Haven't seen any deer

[Vinny_HC]

Went out in the morning and evening for whitetails. Both my cousin and I never saw a single deer. I was on trails that I scouted in the spring that are currently active and my cousin was on field edges to scout for where deer were coming out.

The fields were hay (second cut coming through) and mature oats. I understand they have no interest in mature oats but the hay you would think produce. Last year there were deer everywhere in these fields in early September.

Has anyone else noticed the deer being elusive when glassing or hunting yesterday?

[DDDave]

I have it on good authority that deer have meetings just before season openers to inform the membership. They remember to make themselves scarce for a while and then gradually start to forget. That is when we will start seeing them again.

With two months of season there is no reason to get in a big rush.

DDDave

[Vinny_HC]

I have it on good authority that deer have meetings just before season openers to inform the membership. They remember to make themselves scarce for a while and then gradually start to forget. That is when we will start seeing them again.

With two months of season there is no reason to get in a big rush.


Dave, so true. I remember last year not seeing deer enter any fields until late September. In early Sept. they were just too hot or bored or something.

I think I will focus my efforts closer to the end of October this year because I don't want a repeat of last yeat (not seeing anything until nearing the rut).

[albertabowhunter]

I heard their meeting ran late this morning so I stayed in bed. ;)

[DDDave]

The advantage I have over many is that I can be hunting ten minutes after I leave my house. I would really like to shoot a buck in velvet.

DDave

[DDDave]

Okay so I was exxagerating a bit. All I really have to do to shoot a deer in velvet is to step out my back door.

I think this is the other half of the twins from last year. His brother is also a spike, but with rather different antlers.

DDave

[DDDave]

This is his brother and a friend.

DDave

[DDDave]

Hmm, that latest "brother" is just a whole lot bigger than the other one. May have to call them cousins.

Lots of places the bigger deer would represent a trophy body sized whitetail. Around here he is smallish mulie and maybe getting into the smallish to average size whitetail.

My friend and I were talking yesterday about the fact that we live in a trophy belt for big deer, both whitetails and mulies. Just a lot of good genes and good living conditions to grow big deer.

DDave

[DDDave]

Here is an idea of what a bit bigger mulie looks like. I missed the pic of one a lot closer that morning because I did not have any bullets in my camera.

DDave

[Vinny_HC]

So when are you waiting to go out hunting? October?

[DDDave]

Sadly, I am waiting until I can afford to renew my WIN and buy license and tags. I have an addiction to buying bows and I have way too many of those and now not enough disposable cash to hunt with them. I suppose I could sell one or two, but that would defeat the purpose of buying them in the first place.

Not a lot of archery pressure in my area so not like I need to get out there right away. If I am not stirring up the animals I doubt anyone else is either.

I will likely start out hunting either whitetail does or geese.

DDave

[DDDave]

Truly the best time to go hunting is exactly the same time to go fishing.

ANY TIME YOU CAN.

DDave

[russ]

Given the weather that last few days around here, I'm not too sure I'm going to worry about the "lack of game" just yet. I have to agree though, I don't think it's as good as it used to be. It's possible that Alberta has experienced it's zenith for hunting.

[DDDave]

I decided to go fishing last night and maybe check out the deer situation and there were deer right where they are supposed to be feeding. I neglected to bring my binoculars so not sure if any had antlers, but I am intending to shoot a whitetail doe first anyway on a supplemental tag (we get two in this area).

I think there is some hybridization going on in that area, or at least fraternization, because it sure looked like a mulie style rump on one deer that was feeding next to a tail flicking whitetail. My friend who owns the land says he has seen a wt doe with two fawns that looking very mulie.

The other thing that I remembered is that there is no use going to check out fields late in the evening where you have to look into the setting sun. You want the deer blinded by the sun, not the other way around.

And that reminds me, I was supposed to be out scouting this morning. See ya!

DDave

[DDDave]

Hey, good for me. I actually took my own advice from the previous post and went fishing just because I could.

DDDave

[rum11]

Havent seen many myself, hopefully that changes this weekend.

[Vinny_HC]

I read in the latest Western Sportman magazine that from the latest head counts in the provinces there was a lot of deer kill from this past harsh winter in Alberta due to snow depths. Elk and Moose were unaffected.

[biggamehunter]

The deer are getting smarter.When I looked at the outdoor news there was barely any places that had a bigger number of a bag limit.There was more deer taken last year than this year.I dont know whats going on.

[Vinny_HC]

The deer are getting smarter.When I looked at the outdoor news there was barely any places that had a bigger number of a bag limit.There was more deer taken last year than this year.I dont know whats going on.

I believe they are wising up too. Especially in my area our old tricks don't work anymore despite seeing more bucks on camera.

This has been a strange year too. Never saw deer in fields at dusk in early season as I used to (probably from rainy summer giving them more feed) and I haven't seen the rut kick off yet. I am hoping to see some rutting activity this weekend. The area I hunt always has a late rut though.

[biggamehunter]

In the places I hunt I see scrapes and rubs all over.No leaves on the scrapes.They are all coming at night.

[Vinny_HC]

In the places I hunt I see scrapes and rubs all over.No leaves on the scrapes.They are all coming at night.

Oh ya all of my cameras definitely confirm that. The big boys are waiting until at least 1 hour after legal light and revisiting in the middle of the night. They will also come by 1 hour before legal light in the morning.

[biggamehunter]

I dont know what to do.Got to have someone pushing them I guess.I have land next to me and about 20 amish will be out there and they will push them to me.ha.Hopefully I get one monday.