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I am wondering what is everyone's experience with deer ,re- hunting season disturbance in the area.
Hunters push hard for a while,then the activity tapers off.
What would it take for the deer to return to its "regular" daylight routine?
I have mixed feelings,but i "think"at least 2-3 weeks.
As soon as the human scent dissipates,deer re-emerge in less than 24 hours.
Yes next day their out and about if not sooner
Its more case of them patterning the hunter, they will start to avoid the area you consistently hunt but sometimes its just by 30 meters or so within their usual time frame. Rotating your stand locations will help you see more deer.
I agree. I see more deer bow hunting the first 3 weeks of October than I see the rest of the season. Hunting pressure may move them to a different area of the bush. By the time BP rolls around I am not seeing but a couple deer out in the open before dark. I find by BP I see more deer by getting closer to the thicker areas of the bush instead of using stands on field edges. With the snow this year it was obvious the deer were still there but not getting to the fields until well after dark. I separate my hunts accordingly. Bow hunt one property in October, then a couple different properties for the rifle hunt. Then back to the first property again for the late controlled hunt giving the deer time to calm down. If I'm still out after that than anything goes for the remaining season.
Deer have fairly large home ranges (1-2 square miles) which they are very attached to. When pressured or disturbed, they sneak off to another area within their range, sometimes not very far. They can be clever creatures and can pattern human movement e.g. daily trips to/from a treestand and learn to avoid these situations. There’s no set time as to when a deer will resume normal movement patterns as it depends on the animal and the circumstances. Prime-aged bucks don’t grow old by being stupid, rather they are extremely cautious so it could take longer before you ever see one in the same spot again. Young animals are much less cautious.
This is my experience so far as well,Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Menard
I've seen deer bed very close to where humans travel and move off when they catch the wind of the first dog walker or hiker on the trail. So far I've never been in the right place to catch their escape within range but the sign especially in fresh morning snow tells the story. Hunting on public I never really sit in the same spot 2 days in a row since I assume my scent will have spoiled the area at least for a couple days.
I don't usually see the deer during daylight on the main property I hunt (at least in the open) until later in the winter (February/ March) when human activity is very little.
Depends how often in a day and how long and what type of disturbance you have. I have bow hunted same bush for over 40 years. Now we have a public trail going through private land and deer are gone for days returning sometimes at dark. Hunting remote areas or small bush lots near villages farms and people can change deer movement, and with covid there are more people on trails than ever.
There's no doubt the month of October is prime for less pressured deer. I hunt a huge crown bush and the average hunter in there seems to sit in the same spot, regardless of the wind. I see no evidence of scent management by these guys. They get away with it because it's a rifle area and they're shooting 100-300 yard shots. The deer get super spooked though and they become completely nocturnal except for movement in heavy cover. It sure makes bow hunting difficult after the first gun hunt.
The deer have just now started to return to some daylight activity.
January 1st is all they need LOL. In my WMU they all get a calendar for Christmas. That’s ok though we already reduced the herd! In all seriousness, I was mucking about changing camera batteries at this location on the 31st took a whiz 5 feet away from camera, didn’t bother with scent control had multiple nighttime photos that night, and several daytime photos of a herd as soon as it got cold on the 2nd which is typical for daytime movement in this spot. Cold temps, they’ll move during the day! I don’t find it matters a great deal. Deer adapt to all sorts of stuff.Attachment 42985
I'm more with the 2-3 weeks vs 24 hours.
But it also depends if you bust them at a place they are already wary about (a bait pile) vs busting them them across an open field.
Walking up to them is less alarming to them than them walking up to you when you are sitting still, particularly if you are sitting over a bait pile.
There's a whole lot of shades of grey to this.
It also has to do with the other feed options the deer have.
Also, spooked deer can be very forgiving if there is a front coming in with a bit of snow and cold weather.