Does anyone usually not see deer?

[newmathewsfan]

Um sitting in a tree right now and figured, 25 years hunting this property, I've personally only taken one buck and that was 17 years ago, lol. I'll see very few, hadn't seen a shooter since last one, lol. I'm addicted to the "hunt" and a dreamer that the big buck will one day step out again. I always enjoy being outdoors. Figure I have the patience for this.

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That’s what it’s all about right there. Great post!

[RifleBowPistol]

Our family place we hunt is mostly open farm land 900 +\- acres with little brush. It’s very uncommon for me to sit and see deer every sit usually only see them maybe every 5 sits. They tend to stay nocturnal except during rut they will get up and move but even then it’s not common. Hogs are about the same.

Is your family place around Marion? If so, there are some good sized deer around Marion, usually plenty of deer, most of the areas I know of around Marion. But they travel long distances, moving back and forth between bedding areas and feeding areas. If you figure out where they move from and to, then sit and watch. I can guarantee there are areas on your place they like to bed down, probably places they like to go to graze. If there are not places they like to graze on your place, make some for the future. If there are not any creek beds lined with trees, or some line of cover, that goes from one area to another, creating such a line is a way of getting deer to move across a area. The rut in your area, should be going on early to mid November, then done. What I found when I lived there, was the bucks change up their patterns before the rut, then again during the rut. They will start covering long distances looking for does. I find that after the rut, typically three weeks to upwards of a couple months, the older bucks will be covering a lot larger areas to find doe that come back into heat, if they are not bred during the rut. I think they come back into heat every three to four weeks after the first time, up to about three times. I used to see some monsters around our house every January to mid February. I got to watch tow monsters in a very serious fight about 15 yards the other side of the fence, the Monday afternoon, the day after the season ended about five years ago. I noticed on a few occasions, that there would typically be a day or two in mid to late December when there are a few doe that are back in heat and multiple big bucks from far off, came looking for doe. Then I would get to watch some crazy action out in the pasture. Usually see this situation on my way to work some cold morning, mid to late December. Typically there would be upwards of fifteen deer running around crazy in the pasture, long after the rut was well over with. There would typically be three or four nice bucks, most of which, I had never seen before, but usually one or two would be deer I had seen multiple times throughout the year. Typically there would be a total of around five bucks, with three to four being very nice bucks.
They will prefer creek beds or fence lines with trees growing along either, as travel routes. They typically follow along the sides of the creek, not down in the creek bottom, when following the creek. But sometimes they do travel in the creek bottom. Where we were, there is a decent sized creek, that is dry 95% of the time, but it has trees on both sides, most of the length of the creek. Then there were a lot of scattered mesquite and huisache. Many times when hunting along the creek, using a huisache tree as a blind, the deer would be all around me, grazing on the huisache trees. There were cedar and oaks on the place we were on, the deer could be found in those trees also, but the hunting was typically slower, but could be very interesting. I found my favorite spot was out in the pasture, along the creek, in the huisache trees, was where the most action was, most often. If the deer were not moving, the coyotes were, I would often see upwards of seven coyotes. Where I set up was around where the deer were coming from across the road. Across the road, there is a good sized hill, covered mostly with cedar, but some oaks. There are multiple groups of deer that bed down up on that hill or the other side of it. Then come down off the hill, across the pasture on the other side of the road, then across the pasture on the place we were on. Then across the creek up the hill, down the hill across the back pasture, then across another creek. Then up another hill to a neighbor's place behind us, to his feeder. Then sometimes, they would hang a right and go across the road that is along the far end of the property, cross the road, then travel a good ways to a feeder on the other side of that road. From some of the spots I liked to sit. I could see the deer come down off of the hill across the road. That hill is about 1500 yards away, from the creek. Then watch them cross across the property we were on, which was probably another 2000 yards or more, from front to rear. Then travel about 300 yards to the neighbor's feeder, 300 yards on the other side of the fence. So those deer would travel around 4000 yards to get from their beds to the feeder they liked to hit first. Once they got done at that feeder, they would cross the other road and go to the second feeder on the other side of the road, which was a good 700 plus yards to that next feeder. I would bet some of those deer came a good ways from the other side of that hill, that I could see them come down off of. I would not be surprised I some of those deer did not travel 6000 yards from their beds to the two neighbor's feeders. Yea, the neighbor directly behind us would usually have 12 deer or so at his feeder every evening, but usually not the bigger bucks, usually the 2 1/2 year old bucks to a occasional 3 1/2 year old buck, during the day. I am sure after dark, he had some big bucks come to his feeder, but not often during the day. But since where we were, had plenty of scattered brush, trees, low areas. We would have the bigger bucks during the day. They would travel from far off on to the place we were on, the hang out waiting till after dark to go to the feeder. The neighbor's place was mostly all plowed corn field.
The things I wanted to point out, is those deer in those areas, will travel multiple miles a day, going from their beds to the places where they eat. But then the big bucks during the rut, will travel I would bet probably upwards of three to four miles looking for new does. I know I used to see a couple of huge bucks about three to four miles from where we were, at times, when going to work. I am pretty sure I saw those bucks on the place we were on, later in the season or after the season was over. Because they like to travel long distances, either looking for places they can travel and be somewhat hidden, should help you see more deer. The bedding areas, which I have found they like to bed down in open pasture, in tall grass or up in heavy brush typically, are good areas to watch, they will eventually get up and move to graze. Then watching areas they might graze, is a good idea. Typically I find they like to graze on bushes or trees with small leaves, such as the huisache, sage, yaupon, they will graze on mesquite also. Then naturally if you have any oak trees, they will be there for the acorns. Also if you have any wild persimmon, they like those. Where we were, we had all of those I listed.
Deer in open country are definitely different, but not impossible to hunt. You need to know they will travel very long distances daily. The deer I used to watch travel from across the road, then go to the neighbor's feeder behind us. They would start down off of the hill around 4:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon, then they would be at that feeder 30 minutes before dark. I think they stayed on the place behind us over night and or sometimes traveled to the feeder across the road behind us, to the other place with a feeder. The would stay over there the rest of the night. Then in the morning be traveling back across the place we were on, back towards the hill across the road. That seemed to be their typical daily routine, but there was about a 500 wide route they might take getting to and from each end of their travels. But typically they used the straightest path, which is where I set up my tripod at. But when the rut is going and the bucks are chasing the doe, they can wind up just about anywhere out in the pasture. Typically they don't show up at the feeders at the times they normally would.
There may be a chance that the deer don't have a reason to cross your family's property, but that would be unlikely, but possible. If it is the case, I would create a reason for the deer to travel across or to your property.

[Buckwheat]

I haven’t seen a deer yet.


“There's more fun in hunting with the handicap of the bow than there is in hunting with the sureness of the gun.” -Fred Bear-

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Is your family place around Marion? If so, there are some good sized deer around Marion, usually plenty of deer, most of the areas I know of around Marion. But they travel long distances, moving back and forth between bedding areas and feeding areas. If you figure out where they move from and to, then sit and watch. I can guarantee there are areas on your place they like to bed down, probably places they like to go to graze. If there are not places they like to graze on your place, make some for the future. If there are not any creek beds lined with trees, or some line of cover, that goes from one area to another, creating such a line is a way of getting deer to move across a area. The rut in your area, should be going on early to mid November, then done. What I found when I lived there, was the bucks change up their patterns before the rut, then again during the rut. They will start covering long distances looking for does. I find that after the rut, typically three weeks to upwards of a couple months, the older bucks will be covering a lot larger areas to find doe that come back into heat, if they are not bred during the rut. I think they come back into heat every three to four weeks after the first time, up to about three times. I used to see some monsters around our house every January to mid February. I got to watch tow monsters in a very serious fight about 15 yards the other side of the fence, the Monday afternoon, the day after the season ended about five years ago. I noticed on a few occasions, that there would typically be a day or two in mid to late December when there are a few doe that are back in heat and multiple big bucks from far off, came looking for doe. Then I would get to watch some crazy action out in the pasture. Usually see this situation on my way to work some cold morning, mid to late December. Typically there would be upwards of fifteen deer running around crazy in the pasture, long after the rut was well over with. There would typically be three or four nice bucks, most of which, I had never seen before, but usually one or two would be deer I had seen multiple times throughout the year. Typically there would be a total of around five bucks, with three to four being very nice bucks.

They will prefer creek beds or fence lines with trees growing along either, as travel routes. They typically follow along the sides of the creek, not down in the creek bottom, when following the creek. But sometimes they do travel in the creek bottom. Where we were, there is a decent sized creek, that is dry 95% of the time, but it has trees on both sides, most of the length of the creek. Then there were a lot of scattered mesquite and huisache. Many times when hunting along the creek, using a huisache tree as a blind, the deer would be all around me, grazing on the huisache trees. There were cedar and oaks on the place we were on, the deer could be found in those trees also, but the hunting was typically slower, but could be very interesting. I found my favorite spot was out in the pasture, along the creek, in the huisache trees, was where the most action was, most often. If the deer were not moving, the coyotes were, I would often see upwards of seven coyotes. Where I set up was around where the deer were coming from across the road. Across the road, there is a good sized hill, covered mostly with cedar, but some oaks. There are multiple groups of deer that bed down up on that hill or the other side of it. Then come down off the hill, across the pasture on the other side of the road, then across the pasture on the place we were on. Then across the creek up the hill, down the hill across the back pasture, then across another creek. Then up another hill to a neighbor's place behind us, to his feeder. Then sometimes, they would hang a right and go across the road that is along the far end of the property, cross the road, then travel a good ways to a feeder on the other side of that road. From some of the spots I liked to sit. I could see the deer come down off of the hill across the road. That hill is about 1500 yards away, from the creek. Then watch them cross across the property we were on, which was probably another 2000 yards or more, from front to rear. Then travel about 300 yards to the neighbor's feeder, 300 yards on the other side of the fence. So those deer would travel around 4000 yards to get from their beds to the feeder they liked to hit first. Once they got done at that feeder, they would cross the other road and go to the second feeder on the other side of the road, which was a good 700 plus yards to that next feeder. I would bet some of those deer came a good ways from the other side of that hill, that I could see them come down off of. I would not be surprised I some of those deer did not travel 6000 yards from their beds to the two neighbor's feeders. Yea, the neighbor directly behind us would usually have 12 deer or so at his feeder every evening, but usually not the bigger bucks, usually the 2 1/2 year old bucks to a occasional 3 1/2 year old buck, during the day. I am sure after dark, he had some big bucks come to his feeder, but not often during the day. But since where we were, had plenty of scattered brush, trees, low areas. We would have the bigger bucks during the day. They would travel from far off on to the place we were on, the hang out waiting till after dark to go to the feeder. The neighbor's place was mostly all plowed corn field.

The things I wanted to point out, is those deer in those areas, will travel multiple miles a day, going from their beds to the places where they eat. But then the big bucks during the rut, will travel I would bet probably upwards of three to four miles looking for new does. I know I used to see a couple of huge bucks about three to four miles from where we were, at times, when going to work. I am pretty sure I saw those bucks on the place we were on, later in the season or after the season was over. Because they like to travel long distances, either looking for places they can travel and be somewhat hidden, should help you see more deer. The bedding areas, which I have found they like to bed down in open pasture, in tall grass or up in heavy brush typically, are good areas to watch, they will eventually get up and move to graze. Then watching areas they might graze, is a good idea. Typically I find they like to graze on bushes or trees with small leaves, such as the huisache, sage, yaupon, they will graze on mesquite also. Then naturally if you have any oak trees, they will be there for the acorns. Also if you have any wild persimmon, they like those. Where we were, we had all of those I listed.

Deer in open country are definitely different, but not impossible to hunt. You need to know they will travel very long distances daily. The deer I used to watch travel from across the road, then go to the neighbor's feeder behind us. They would start down off of the hill around 4:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon, then they would be at that feeder 30 minutes before dark. I think they stayed on the place behind us over night and or sometimes traveled to the feeder across the road behind us, to the other place with a feeder. The would stay over there the rest of the night. Then in the morning be traveling back across the place we were on, back towards the hill across the road. That seemed to be their typical daily routine, but there was about a 500 wide route they might take getting to and from each end of their travels. But typically they used the straightest path, which is where I set up my tripod at. But when the rut is going and the bucks are chasing the doe, they can wind up just about anywhere out in the pasture. Typically they don't show up at the feeders at the times they normally would.

There may be a chance that the deer don't have a reason to cross your family's property, but that would be unlikely, but possible. If it is the case, I would create a reason for the deer to travel across or to your property.

I believe the deer and hogs do just travel through our place to feed we plant winter crops and that’s when we start seeing a lot of deer in the fields. They hardly come to feeders due to this. The Martinez creeks runs our property line and we do see good deer every year but they are normally nocturnal.

It’s hard to build a pattern on anything where we hunt.


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[camoclad]

I was 9 when I shot my first doe but dad and I hunted every year since I was little. Not a lot of deer when
In those days. now I know more and know why we weren't seeing much. Namely habitat among other reasons. It's the only place we had to hunt though.

The patience I learned those early years is one of the best things I could have ever received. I've taken that with me in every stage of life.

[Low Fence]

I go to the deer.... ain’t nobody got time to wait.

That said... just because a property has dirt and trees don’t make it “huntable “... even if it’s loaded with deer.

Biggest issues I constantly see with “not seeing deer”... “all nocturnal “

1. Stand is at a feeder on the edge of a field in wide open, with no way in or out at that. Hunts over before it begins

2. “Trail cameras “... a blessing on a trail. A tempting curse at a one and only feeder stand... your gonna hunt it anyway, what does it matter what’s on camera? We start checking them weekly... twice weekly... daily for no reason other than to educate the animal.

[Rubi513]

Um sitting in a tree right now and figured, 25 years hunting this property, I've personally only taken one buck and that was 17 years ago, lol. I'll see very few, hadn't seen a shooter since last one, lol. I'm addicted to the "hunt" and a dreamer that the big buck will one day step out again. I always enjoy being outdoors. Figure I have the patience for this.

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Yes sir.

[jerp]

I hunt a small place my buddy owns and we lease some adjoining acreage. It seems like it should be good deer habitat but there just aren’t many around for some reason. We always see the same handful of does, a few young bucks and occasionally a nice shooter wanders through and we get a pic. We are friends with several of the neighbors and they report the same thing. I rarely hear a shot - I don’t think the low numbers are due to overhunting. To answer your question I see deer on less than half of my sits. I guess my priorities have changed. I stick with it because it’s close, costs me very little (comparatively speaking) and
has all the comforts of home. Who knows, maybe some day one of those rare big boys will show up and surprise me

[brokeno]

I've sat at my place probably 20 sits this yr and have seen a 7 pt, 8, 10 and 11 pt and no does. The 12 pt buck I am hunting I haven't seen except on camera. He was coming every day before bow season during the daytime but hogs found a hole in my 2 acre pen and he went nocturnal. He was missing in action for 4 days last week til two days ago and came back at midnight. At least he is still in the area I just need to get a shot at him before rifle season starts. So 4 out of 20 sits I have seen deer but it only takes a minute for it all to change. Hang in there and good luck.

[Hunteraudit]

Get out there at night and see where they’re at; that’ll give you a better feeling knowing there ARE deer. If you have big fields with grass, I’d be surprised if they ain’t out there at night.

I remember in the late 90’s/early 2000s our place in east Texas, if I saw a deer once every couple weeks it was considered a victory. And I hunted every single evening during rifle season every year. Now, if I see less than 3 deer in one sit, then “they weren’t moving”. Biggest changes on our place was we Got rid of the cows and let the brush get thick. We established a 60 acre or so haven where we don’t even go in. It’s real thick in there and deer love it. They come out to feed and breed.

[bjsexpress]

Get out there at night and see where they’re at; that’ll give you a better feeling knowing there ARE deer. If you have big fields with grass, I’d be surprised if they ain’t out there at night.

I remember in the late 90’s/early 2000s our place in east Texas, if I saw a deer once every couple weeks it was considered a victory. And I hunted every single evening during rifle season every year. Now, if I see less than 3 deer in one sit, then “they weren’t moving”. Biggest changes on our place was we Got rid of the cows and let the brush get thick. We established a 60 acre or so haven where we don’t even go in. It’s real thick in there and deer love it. They come out to feed and breed.

Night and day difference when no cattle. Once hunted a 1000 acre property in Llano. Two years no cattle was grazing and deer everywhere, then next seson cattle back and crickets. I still see deer paces with cattle, but believe there's a direct cause and effect.

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[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Get out there at night and see where they’re at; that’ll give you a better feeling knowing there ARE deer. If you have big fields with grass, I’d be surprised if they ain’t out there at night.

I remember in the late 90’s/early 2000s our place in east Texas, if I saw a deer once every couple weeks it was considered a victory. And I hunted every single evening during rifle season every year. Now, if I see less than 3 deer in one sit, then “they weren’t moving”. Biggest changes on our place was we Got rid of the cows and let the brush get thick. We established a 60 acre or so haven where we don’t even go in. It’s real thick in there and deer love it. They come out to feed and breed.

Plenty of deer in pastures at night. Cows are sectioned off in a small area. It’s a farm so we can’t just let it go unfortunately I’d love to see it 900 acres of brush!


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[BLACKFINTURKEY]

I hunt a small place my buddy owns and we lease some adjoining acreage. It seems like it should be good deer habitat but there just aren’t many around for some reason. We always see the same handful of does, a few young bucks and occasionally a nice shooter wanders through and we get a pic. We are friends with several of the neighbors and they report the same thing. I rarely hear a shot - I don’t think the low numbers are due to overhunting. To answer your question I see deer on less than half of my sits. I guess my priorities have changed. I stick with it because it’s close, costs me very little (comparatively speaking) and
has all the comforts of home. Who knows, maybe some day one of those rare big boys will show up and surprise me

Same here I judge a great hunt if I see 1-2 deer I’m as happy as could be.


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[DallasCoon12]

I got our feeder going about 30 minutes ago at a little place I own a few miles south of kerrville. I only feed October thru January. Before I got thru picking up the corn bags I had 5 deer standing at the edge of trees within bow range. I guess they heard me testing the feeder. We don’t have many big bucks but plenty of numbers

[mdnabors]

If you are not seeing deer you are doing something wrong. I'm in east tx and I could have killed multiple legal deer every sit so far this year with archery equipment. That said I'm hunting stands where cameras tell me deer are coming Every day and only with the wind right to hunt there. Multiple set ups for different conditions. To Heck with sitting and not seeing deer.

I agree here. Sounds like a possible habitat issue to me. If you have Cover, Food, and Water you will hold deer and you will see them in daylight if you are hunting smart and keeping pressure to a minimum. Some places just don't have those things and deer find places that do. They'll be transient if your place only has 1 or 2 of the main 3. That said, starting in a couple weeks you should see some action pickup, especially if you hold any does. Look into some habitat management, mainly creating great cover/bedding, and your deer sightings will go up. Good luck and I hope it gets better