State of the Deer Herd

[franklauzon]

Just wondering what everyones opinions were in various parts of Eastern Ontario...

We deer hunt east of Ottawa, and I have seen a lot less deer in the fields, and a lot less deer while out hunting.

We managed to get a Forkhorn, Doe, and Fawn, could be worse, but I deffinitely think the herd is getting back to where it used to be.

Now in talking with people who have Trail cameras, they are seeing a lot of nocturnal activity, and with the snow we had 2-3 weeks ago, all the tracks we found, were made at night.

What's your take, less deer, deer are nocturnal, strictly weather related.

[LeGrand]

My TrailMac (yes it is a TrailMac, not a TrailCam) has only shown does and lots of racoons, no bucks.

Might go to FrankTown, ON this weekend and see what's new. The landowner hasn't seen bucks either. I've only got a non-resident buck permit, so slim picking for me, but always a good show seeing does feeding and passing by.

The rut season should make them crazy and neglect their noctural behaviours/patterns.

Good luck to everyone.

[DUBIE]

The trail cams are proving that they move at night. I hunt south of Ottawa, This year the first week we did get les than normal but we were selective harvesting.
Our gang thinks that we and other people are not seeing more deer is due to the worm weather and they are not in the rut, we only seen one that was gust starting(less rubs and scrapes)

The deer are there but I think the population took a good hit last winter and they went nocturnal.

[almontefisher]

Eastern Ontario is really low this year..Most camps around here who get thier limit the first day are only seeing about 1/3 the deer they used to. Some of my clients have only shot 3 deer instead of thier 15 that the camp gets...Further North near Golden Lake area where my camp is is seeing an increase this year. We usually get one every few years but this year we have seen about 30, shot at 15 and have got 3 so far. Best year in over 15 years for us. But again Franktown area, Ashton ,Cedar Hill Pakenham etc not good

[bardern]

General concenus down my way is that the Eastern Ontario deer herd is down maybe as much as 35-40% of the levels three years ago. There were a lot of carcasses found this spring in traditional yards, with the snow cover it seems a lot of deer didn't make it to spring. With the huge population of coyotes, extra tags, farmer tags and poaching taking their toll the deer have been hit pretty hard the last few years.

[Wallyboss]

I hunt in the Burnstown area. (just north of Calabogie) We were seeing tons of scrapes and rublines. One of the scrape lines was about 50 yards away from my tree stand. But they were nowhere to be found during the day. We lost our good chase dog last year and the one we had this year wasn't tonguing too good. A hunter from the land beside ours got a 7 point buck on opening morning and it was in full rut. I think it is just because of the warm weather. I saw 6 over that first week but none of them were during legal shooting hours.

We usually tag out by the wed. of the first week but this year we got a doe and a fawn on opening day then nothing else.

Almontefisher??have seen about 30, shot at 15 and have got 3 so far??

Did you need to open a DEER First Aid Station???

[almontefisher]

No Dan...Nothing was hit that is why the 4 guys who missed ( not me ) have many a strips removed from thier shirts If a guy misses the deer he gets the scissors to the back of his shirt. Does anyone else do this if a buddy misses the deer?? Or what other dirty little things do you do if a guy misses??

[Wallyboss]

Us it's a buck a shot that goes in the pot along with the 10.00 for the bigger buck and the bigger doe.

If you take a shot and don't prove that you drew blood . You gotta pay.

[orrsey]

We hunt in the Moscow area 30 min north of kingston. Last year 4 guys...4 deer. This year 4 guys 0 deer. I am not sure if the population has dropped, seems that way, but definitely not seeing the deer. I was out from Sunday to Tuesday and had one opportunity. Just before dark on Sunday evening I had five or six come crashing out of the swamp to the ridge where I was sitting. Then I see a nice doe come running up the ridge right at me, so I'm sitting up have the gun ready and at 40 yards she stops on a dime facing right at me. As she is standing there she is behind two trees, I have a clear shot at the neck and front chest but she turned her head and seemed like she was going to step out broadside. As I waited with the cross hairs on her to my dismay she didnt take those two extra steps I needed her to and turned straight back around and sprinted back to the swamp. At this point Im doing some serious sulking until I see another big deer at the bottom or the ridge broadside. Again I put the cross hairs on the shoulder and fire.....Clean miss. I was REALLY sulking at that time and unfortunately that was the last deer I saw in my three days. Trying to talk my dad into going back this weekend for another crack so hopefully I'll have a little better luck.

orrsey

[Joe28]

Might be a little down from last year but not a whole lot. Lots of signs and sightings in the Lanark area. Don't really have a standard camp to compare numbers to year after year but I'd guess its down a bit for sure this year in that area as far as I know.

My friend missed a beauty of a buck a few years ago. A few jokes now and then of having a case of buck fever...he still keeps the empty shell in his pocket as a reminder. Seems like we aught to start a new camp tradition... you miss = you pay some way or another! Or maybe the never-ending jokes are payment enough.

[TMH]

We had a grea year in both the number of deers harvested and the number of deers seen.. We hunt in the very eastern parts of Ontario not far from the Quebec border.

[franklauzon]

It seems like some pockets got hit worst than others. Wonder is cover, or available food sources had a lot to do with it.

I know around where we're hunting the cedar is easten 6 feet off the ground, not hard to see they couldn't find any food. Also came across a lot of skulls...

Hopefully it will bounce back! Or maybe they're all just hiding from me...

[Wallyboss]

Frank, I hope you have a harness for the treestand. You might not be seeing any because of your snoring and your eyes being closed.

Happened to me last week in the 19deg weather. Sitting under a cedar tree in the shade and all off a sudden I opened my eyes and it was dark outside.

[franklauzon]

I've had maybe 5 daytime naps in my lifetime, it's just not in me...

Deer hunting lets me sleep in compared to waterfowl!

[Wallyboss]

Our gang got another 3 this Saturday a doe and 2 bucks.