Instead of going with my gut and staying out of the woods this weekend I caved in and went out tonight. As I got about half way to the stand I was going to the neighbors started shooting handguns. Didn't really care, it was about 2:30pm but I did opt to sit in another stand well away from where they were shooting. I figured they would wrap it up shortly and the woods would quiet down once again. They did for about 25 minutes from about 4:30 to 5, this time they broke out a semi-auto rifle. Sun set is at 6:09, legal shooting time is over at 6:39. I got frustrated about 5:40 and climbed down, no one seen deer this evening but my uncle didn't think the shooting was having an affect on the movement. The longer I sat there the more woods rage built up, it wasn't a relaxing and enjoyable sit to say the least. Any one have experience with something like this? This isn't like firearm weekend with sporadic shots, this was 2 1/2 - 3 hours with hundreds of rounds fired. Here is 3 minutes of shooting an hour before sunset. Most of the day sounded like the part around 2:10 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuLHQB1m2mE
Had the same thing happen to me, except I had been in the stand for 12 hours to end my day with the neighbors shooting their pistols.
I typically hunt close to the Mississippi, and the waterfowl seasons coincide with the bow opener. Once those guys get their shotguns warmed up on opening day, mature deer seem to go nocturnal until the rut. Of course, this is all just from experience and not very scientific, but if gun sounds aren't normal and are associated with hunting season, I think the mature deer know to stay hidden until dark. We try to combat it by paying attention to the weather and the moon. Mostly we end up shooting most of our deer during the rut.
I used to hunt near a trap and sheet range with a walk through course running down threw the woods. Didn't seem to bother the deer at all, but this range has been there more than 25 years, but in your case I would not expect to see many deer if any at all unless they were running from the area at first shot with that activity going on, especially that close from the sounds of it.
Yeah, this is the first time I've ever heard shooting like this. I still cannot understand the purpose behind it. This property is surrounded on 3 sides by woods, and every property gets hunted. With it being as close to the rut as it is and where they were shooting at in regards to the residence didn't make sense. I'm curious as to whether they weren't purposely trying to alter deer traffic or something for when the rut goes full swing. Does anyone think it will have a long term effect on their movements or will it be business as normal after it settled down? Only reason I ask is I just hung what I hope to be a perfect rut stand last weekend and they couldn't have been more than 300-500 yds from the area. The only variable I'm not sure of is the frequency they have been out there. Could have been just yesterday or it could have been the past week and to continue a few more days.
Where I hunt there are people who shoot guns all day for the first year and a half I never saw a deer after sun rise I think it will have some effect on there movements they will be in a much smaller core area as far from the guns as they can get. After they got used to it even durning gun season it didn't seem to bother them that much they would run ten yards and come right back. It made for a very tough year that year and now I won't pick up a gun and go out in the woods. I hope this will help Hoytultrasport Keyser W,V 26726
My grandfather is a big time squirrel hunter and Saturday I was sitting in my stand and he was hunting maybe 500 yards away. I seen some deer out in a field and he started shooting. The deer would look in his direction but they never became alarmed. After awhile they started to make their way towards the woods. So where I hunt it doesn't really bother them unless it's a little to close to them. Hope this helps.
Depends I reckon, I listened to a handgun shooting and shooting during my afternoon hunt yesterday. Then at 5:45 the doe came along from the direction of the gun fire. None the wiser, I gave her the shaft and she never knew what happenend.
im hunting near the water and at sunrise its ww3 with the geese hunters.i did see anything either.but im thinking there moving after dark.i also hear someone whopping and hollering.at first i thought it was someone being stupid but my wife told me some hunters do that to get the geese fling.
