Hunting Getting Harder!

[Little Wattsy]

Yea around here these deer are run ragged by now,I have better luck mid moring to mid afternoon,saw a real nice 8-10 pt yesterday at 3:45 but no shot.

Yah avoid the "Norm" or average... 5 out of the last 7 years Ive taken good bucks and all between 11 am and 2 Pm .... I hunt dark to dark just to be sure but the numbers are pretty conclusive....

 

[broknaero]

After the first day of rifle season (Mon after Thanksgiving) I switch to still hunting almost exclusivly. If it's crunchy I may sit a bit in the morning and evening. If it's wet or snowy I'll slow poke over the whole mountain. I stay out the entire day.

When one of my brother in laws comes along (they like to just sit) I will slowly stillhunt into some of the thicker areas I don't normally enter cause all I see are tails. I use the wind and steep terrain to my advantage and hope to push the deer to one of them.

It's been a good year for us in these parts. Had a BIL take his first buck a 6pt, another BIL got a doe that I pushed to him. Also In 5 days hunting I filled 3 tags. 1 sitting, the other 2 still hunting in the snow. Got 1 tag left, just got to wait for the after Christmas Flintlock only season. :thumbsup:

 

[nchawkeye]

Seems the wife and girls keep me busy in December, that's why I try to fill the freezer before Thanksgiving...Thankfully I had 4 in the freezer by then this year...

It usually gets better after Christmas and most hunters have given up...I'll probably hit it again by then...

 

[Spikebuck]

Yep!!!Called "Still hunting" which means walking around and looking for them.

I always thought "still hunting" meant you hadn't filled your tag yet so you're still hunting. :grin:

This time of year I would usually scout all morning since I always found that movement was minimal. Would go back in the last few hours of daylight wherever I found the best sign...almost always in areas of low pressure and thick brush.

I'm on a lease this year, which is low pressure, and even the smaller plots have 20-30 deer in them. Had over 60 in the 6 acre plot the other day in plenty of light. Some nice bucks showing up (130's / 140's). I'm done for deer, but a couple guys that were hanging out for B&C size are still out and bringing in the field reports.

 

[kodiakk]

Tons harder down in east Texas public land in January the last two years. I've been off for a week and have yet to see a deer this week. The constant rain isn't helping much either. Two weeks ago I didn't have much trouble seeing deer.

 

[vthunter52]

Here in the Northeast we have bucks breeding does right through the end of December. We see fawns born into July. This has had the effect of making a young population. When the next fall comes and the days grow short, the mature does go into heat and the bucks start to rut. But a buck, like most males will stay ready and service any doe that is in heat. The young does, and even some yearlings go into heat, but are not serviced in the first rut. Come Late season, those unserviced does enter heat again and are bred to complete the season. Their fawns will arrive 3-4 weeks later in the spring. This is the reason that once our late ML season comes in Dec., I hunt the does. There is bound to be one still in heat, and no matter how worn out the mature, trophy buck is, he will find her. You will then find him.

 

[Renegade Dan]

We only get 8 days for late muzzleloading following the firearm season, so I find it extremely difficult to get a deer at that time of the season.

 

[vthunter52]

I hear you there! I hunt the Pharoh Lakes wilderness area, and sometime in the late ML season the weather and deep snows are more of a problem.(not so much recently though) Any time you can get into the mountains is an extra day you feel like living.

 

[54ball]

Swampy,
How are you doing? I remember you saying earlier you had a possible surgery coming up? I'm glad your out there hitting the woods.

Jeff

They ain't gettin me until after hunting season ends. I won't let em.

Has anyone heard from Swampy, last online in February.

 

[Stumpkiller]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/284197/

He's up and about; if not to 100%. RC has been keeping us updated.

 

[smo]

The hunting is about the same if you are meat hunting in my area. No problem to see the does it's the bucks that are harder to locate at this time. However the second phase of the rut should be kicking into high gear soon in my area. I still have a score to settle and a lot of room in my freezer. They say I'm getting two weeks off from work starting next Friday. Wahooooo!!!!

 

[Walks with fire]

Still hunting is how I do it. Very seldom do I stand hunt although I do it for the last couple of hours of daylight when I know they will be getting up to move around. It's my prefered way to hunt and I tag every year doing it. I have hunted the same woods for 40+ years so I know where they bed and how best to sneak up on them. I seldom go without seeing deer. I hunt for meat but sometimes I will find a decent buck not paying attention.

I do hunt with a group that does drives on the Saturdays and we get lots of action. I am normally a driver on those since it's my woods. I like to see the others get a deer. I usually get action as a driver too. Our flinter season starts the day after Christmas and I get the vaction time renewed the first of the year.

I went out for our centerfire season and even took my centerfire rifle. I wished I would have taken a flinter. I saw 16 doe in 4 groups and could have easily taken 5 shots. I just didn't want to shoot one with the centerfire. It would have just been too easy so I passed on all of them.

In my woods for the most part during the day you have to sneak up your action. Good luck to you all.