New here and trying to figure this out. I did post this somewhere else, but I have no idea where. I have a prime hunting location on the outskirts of a MAJOR city. Call it 220 acres, 180 of those are undeveloped field, 40 is a wood line on one side of the field. I own 10 of those wooded acres. Last year it was a deer super highway. I would get 20-30 pics a day. Mature bucks, does and everything in between. Now I get 5 pictures a week. This is a very controlled area where all the properties have fences and they all have cuts in them the deer pass through. So there’s not much of getting around my cameras. I built a small plot about 6 weeks ago which took me 2 days and other than that I have been in those woods for no more than 5 minutes on 10 occasions over a year. the deer activity has absolutely plummeted but I know they’re there. I have 6-8 fox that have made my property home. Could this have changed the deers habits? my only other hope is that I did not start hunting this property until nov of last year, and it’s a late season/ rut area. If and when I did put out corn for a deer count there would be 8 or 10 at once.
I don't know your specific situation, but I don't think 6 fox in the area would account for your sudden lack of deer activity. There are plenty of fox where I hunt, and it doesn't seem to bother them. I see deer as often as I always did.
That’s what I was thinking, I just couldn’t find any other reason for the extreme drop in activity. I’m really hoping it will pick up oct Nov dec
I appreciate your insight. This is what I am hoping. I’m not even going to hunt until well into the season for that reason.
They are into the end of summer feeding pattern. Wherever they are now, I think you'll see them show up again soon. Assuming whatever food source they were hitting last Fall is available again this year.
Fox hang with the deer in fields here, Coyote would be a different issue. Fall food changes movenent for a time. Too much human movement in areas that doesn't have normal pressure will change things. To all that as the breeding season develops buck will be on their feet searching. I've seen specific buck one day just to find they were taken 3 days later several miles away. I've also noted specific time, days, scheduals on sighting. I had one buck on a 3 day rotion I could count on.
