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Where are the deer?

We STRUGGLED past 5 days in middle TN. Normally peak of 2nd rut, but we didn't see any signs of it. Saw 2 3.5yos in 5 days, zero mature deer. Several 1.5yos and 2.5yos bunching back up in bachelor groups. Haven't had a mature deer on camera in about 10 days. We've had a LOT more pressure all around us this year, and I'm thinking most of the older bucks are dead.

Got a kid his first deer ever, and my son took a couple more does. Plus a bobcat and a coyote. We had fun, but the hunting was miserable. Not sure if 2nd rut is delayed or we missed it. First year in the past 6 that we haven't hit great rut action this time of year.

Nm
 
In my mind those roots would be nutritious and good eating…but I have never eaten many.
It is the same thing as making malt. Malt is nothing more than barley that has been allowed to germinate (produce a root), then it is dried and ground up. Malt tastes absolutely nothing like barley. A germinated acorn apparently tastes nothing like an ungerminated acorn and deer do not like them.
 
It is the same thing as making malt. Malt is nothing more than barley that has been allowed to germinate (produce a root), then it is dried and ground up. Malt tastes absolutely nothing like barley. A germinated acorn apparently tastes nothing like an ungerminated acorn and deer do not like them.
Makes sense to me and I'm not going to taste them to find out. 😂
 
We STRUGGLED past 5 days in middle TN. Normally peak of 2nd rut, but we didn't see any signs of it. Saw 2 3.5yos in 5 days, zero mature deer. Several 1.5yos and 2.5yos bunching back up in bachelor groups. Haven't had a mature deer on camera in about 10 days. We've had a LOT more pressure all around us this year, and I'm thinking most of the older bucks are dead.

Got a kid his first deer ever, and my son took a couple more does. Plus a bobcat and a coyote. We had fun, but the hunting was miserable. Not sure if 2nd rut is delayed or we missed it. First year in the past 6 that we haven't hit great rut action this time of year.

Nm
Exactly my observations...
 
Getting almost no pictures on our cameras in Fayette county last 2 weeks. Killed a big doe last Thur evening ( 12-22). Almost no pix since.

Most of our acorns are gone, food plots never came up, aren't allowed to put out salt..

Going to hunt 1-4 until season end and try to catch 2 nd rut.

Killed 4 does so plenty of meat ( we're eat up with them) let 20-30 younger bucks walk. Some will be killed by neighbors, some by cars, some by CWD, but I didn't need the meat and hope to get a trophy in the future…..
 
Slow for us in Wayne as well. Have one cell cam on big traditional scrape & got 30-40 pics on it Christmas with most during daylight. Couple of new bucks at it and have opened it back up. Hunted most of day yesterday & only saw 1 doe... At camp until season is over & looks like 2nd rut is starting right on time for us (last week of season)
 
East TN has been really slow for me. Had a couple decent bucks on camera late. Trying to switch things up and taking a day off work today to break my cycle and get a weekday hunt in. Perks of being the boss right? lol
It's not always glamorous but it does have its good days. 👊🏻 Good luck out there!
 
Everything I'm seeing is 30 minutes before legal shooting time until 8am. Any of the last 5 days I could've killed a doe almost under my tree in morning, not one in afternoon. I think the bucks have vanished for me because of the rut. (Think the does where I'm at have mainly all pregnant)

Last Friday I had doe open up a scrape the next morning she had a nice buck she was toting with her I was drawn but no shot. Looks to me like they are all,3 different groups, hitting the fields hard. From bedding to the fields with eating on the way. I've seen them in 4 different fields all day long lately.


Just grass bushhogged fields. Every deer I've taken had grass in the belly. Find bedding and get close. Everything I see is sticking tight to their paths, not wandering. I'm on the plateau
 
Going to give it one last shot today and tomorrow. Not actually trying to kill anything, just wanted to be in the stand one more time. We killed out so quick this year I don't feel like I've really hunted. Haven't been in a stand since opening weekend of gun.

Haven't checked cams since the 11th, so I have no idea what the activity has been like of late.
 
Going to give it one last shot today and tomorrow. Not actually trying to kill anything, just wanted to be in the stand one more time. We killed out so quick this year I don't feel like I've really hunted. Haven't been in a stand since opening weekend of gun.

Haven't checked cams since the 11th, so I have no idea what the activity has been like of late.
Enjoy the day. I'm still waiting to kill (stealthy) a couple few does to thin out the local heard. We have to many where I live. I haven't decided if I want young and tender or big does. May both. Several neighbors want venison and so do my kids. 🤷‍♂️
 
Squirrel hunting now but I checked 2 cameras and at two different locations had pictures of a 3 1/2 year old with 2 younger bucks running together. So if you do see any you might get a choice of targets.
 
Getting almost no pictures on our cameras in Fayette county last 2 weeks. Killed a big doe last Thur evening ( 12-22). Almost no pix since.

Most of our acorns are gone, food plots never came up, aren't allowed to put out salt..

Going to hunt 1-4 until season end and try to catch 2 nd rut.

Killed 4 does so plenty of meat ( we're eat up with them) let 20-30 younger bucks walk. Some will be killed by neighbors, some by cars, some by CWD, but I didn't need the meat and hope to get a trophy in the future…..
Why are you not allowed to put out salt? What state are you in?
 
Priest has gotten more pressure than ive ever seen this year. Its been tough to buy a deer sighting for sure. You aint the only one.
I threw in the priest mix this year thinking old hickory had maybe drawn away some of the crowd since there were so many dang people on it this year… but nope… just more people everywhere. I walked 3 different areas and couldn't go more than 100 yards without running into stands or cameras. Ran into at least 20 of them. Wild out there lol.
 

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