Bucks]

In an area where I generally hear 20 to 30 shots ring out through the mountains, on opening day, I heard 4 shots all day Saturday and 2 shots Sunday. I didn't see as much as a tree rat all week-end.

The area I am in is loaded with deer, but with acorns knee deep, and persimmons everywhere, water in every hole in the ground, and cover grown up to thick to walk in, the deer just aren't moving.

10 of us on the lease, and not a single deer all week-end. Temperatures are suppossed to drop like a rock Thanksgiving day, so maybe it will force the deer to move a little.

I called the local processor, and he says the deer take is about 50% of what he took last year at this time, so he's hoping for a better week-end this week also.

Any of you guys having these problems or is it just in our area?

[taylorce1]

I was kind of skunked this year. I got a bear in May in AK, and a pronghorn buck in Oct. My deer I didn't see one I could get close enough to shoot with my ML, but I hit one with my truck after season was over. Elk I picked up a 4th season leftover tag and didn't see any fresh sign in the three days I was able to hunt. I was just too warm and had too many non-hunters in my area. So I averaged a 50% hunting season 75% if you count my road kill.

[Scorch]

I didn't get a deer this year. Seemed like everywhere I hunted was full of elk, though. I saw a few does but no bucks, and the elk made it hard to move around without spooking everything in the county.

I also got skunked on my "big hunt" to California for hogs. We saw hogs, and had them in the sights, but the guys I was hunting with are apparently "catch and release" hunters. They shot TOWARDS the pigs and just scared them. I never took a shot. I don't want to talk about it (boo-hoo).

[davlandrum]

Scorch - Did you go with a guide or outfitter in CA? I would be interested in contact info and your experience if you don't mind. You can PM me if you would prefer.

Me and my buddy drove all the way to Texas to hunt hogs...don't ask why...we are thinking CA for the next time around!

Thanks!

[Hawg]

Our gun season just started Sat. I didn't get to go then but went Sun. morning. My brother in law and a couple of his friends went Sat. and got three for the day. Sun. I went alone and had two come up behind me and couldn't easily turn, when I tried they spooked. Went back yesterday for a few hours hoping they'd cross again in the same spot but had to leave and go to work. So far I'm skunked but it ain't over yet.

[Scorch]

Scorch - Did you go with a guide or outfitter in CA?

No, we hunted in the Fort Hunter Liggett area. We had a rancher show us where the hogs had been traveling, but not really a guide. In the Paso Robles area there are lots of pigs. We just didn't get any of them. If you are looking for a guide in that area, try the CA DFG website, they have lists of guides.

[castnblast]

yup...me too. It's been so hot though. We have a nice cold snap getting ready to hit tomorrow. That should really fire things up and get the deer moving. It has been in the upper 80's here, w/ lot's of acorns on the ground. Morning lows have been in the low to mid 70's, w/ occasional upper 60's. OHHHH but come Thursday, Lows in the upper 40's and highs in the lower to mid 50's, w/ over-running cloudy, damp drizzly conditions. Hunt'n season is finally going to get moving!!!

[wolverine350]

Havent managed to get one yet during this rifle season but managed to get 2 during the black powder season, am seing der though just not a shot i would take yet

[JBriggs]

Poor hunting this year in NC. The drought has messed everything up pretty bad- killed off a lot of the crops and other natural food sources. Our rut has not started and the deer are scraggly due to food shortages. I just hope it gets cold soon and rackzilla comes out of hiding.

[MeekAndMild]

I think its the phase of the moon. Deer stay up late grazing and aren't prone to venture out in the daylight when the moon is entering the second quarter. I got skunked Saturday AM and PM, Sunday PM, Monday AM and PM, Tuseday AM just getting a glimpse of a couple and jumping a couple more in heavy brush. Didn't luck out until right after sunset on Tuesday and got a shot at a doe just before the crosshairs faded away. (I don't know how lucky that was...see my coyote thread.)

Last year I saw them all over the place, but the moon was "waning gibbous" 3 days before new on opening day.

[bclark1]

i had the worst opening weekend in wisconsin i've ever seen in terms of deer numbers - and pretty much everyone agreed. western wisconsin, no less, where they sell antlerless tags at $2 a pop and want to see the herds reduced significantly.

opening day (saturday) i saw a total of 3 deer. one ran across the field in front of me on my way to the stand a half hour before shooting light. two others passed behind our cabin, nearly 300 meters from the stand i was in, not worth taking a shot.

sunday i took a nice 10-point buck with a lot of mass who'd been escaping me for the last two years. i knew he slept under some pines off a clearing to my side, i always heard him run off on my way to my stand in the morning. when the wind was favorable i got in there an hour before daybreak and beat him. still only came within 175 meters, offhand shot from the stand was a bit errant and hit his neck instead of his chest, but still went down like a sack of potatoes. remarkably, he was the only deer to give me a good shot in 3 days of hunting. a doe actually ran within 30 or so meters, but it was while i was dragging out my buck, we both just stared at each other, she was long gone before i could make for a rifle.

monday i hunted morning, saw a total of one deer who was crossing the field at a walk, this time at a short 130 or so meters, but i didn't have time to set up a decent shot before she entered the brush. followed her in and bumped her, missed a shot while she was leaping a fence.

mind you, i saw at least 20 deer on the fields after dark. but during shooting hours, that was it. took the only good shot i had and got a nice buck, but the freezer is wanting for some does.

got one day left this saturday to get out, here's hopin. may try to get out for ohio shotgun season too, but i've been neglecting my actual responsibilities for fowl and deer this fall... we'll have to see...

[CmpsdNoMore]

Clark, where were you hunting in Wisconsin?

I was near Minong, about 90 minutes north of Eau Claire.

I was hunting with 5 people on my friend's Dad's land and then there was about 20 people hunting on his parents land.

Opening day only 3 people saw deer out of all 25 or so of us.

One guy couldn't find his stand (probably drunk from the night before) so he was sitting under a tree and saw a deers legs as it walked through some woods.
My friend saw and shot a young doe and I saw a spike buck.

The buck walked within 10 yards of me, but I didn't want to shoot him cause he was so small.

[FirstFreedom]

Yep, I'm skunked too. I've passed up two small bucks, but cannot even get a shot at a doe! This year is weird -I've SEEN more deer than ever before - yesterday I saw six while hunting, but too many limbs to get a shot on the two that were walking - the other 4 I jumped and they were running. I want a doe or large buck; just have to keep trying. I also have heard far fewer number of shots in the surrounding area than years past - dunno what is going on - the deer seem to be out there - but you are right, they have tons of acorns everywhere and are extremely hard to pattern. The leaves were super crunchy and crackly yesterday too, so the rate at which I would have to go to stalk hunt and not spook them from noise, in that crunchy environment, I wouldn't cover but 150 yards in a half day! Very hard to get IN to the hunting area without noise spooking them also. If it rains, I'll be getting one though (assuming I can get back out).

[roger1shot]

Same here,Hunting the National Forest has been hard for my brother and I.
Hot weather and several other hunters cut us off from the deer.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Got him on film, but never got him in the cross-hairs. Wound up with a small buck, and a big doe, so I can't gripe to bad, but I sure would like to have seen this guy.I hope the picture comes out, wasn't but an 11 point but never got to see him, maybe next week-end.http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...1&d=1196103767

[FirstFreedom]

Man that is a tall rack - hope you get him. I'd bet he's pretty nocturnal if the rut is over though. Why'd you shoot the little buck for?

[OJ]

This beautiful buck is the only one I saw and, as luck would have it, he was in MY BACK YARD !! - making it illegal to take since I live well within the city limits and can't discharge a firearm here. It was worth it just to see him, though and have my camera handy. He has a buddy with only a one sided rack who shows up regularly. My dogs don't even spook them.

[Kreyzhorse]

My buddy and I were both skunked until the last weekend of the season. Opening weekend I had three days to hunt and didn't see a deer. My buddy saw two bucks and a ton of does but couldn't get a good, clean shot at either buck. Passed on all does. Second weekend, I passed on a small buck and couldn't get a clean shot at several does. My buddy didn't see a deer at all. Last weekend of the season I took a nice doe at 40 yards with my new 45-70. The next day my buddy took a doe at 150 yards with a .375 H&H. Deer dropped where it stood. Hell of an exit wound but very little damage and didn't destroy much more meat than a 30.06 would have.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

FF,

Last day I was going to get to hunt, and wanted the meat. Buck was a 98 pounder, with a 8 point rack (Not very pretty) and he was really old and poor looking, so it was more of a mercy shooting than anything else.

When I had him checked, he was 6 years old, and hardly had any teeth left, so it was probably the best thing that could have happened to him.

We try to keep any old bucks, or poor looking bucks harvested off of the lease when possible.

[tyrajam]

Hey OJ, time to take up bowhunting! Most cities allow bowhunting in the city limits and some even offer extra urban tags and seasons. Thats a nice buck!

[Wild Bill Bucks]

One of the boys brought me this picture of an 18 pointer shot in Choctaw county in Oklahoma.
I'm Glad to see someone is finding some really nice deer.http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...1&d=1196447115

[davlandrum]

Scorch - sorry for the delay. Thanks for the info. I think we could even do Hunter Ligget (being retired Army).

[crowbeaner]

HMMPH. I had an old doe bust me twice last week, and the Northern zone doesn't have doe permits! I'll just have to wait for late ML season and bust HER! The only deer we've seen in the Southern zone were running like scalded dogs with afterburners! Maybe this weekend we'll get one. CB.

[Adventurer 2]

My deer hunting plans fell through on private land. Ended up on the public hunting grounds in KS. Didn't see a single deer. Saw lots of sign - poop, rubs, game trails, tracks. It is going to take until sometime next week for me to thaw out (temps under 30 F). It was good to get out, draw up a range card - laser the distances, get some solitude, fresh air, and time to think about whatever I want. Yeah, I got skunked but I would do it again.

[Taxidermist]

HMMPH. I had an old doe bust me twice last week, and the Northern zone doesn't have doe permits! I'll just have to wait for late ML season and bust HER! The only deer we've seen in the Southern zone were running like scalded dogs with afterburners! Maybe this weekend we'll get one. CB.

I got a dmp doe only tag in the northern zone "6C". I shot a buck opening day of early muzzle loader season up here. Then opening day of regular season i filled my regular buck tag and the dmp doe only tag. 6A is now loaded with deer up here in the northern N.Y.

John