The title basically says it all I missed a stud of an 8 point the Tuesday after bow opener and I never really rebounded from that I guess. I hunted smarter this year than I ever have expanded food plots and even got the farmer that leases my land to leave and acre of soybeans stand. I had opportunities to shoot some smaller bucks and even one 3 Y.O. 9 that I decided to let walk given the caliber of deer running around. Since gun season I've had a really hard time getting bucks on cam and none in daylight. Today I did a card pull and I had a really decent 8 point back there so I was excited to go and hunt it tonight. I went to go pull cards on another property I hunt and I came back to coyote hunters running there dogs all over mine and my 2 neighbors lands. I normally would have no issue with this but isn't it common courtesy to let all the whitetail seasons end before you go running yotes with dogs especially on land that you never had permission to be on. The whole thing has me soo irritated I can't even finish a thought to type this!! The deer didn't need another reason to be nocturnal but I guess they got one.... PS They did manage to get 3 yotes off mine and my neighbors 320 acres 3 yotes that they probably would've gotten on Jan 1 when the bow season is over!
Hunting is hard enough without outside twists and turns but for some reason, I still keep on doing it! Good luck.
in my area when this happens I noticed that the deer just move out of the way when they crowd comes through then a couple days later they are right back. keep at it give it your all til the end. there will be a long wait for the next season to begin so don't end this season before you have to.
they will have to rip the bow out of my hand on the last day at the last minute of season. I know how long the off season is and I am in no hurry to start waiting til next year that's for sure.
Not to try and one up you but to let you know that we are all in this together..... on our 350 acre farm that we have leased out to another farmer, they have turned every meadow that is near the woods, into soybeans. That is all fine and dandy until the beans get cut and then the deer will look the fields over occasionally looking for spilled beans. On the last weekend of our hunting season, I was sitting in my stand overlooking the last meadow that hadn't been plowed when the farmer decided that that was THE best time to come in and plow it! Why couldn't he have waited just 2 more days? Man do I love hunting!!!!!
I know alot of my posts on here have been doom and gloom but I have had an amazing year of deer hunting even if I didn't put a buck on the ground. I had alot of hunts where I was able to see mature bucks and had I put down the bow when gun season came in I could have shot at a few bucks that were out of range with the ol creed. I even got a glimpse of the buck I call ogre ( a near 170 inch 11 point) when we got our first snow a month ago or so and I still have a week to try and finish it out strong and no guys I won't give up until the bitter end. The "offseason" is too long to give up when you still have a tag in your pocket!
My bow hunting season sucked: only got out a few times and saw 1 whole spike. But my gun season was pretty good: 2 deer at the butcher and I could have wacked a couple more. I'm happy with the meat but still wish I could get out with my bow for a wall hanger(cause some are out there). Keep at it.
Not sure how I would deal with hunters running dogs on my property but it would not end well, hunting or not, season or not. The fence line is the line no permission no access anything else is trespassing dogs or not.
I am sorry for your rough season. Do what you want, I have and I would prosecute the trespassers. They are worse than the coyotes. hope your luck gets better. John
Sometimes hunters on adjoining properties work for you, sometime against. I've had guys sawing oak trees a hundred yards away, when they quit the deer piled into the tops of the felled oaks. Squirrel hunter has pushed deer to me. It can be a blessing or a curse. Just be sure to be there and play the hand you are dealt. mike
I know, right? How anyone would have "no issue" with a stranger running dogs on their land, at any time, without permission, is beyond me. This might be part of the problem?
They did come knock on the door to ask and like I said I wasn't home this group of guys run yotes every year and are very successful with killing them and that's good for my deer herd and what's good for my deer herd is good for me! So with my permission and after deer season I would have no issue. It was made very clear to them that in the future they cannot come and do it without permission in advance and after season or they would be treated as trespassers.
The best buck I have seen all year was opening morning of Georgia's bow season, Sept. 12th. I missed him and have not had a mature buck in bow range again since.
I never got to meet my Great Grandpa but my Uncle says he was the best deer hunter he ever knew. One thing he preached was making sure to be in your stand when every other hunter was going in for lunch. They will move the deer right to ya
Had something similar happen to me back in October but it was a squirrel hunter that walked up behind me. I knew something was coming up and like always, I froze and waited for it to come into field o view. Instead he stopped and shot at a squirrel that was at the top of my tree. I flipped out and almost messed myself. I really don't like when people are in the woods during deer season and not hunting deer. I know its selfish but its how I feel.
