Feast or famine

[Chad Hauenstein]

Last year was an exceptional year for buck sightings on our property and this year we cant get a buck on camera. The difference is staggering. Last year we were counting a dozen +100 to 125 inch bucks on camera every week form July into hunting season. This year i could count picts of 100 inch deer on one hand. All of them just passng through.

There are some differences from last year to this year on our property but i am more interested to know if others have experienced dramatic differences like this? If so what did you contribute it to?

 

[Btaylor]

EHD can cause that scenario. Major habitat changes could as well. A major decrease in neighboring pressure or an increase in pressure on your place could also be a cause or factor. Lots of things could be a cause or just have a contributory effect.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

What is your neighboring crop situation. I have seen deer vacate an area every other year to chase the crop rotation. ie; might be in beans early until later in the year when they get tough and they will switch to corn until the beans pods are ripe. What are your food sources on your farm? I would venture a guess that they will be back to your farm when the time is right they may just have summered on an adjoining property for a preferred food source.

Also, have you had heavy traffic working at your farm this year in comparison to last year. Just little changes in pressure can have an effect on your deer herd as well. After planting spring plots I try to stay out of woods, I set cameras on the edges to not disturb woods and then in the fall I will plant my plots and stay out until the time, wind, etc is right to hunt the place.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I had a similar situation on a piece of land I had permission to hunt. Set up a trail camera the first time I scouted it and had around 12 different bucks on camera! Thought I had found the mega spot! Didnt over hunt it and a good stand on the edge of a ravine so deer couldnt ever get down wind of me. However, as each year went by it became more and more of a ghost town for the deer. Havent hunted there in 2 years as the number of camera pictures dropped off to near nothing. Killed a average 130:" buck with my bow one season and that was it.

 

[Chad Hauenstein]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I didnt even think about disease. PA Does have some CWD but the closest known case is 125 miles from our property. Although we do have farms around us they are all dairy farms with hay fields. There is probably some corn within 10 miles but no beans in our area.

We try to work on the property when ever we can but say out of the timber once spring turkey ends. This winter we did some edge feathering and hinging projects. Overall, our off season pressure has been steady for 3-4 years now.

In season pressure is a work in progress and very slowly improving. The property has been hunted by the family for 50 years so no significant change there.

Our food situation is improving. We have had 1.5 acres of clover for 3 years now, including a newly planted field this year. For us, the two big differences from last year to this year is our apple crop and when we planted brassica. We have over 400 mature apple trees and last year they were loaded where this year the crop is light. Apples are a huge draw for us but Our first apples drop the last week of August. The other difference is brassica. Last year we planted half our brassica mid June and ate it to the dirt by labor day. This year we planted 4 acres of brassica at the end of July. Weather has delivered perfect growing conditions and our plots are great and drawing deer. Just no bucks yet.

I keep going back to apples. Would deer move in to an area where there is a large bumper crop even before that crop is ready?

 

[Btaylor]

I certainly wouldn't rule that out. Good news is you still have plenty of does hanging around those bucks will be back.

 

[OkieKubota]

2014 was definitely "feast" on a brand new property we bought. 2015 was Ok but nothing like the first year. This year so far is turning into something in between...

I have been on our deer lease since 1998 and have rode the roller coaster on that one for sure!

 

[Chainsaw]

Loose deer chasing house pets can also change things in a hurry. It did for us one summer.

 

[Buckly]

[QUOTE="Chad Hauenstein, post: 14438, member: 399".

I keep going back to apples. Would deer move in to an area where there is a large bumper crop even before that crop is ready?[/QUOTE]

Big apple years equals lots of bucks on my place. My experience here is that they don't move in until later in October. I have very few (no) big bucks on camera right now as they are living in the corn around me. That will be cut in the next couple weeks so my prediction is with the very good apple crop this year I will see as many as 6-8 really nice deer after that. In low apple years I will only see a couple nice bucks. I always have apples but, it is very interesting to see the difference in buck presence in bumper years.

 

[Chainsaw]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I didnt even think about disease. PA Does have some CWD but the closest known case is 125 miles from our property. Although we do have farms around us they are all dairy farms with hay fields. There is probably some corn within 10 miles but no beans in our area.

We try to work on the property when ever we can but say out of the timber once spring turkey ends. This winter we did some edge feathering and hinging projects. Overall, our off season pressure has been steady for 3-4 years now.

In season pressure is a work in progress and very slowly improving. The property has been hunted by the family for 50 years so no significant change there.

Our food situation is improving. We have had 1.5 acres of clover for 3 years now, including a newly planted field this year. For us, the two big differences from last year to this year is our apple crop and when we planted brassica. We have over 400 mature apple trees and last year they were loaded where this year the crop is light. Apples are a huge draw for us but Our first apples drop the last week of August. The other difference is brassica. Last year we planted half our brassica mid June and ate it to the dirt by labor day. This year we planted 4 acres of brassica at the end of July. Weather has delivered perfect growing conditions and our plots are great and drawing deer. Just no bucks yet.

I keep going back to apples. Would deer move in to an area where there is a large bumper crop even before that crop is ready?

The deer on this property are enjoying the apple drop as soon as it starts and surprisingly it starts around July 4. Check around your apple trees next year around July 4 and see if the under story is matted down. Close observation may find apple drops that are not ripe nor hardly grown but the apples may get eaten up nightly as they do here.
On your question will deer move in for apples early on? I find they do move in here when surrounding area apples are gone. It is likely a combination though of apples being in demand as well as low hunting pressure. The deer don't seem to come in extra early here as most properties have apples early on but not enough to last past mid November as ours often do.