How many deer do you see to consider it a good day?

[AGarbers]

Just curious how many deer you see a day. I hear of guys that see a half-dozen a day (or more). I may see one. Opening day I saw six... on the neighbors property. (He doesn't allow hunting.) The average is about one or two per day in the past few years. I hunt where I live and we have 17 acres of wooded hills and a creek, so my options are limited.

 

[Leadeye]

I like to see some action each time I go out. Sometimes it's just does milling around eating and others it's a buck chasing. The most amusing sight is watching a small buck coming to a can call, the hesitant step, lowered tail and looking around moves of the dropped head.

 

[Landon]

Right now I'd settle for one! I've been out every chance I've gotten for firearms season and so far all I've seen is a small doe that was within range to shoot (I didn't). I've got three properties that I can hunt and have been rotating between them. I'm starting to lose interest, any tips? It gets old going out and sitting in the cold and not at least seeing something.

 

[Leadeye]

Be persistent, time in stand almost always equates to success.

 

[17 squirrel]

Be persistent, time in stand almost always equates to success.

Yep... And you might want to get another hunters opinion on where your tree stand or blind is located. Have you used cameras at all ? What signs of deer are / have you seen lately ?

And you have to be very very quiet.

 

[Cam]

If I see one, I consider the day a success. To me, it means I got in my stand and did my job without the deer knowing I was there.

 

[SkinNFluff]

A good day is when I see none. Sadly on a normal day I have 3-4 that hang out on my road and just stand there and stare at you when you want to drive down the road.

 

[dm1986]

A good day is when you get to spend time in the outdoors. Leaving your cares behind, relaxing while taking in nature is a successful day.

 

[woowoo2]

A good day is when I see none. Sadly on a normal day I have 3-4 that hang out on my road and just stand there and stare at you when you want to drive down the road.

Same here.
3-4 days a week I work at TV transmitter sites.
One site is 73 acres, the other is 105.
Last week I had to honk at three of them to get them out of the way so I could go to work.
I spent last Wednesday cleaning out one our buildings, five of them sat there and watched me for most of the day.


Four doe's and a buck, about twenty yards from the building.

Pic: My co worker...

 

[Hookeye]

I like to see a deer each time out, but I might not and still consider it a success (maybe I found a rub line, big scrape).
On my old good spot I avg'd a deer down 1 in every 4 trips, hunting 1/2 days.
But I didn't burn vac early in the season It sucked then.

This yr at a much lesser spot where I've gone opening of gun several times and not seen any.......


Day 1 bow..........Button buck
Day 2 bow 3 does
Day 3 bow Button and Doe
Day 4 bow 2 does and a 4 pt eve hunt same day nothing
Day 5 Bow Button
Day 6 bow nothing

Day 1 gun Doe, 4pt and 9 pt
Day 2 gun 8 does, 4pt and 8 pt

 

[Hookeye]

I remember opening day of gun, early 90's..........my good spot.
Saw over 40 deer in the evening.........25 in one group.

Rabbit hunting after season, 61 came out of the CRP (they went past my bud who counted them).
Thanksgiving w snow........bud saw 20 something.........I saw 40+.

Numbers dropped way off .......was rare to see a buck w does late 90's. But did have a 8pt running 9 does one later gun season morning.

EHD hit a few yrs back............bunch of guys hunting my old spot (their fam bought it). Opening of gun.........8 guys.............saw 3 deer.
Heard it's coming back.

But back in the 80's you could throw a rock and drop an 8 pt LOL.

With lesser ground and fewer deer, a beginning deer hunter has a lot tougher learning curve IMHO.
Good ground and plenty of time afield, allowed even a screwup like me to figure stuff out and fill tags while taking the class.

 

[Hookeye]

I enjoy watching deer.
But even that gets old after a while, if you never see anything with antlers.
Even antlers can suck........if never seeing anything over 100".
Hadn't seen anything over 100" since 2010 at my current spot.
Bud drops 150" last yr (never seen in bow).
I pop a 130" this yr (never seen in bow).

Quite the mind game, to keep at it when everything says it's a waste of time.
Funny, my gun stand in same spot always...........would not have gotten me the buck i shot this yr.
But another big one did come down creek 2nd day, where my stand would have worked. Plus another 8 pt passed 30 yards from it.

3 prev seasons of gun opening weekends.......only two little baskets one day and nothing the other 5.

Ya just never know.

We have lost some pressure, so deer probably using the spot more than they used to. That has me wanting a stand right on the creek.
Water down, tracks go right down the middle. With the banks and sticker bushes............it's a dandy and safe corridor.

I don't want to see a lot of deer. I want to just see a 125+ inch deer inside of recurve range.

 

[midget]

I like seeing deer, but really any day I get to hunt is a good day.

 

[phylodog]

One deer is a good day. I enjoy any day I can spend in the woods but if I'm there to hunt deer I'll admit to being disappointed if I don't at least see one.

 

[mom45]

I just like to sit and watch from my kitchen window. My husband had 8 in front of him while I was watching these. His stand is about 200 yards west of this part of the yard. He's seen four bucks so far today....one is a nice 9 pointer with a wide spread and fairly heavy tines. He's coyote hunting since the freezers are already full.

This was about an hour ago from the kitchen...a few minutes after I snapped this, a six point buck wandered in from the east and joined this group.

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[Hookeye]

Went and picked my deer up. Saw an 8 pt on the way to.
Coming back, 6pt was watching a fluffy yote off the highway (about 60 yards apart they were.....yote moving away.....he was pretty).
Saw 10 does a couple miles down.
5 oclock they were popping out.

 

[Restroyer]

I'd like to see one. Just got back from sitting in the blind this afternoon. Saw nothing. That makes 3 days so far striking out. All my deer activity on my trail cameras is at night - even caught a buck chasing two does on the video - at 1AM. Found a new rub on a Hawthorne tree yesterday on way to the blind - ouch. I did have 6 turkeys come right in front of my blind with a real nice Tom yesterday. Come turkey season in April they will be no where to be found. I know the blind is in a good spot with the turkeys not seeing us. Also had several squirrels right next to the blind so I feel the scent and coverage are good. Just got to be persistent I guess. Some years are better than others.

 

[MRP2003]

I like to see at least one each day. Mostly only hunt 1/2 day. Most I have seen in a day was somewhere in the ball park of 8 but that was back when I would see the same 4-5 doe every day and then some small bucks. Back then I was going for a "mature buck" after 2 seasons and eating some good steaks, realized that I prefer to get a few deer each year which was more enjoyable.

Only saw one on Sunday and was happy.

 

[Landon]

I'm heading out in a little bit, hoping for some movement and getting to see something!

 

[natdscott]

The only deer I got to see today were outside my window while I ate my cereal, and I was happy to have the opportunity to share my breakfast time.

I may never shoot a deer again but I'll never tire of watching them, even if it's just one.

-Nate