Lost deer

[4wanderingeyes]

For the most part of the year I have been getting about a hundred pictures a day from my wireless cameras. Now in the last week or so, I am down to less then 10 pictures a day. I saw a significant drop during the youth season, then it really dropped off about a week a go. I am guessing it is from baiters. Now that deer have a pile of corn behind every tree, they visit my land with food plots a lot less. I will admit, my wireless cameras are just over food plots, so I don’t see what are on trails, or in the sanctuary.

Another thought is the only ag farmer in the area combined his corn, and “accidentally” spilled a bunch of corn, and the deer have changed their patterns.

It’s possible that wolves and bears have moved in, but I haven’t gotten any wolf pictures for a month or so, and just a couple random bear pictures. In my experience the bear don’t really have much effect on adult deer this late in the season, and bear are mostly out vacuuming up the last acorns still on the ground. I would say the deer are out eating acorns, but they have been dropping since early September, and it shouldn’t have dropped off this much. Plus I do have a bunch of oaks, in and around my food plots, so there are plenty of acorns in and around my cameras.

Is there anything I am missing? Is anyone else in Northern Wisconsin seeing the same thing? I haven’t seen a drop like this ever in the past. I am not to concerned, because I know once lead starts flying, they won’t be visiting those corn piles as much, and will return to their normal patterns in their “safe” cover.


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[bueller]

Hunting pressure may be causing the drop-off too. And it doesn't have to come from you. I know by me I've heard quite a bit of shooting during youth season the past few years. Also last weekend driving home I saw vehicles parked in all the little hunting camp properties that a vacant for 11 months and all along the roads in places nobody parks all year.

 

[swat1018]

What was your camera on to get a 100 pics a day?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

What was your camera on to get a 100 pics a day?

They are on food plots.


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[Buckly]

If it was pressure I think you would still get a good amount of night pictures. My guess would be another food source or as you guessed baiting.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I get a few at night, but like I said, about 10 total for the whole day.


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[Bill]

Can't speak to northern deer. Actually don't even know how you guys get out of bed for northern deer.
My number one producing camera gets about 300-400 pics in 24 hours from about May to mid Oct.

Today it took about 10 pics. My does are all hiding in the bushes and the bucks are digging for them in all the wrong places. Again, can't speak for big north woods but down here in farm country I don't pay any attention to the cameras in November. Everything is an etch-a-sketch. I just hunt through it, it's November. Any time, anywhere, could produce.

 

[alldaysit]

Can't speak to northern deer. Actually don't even know how you guys get out of bed for northern deer.
My number one producing camera gets about 300-400 pics in 24 hours from about May to mid Oct.

Today it took about 10 pics. My does are all hiding in the bushes and the bucks are digging for them in all the wrong places. Again, can't speak for big north woods but down here in farm country I don't pay any attention to the cameras in November. Everything is an etch-a-sketch. I just hunt through it, it's November. Any time, anywhere, could produce.

Yep. The does are hiding in the thickest nastiest cover they can find. I’m seeing the same thing, except bucks are now filling up the camera cards.


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[Peplin Creek]

Yep, in Central Wisconsin most of pics in plots are either bucks or fawns right now. Doe are off on there own from being harassed... some bucks are locked down with doe at the moment too.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

That makes sense, back at home out bow hunting and I saw 2 bucks, they were locked on.


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[S.T.Fanatic]

I'm seeing the same thing. I put in a lot of hours on stand this weekend and havent seen a single doe in 3 sits. I did however see 6 bucks on their feet. No shooters though.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I own land in Rusk County and the same thing happens every year. It's baiting and it really sucks. I've hunted deer in lots of places and have never seen deer activity drop as quickly as they do in baited areas. It's normal to have the does hard to find when the chasing starts, but northern WI is something different. The appeal of a corn pile in thick bedding cover keeps the does in the thick stuff during daylight and the bucks spend most of the time there too.

Food plots can compete in the early bow season, but nothing draws deer in during the rut like a pile of corn or apples in thick cover. I didn't think it was possible until I talked to a neighboring property owner and he showed me the big bucks he killed. These were the same deer that I had on my food plots during the early season and then there was a massive dropoff as they moved to other areas. I have the same adjacent cover that he does (plus standing corn and beans), but the difference is he was able to bait frequently. The deer would rather eat a pile of apples or corn in thick cover than in my fields. He threw a bucket of apples next to a stand 50 yards from his house and he wouldn't hunt until he had daylight pictures of a big buck. I wouldn't have thought it was possible if I didn't see it. And judging by the numbers of ATV's with sacks of corn on their racks the last few weeks the deer have lots of food options up there right now. It really sucks.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

That was my thought. I am sure all things come in to play as stated, but I think it is baiting that has the biggest impact. The last few years baiting wasn’t allowed, and while I know some still did it, it didn’t effect my pictures as much as this year, being they re allowed baiting in my area. I don’t plan on joining in on the baiting frenzy, in the past when I did, I would have more bear around then I cared for. Since I have stopped baiting, just a small percentage of the bear I use to have. Bear and young Apple trees aren’t a good mix. I just hope once the lead flys, they won’t worry about those piles of corn anymore and come back to their normal areas. As for bucks, I have had a few random bucks coming through, but less then before.


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[NWWI]

I usually figure if I don't have my deer by now the season is almost toast. The corn comes out on ATV's with lazy, stinky guys who "scout" the bedding areas only to cut a 10' wide "shooting lane" with a chainsaw. These will be the same guys who hunt a day and a half and go home with a deer or two on a trailer with the chest cavity wide open to the road grit.
Sometimes you can use it to your advantage if they push the deer out of their area, but usually they turn very nocturnal. Muzzleloader season can be fun with the woods almost to your self.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I won’t bow hunt again until December, but I do rifle hunt in Wisconsin November.


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