Where the heck are the deer?

[OkieOFT]

So this is my first season deer hunting...I've been up around Tenkiller next to the Cherokee WMA, and now am closer to home down around Poteau, hunting the Wister and Quachita WMA's. The only deer I have seen was around Tenkiller, a buck chasing a doe...Saw them for about 5 seconds before they were out of sight again. Other than that I have not saw a single deer. My wife has come close to hitting about 5, but I havent even seen any roadside deer. Spent most of the morning close to Cedar Lake and didn't see or hear a thing. Are they hiding? Cloaking devices? Or do I just smell bad?

 

[Ksmirk]

Around here they have gone to moving at night, we can go out and spend the day in the stand and not see anything but on the drive home I can pretty much count on seeig the same 5 I see everynight in the yard! and yes I have spent a mornig on the porch drinking coffee with my rifle just in case :-) Later,

Kirk

 

[ez bake]

I don't know if it was the coyotes on opening day or what - not 2 days before rifle season, we saw like 4-5 of them out where I hunt (private land - no other hunters). Opening day, heard craploads of coyotes. Since then - nothing. Tons of signs that they're there, but I bet with this warm weather and the few moon-lit nights, that they're moving around at night.

Sucks too - that was my honey hole and I wanted to knock out a couple of good ones for my oldest son who has been taking an interest in hunting this year - looks like he may have to settle on coyotes or hogs this year.

 

[pro2ndammendment]

Glad to know I am not the only one having this problem. I got a fleeting glance at a doe on Saturday at Kaw Lake. Other than that, ZIP!!!! Nada!!! Lots of deer sign, but no deer. I am hopefull that they will start moving a bit more if the weather cools off this week. I have a buck and doe tag to fill by Sunday!!!

 

[dennishoddy]

With the rut finishing up, and gun season pressure, the deer have pretty much gone nocturnal. Its starting to get back to normal though. Driving out of the hunting area tonight, I saw several does, and a couple of bucks back out on the wheat and alfalfa fields.

 

[bettingpython]

Yep moving at night, I saw half a dozen sets of eyes moving across the field in front of the stand I was using saturday morning, even had one walk directly under me not 15 minutes after crawling in the stand of course it was 5:30 in the morning and I couldn't tell if it was a doe or buck just 2 giant luminous eyes and I could hear it walking on the leaves under the stand.

It's really cool in when the stars are so bright you can see the starlight being reflected by thousands of spiders eyes in the field in front of you when your hiking in. I hiked about 1/2 a mile into my stand from the drop off point with nothing but moonlight and starlight to see by.

 

[RedTape]

I don't think the coyotes bother the deer too much. The week before gun season I had two large groups of coyotes on either side of me going nuts about an hour before sunrise. Saw quite a few deer that day.

Deer activity has gone downhill since gun season opened though. Hopefully they'll start moving around for the second half of bow season.

 

[dennishoddy]

I don't think the coyotes bother the deer too much. The week before gun season I had two large groups of coyotes on either side of me going nuts about an hour before sunrise. Saw quite a few deer that day. .

Typically they don't but these were within 70 yds. I've seen coyotes just walking in a wheat field and never bother some deer out there, and other times when they come out, they bolt.
I watch the nature channel or whatever it is sometimes, and I've seen lions walking around other game and they act like they don't notice, but when the lion comes around in a hunting posture, they get really nervous, and go into escape mode. Wonder if it the same with coyotes.

 

[AKguy1985]

i seen 5 does thursday and nothing friday, saturday i jumped three does and that was it

 

[Matt N.]

That Holsen Valley are gets a lot of hunting/poaching pressure. It should get a little better in a couple days since most of the hunters headed home.