New Jersey Hunters banner
61 - 80 of 85 Posts
Discussion starter · #63 · (Edited)
Neighboring properties could be a huge factor do you think anyone else hunts close by jack?
There is hunting pressure everywhere, that's a constant every year... That's always expected.... I think you are missing the point. I am not talking about one spot, one stand, I am talking about a big area. Take my cousin's property for example. 4 big apple trees on edge of a thicket/bedding area. In August, if an apple fell to ground, it was gone within an hour. Even in middle of day, a doe would come out and get it. This is 1/2 a mile away, but same general area. Now - there are 100 apples on the ground, not even being touched. Go half a mile in another direction - big crab apple tree, probably 200 apples on the ground. Year's past, they got cleaned up daily, nothing would carry-over day to day.

It is what it is - I will drive 7 miles into Z2 tonight and tomorrow and get back on deer.... Gonna write this off off for now, and I can tell when/if it gets back to normal. Hopefully the switch gets turned back on soon
 
The amount of food available to the deer is the most I've seen in a long time. I believe this more than anything is having an impact on the hunting. Everything from forest floor covered in acorns, the corn crop, to limb breaking amounts of apples on the trees. The deer don't have to go very far to feast. I see the difference, too. I know the deer are there, but I'm not seeing the concentrations of droppings in places I usually do. The rubs are not visible and the scrapes are scarce, but the coming of the seek/chase phase will change all of that. Looks like a cold winter by the coats of the deer.

 
I have a hard time buying into this acorn thing. We are not hunting huge tracks of land. These are small wood lots most of us are hunting. Deer are browsers. They simply are not going to eat only acorns. Corn field are being cut. They will head to these fields to clean them up for the next week or two. I have acorns on my place all over too. However, the deer are still coming to the fields. They are hammering my clover right now. They are hitting the crab apples. They are in the rye and oats. They are eating honeysuckle. The deer aren't going to bed in the acorns. They will still travel to bed and also to water. I have scrapes and rubs popping up now. I have small bucks bumping does around and sparring. Lots of guys have blinders on to this trend. 1st its acorns and the October lull. What will it be next month? I think its time to maybe ponder the idea that the population has been hammered the last few years. Some areas harder than others.
 
Discussion starter · #75 ·
I look at it this way... I ran a really good mineral site this year... The bucks and many does hit it several times a week, and the cam worked overtime to capture it... Every year, they lose interest in the minerals right around the time for bow opener, then it's pure food. The deer spread out when there are acorns, but not to the extent you don't see them. The woods was always alive in past good acorn years - you would see movement 360 degrees, some close, some far. If the deer numbers are down overall in z5, then when they spread out, this is what happens.


It's been 3 years since I had good acorns - 2012 in fact. It was a mix of reds and whites. I had some of the most memorable hunts in September and early October - hearing the crunch and munch in the dark, seeing antlers every where at dawn... The deer were on my acorns hot and heavy. This year, the red oak production was insane - but no white's at all on any of the z5 properties I hunt... The bucks were there pre 9/22 - I posted a hunt where I had a nice 8 and 6 right under my stand before I had a buck tag.

A lot of corn is still standing nearby as well. Apples - just about as thick as they can get and NOT getting eaten(lots of them in a 1 square mile area) . Every year - things change, and I learn something new. I am not going to cry or lose sleep over it - just an observation... I may end up having my worst season ever - or my best... As fast as it changed for the worst, I expect it to change back but this is very odd, that's all.


On the plus side, am working a very good buck 7 miles away.... And it's not the nice 8 I nearly shot there a few weeks ago and now I am glad I didn't shoot it...
 
Discussion starter · #78 ·
Coincidence or not? I was contacted via another venue (not NJH) by someone down here from Quebec, hunting zone 5 with a group of guys to write a magazine story. Through their connections they were recommended the z5 Whittingham track. He was asking what they are doing wrong, they have completed day 2, and with only 3 days left have yet to see a deer. As much as I would like to help them - all I could offer was that's exactly what is going on... I advised to write their article about how poorly the NJ deer management policy is with unlimited antlerless for years and years and then adding same with Shotgun deep into the winter...
 
Same type of slowdown in Zone 9. My Cameras were filled with Bucks in August and early September. I counted 8 Mature Shooters Bucks, and I had them patterned. My property was loaded with scrapes, I made 2 mock scrapes and the deer made 5 on their own. On my Cameras, I was getting 2,000 pictures every 2 weeks, now I am down to about 200 pictures. Since September 22nd, the Big Boys are gone. I have 10 acres and hunted 3 times since opening day. On Sunday the day after Opening Day I watched a Large 8 pointer thrash tree limbs and made a scrape 40 yards away. Also, I had a Velvet 8 at 20 yards. The EAB hurt me this year.
 
61 - 80 of 85 Posts