Movement

[CliffordN]

It is a little crazy down in Bedford right now... Had new scrapes and rubs pop up in the last two days, with several bucks in one area on camera, big groups of does and yearlings in another, and a buck tending a doe in a third yesterday, all on 150 acres.... All but one pic is just before daylight, and no deer seen after that... The place is not pressured much... But I wish I had a food plot!

 

[BSK]

But I wish I had a food plot!

On my place, big doe groups are living in the food plots right now. They are out there day and night. Don't really know why as we have a huge acorn crop. Although, to be honest, deer having been hitting the food plots much harder than I expected all fall.

 

[East TN Bowhunter]

I'm out of the country working so know how you feel. My trail cams are showing me hit and miss movement. And for all of December it has been either great or totally slow. One morning I will get blown up with photos the next will be dead. I'm flying home Wednesday so hoping to be out by the end of the week.

This is how it has been on my cams the last few weeks. It is either 10 does and 4 bucks in one day or no deer for 2 or 3 days in a row and weather/cold doesn't seem to be the determining factor either. Its odd.

 

[DMD]

Just imagine hundreds of thousands of unhuntable acres. I can see not being allowed right in the middle of the yuppies with cameras. But there's tons of acreage nobody steps foot on. Why are we not allowed to hunt it. Smokey mountain national park.

I don't know (well...I do know) BUT, I'm definitely putting in for the first drawn hunt they have

 

[Ski]

This is how it has been on my cams the last few weeks. It is either 10 does and 4 bucks in one day or no deer for 2 or 3 days in a row and weather/cold doesn't seem to be the determining factor either. Its odd.

Buds form after leaves fall and continue slowly growing all winter long even though the tree is largely dormant. Deer browse on the biggest most nutritious buds then move on to another area, creeping along a circuit until they eventually come back full circle, by which time the young small buds they overlooked before are now big & nutritious. They repeat this cycle all winter until spring green up.

That's why some days you see deer and other days you don't. It's not the weather. It's not the moon. It's nothing mysterious at all. It's just the nomadic nature of deer deer to follow the resources.

 

[tickweed]

Been seeing several. 8 yest morning. 1 yest eve. O this morning. Hunted till elevem.

 

[Madbowh]

Absolutely dead in 3 hunting locations across 2 counties so I went in real early and set up in/ over their bedding area in one spot. They have been coming in about 730 and staying all day long coming out after dark, private land surrounded by private land. Only sat there 3 times so far, trapped once snuck out the other times.

When it gets tough I scout bedding before sunrise set up by sunrise usually good. Rake a trail to my stand. Snuck out with them at 40 yards the last sit. Buck I'm waiting on has not shown up yet, I think he's taken care of the does I'm seeing and wandering for more he's not there as often lately.

This bedding area is super thick sometimes they are at 20 yards and I can't see them, water is 100yds in the open. They mosey around this 8 acre lot bedding and eating all day. Had 3 laying under me once