Im afraid its gonna be a tough juvi….

[tree_ghost]

Just one of my traditional community scrapes is getting hit hard. The rest are dead as hammers.

What's your hunch as to why it's like that this year? No water plus poor mast crop equaling no extra energy to be spent on laying down sign?

 

[redblood]

Didnt see a single deer and with our deer density that is almost impossible

 

[THE DUKE]

So far nothing, Wilson co

 

[tree_ghost]

We saw one doe at daybreak but nothing else. Thank the lord the rain has set in now for almost an hour and the temps are falling!

 

[BSK]

What's your hunch as to why it's like that this year? No water plus poor mast crop equaling no extra energy to be spent on laying down sign?

This is the classic pattern of a severe drought and acorn-failure year. As you suggested, not enough extra energy to do much rut preparation activity (rub, scrape, chase). The deer are conserving energy.

Actually, let me take that back. This year seems to be an odd mix of an OK acorn year and an acorn failure year. In the severest drought acorn failure years, there is virtually no rubbing or scraping. I'm seeing more than that. I'm hoping the year ends up a little more "normal" than a severe drought year. In severe drought acorn failure years, our rut is delayed about 10 days and is very muted - just a brief period of chasing with nothing before or after. I'm hoping we get to see some actual buck cruising, scraping and chasing before peak breeding. Also hope peak breeding falls on the normal dates.

 

[ROVERBOY]

Dont think i have ever seen cams so slow. Guess record heat and record drought working together doesnt bide well for deer movement. Oh well. We will see

They've been working us a lot at work lately. I've not checked my cams much but, the times I have, not a lot of deer on them. I don't know.

 

[timberjack86]

Raining here at the foot of Starr mountain. Hope that helps the juvi hunters in the morning!

 

[mike243]

Catoosa is loaded with acorns, deer not having to move to eat, warm weather made for low movement out of the thick stuff. suspect water sources is where folks need to hunt .

 

[TN Larry]

Saw 5 does this morning but no bucks. Sitting on a bean field this afternoon that just got cut last night. Pretty sure does are on the menu this afternoon. Cloudy with a little wind and still wanting to mist a little bit. Rained pretty good on us this morning.

Good luck to those out this evening.

 

[UTGrad]

About to get shut eye and head out with my son in the morning. Tikka UPR 6.5 Creedmoor ready to bark.

 

[TN Larry]

Super nice morning today. Seen 3, maybe 5 does. About to pack it in and go to church and figure a plan for this afternoon.

 

[UTGrad]

Hunting over cut bean field has been non productive this AM. Weather certainly cooler but wish it was colder.