2023 Deer Season

[two70]

Some deer, no. Mature bucks tolerate very little in the way of disturbances before they simply relocate to quieter territory my experience.

I doubt a one off event of this nature will have a lasting effect on most mature bucks. Especially a one off event that wasn't directly threatening. If the habitat is right, most mature bucks are very reluctant to abandon their home ranges or even their core areas.

 

[Hookeye]

Some deer, no. Mature bucks tolerate very little in the way of disturbances before they simply relocate to quieter territory my experience.

The deer I saw came from inside the kids race loop, and was 130". Not big but decent IMHO.
Who knows if a bigger one was around?
Maybe the kids had been there off and on enough to have the deer not worry too much.

Spooking a deer out of his favorite bedding..........I think that to be the cardinal sin.

 

[phylodog]

Spooking a deer out of his favorite bedding..........I think that to be the cardinal sin.

He was running like hell through the best bedding cover we've got.

 

[El Conquistador]

Out for my first hunt of the year. Trying out a new stand i put up this summer. Ran a doe off about an hour ago close to my stand. What a great evening cool and no wind. I don’t care if i get one its just nice to be sitting in a stand.

Update on last nights hunt. I was sitting on stand about 6:30pm watching 2 doe’s and a 8 point feeding 40 yards away. I had been watching them for 30 minutes when the buck started blowing, the buck and 1 doe took off running towards my stand, stopped below my stand looked back for a couple of seconds before running off behind me. The other doe stood out of sight blowing, I couldn’t figure out why they did that then I saw the biggest bobcat I have ever seen (was the size of a small mountain lion with a short tail). He stopped about 25 yards from my stand as the doe walked 20 yards from him still blowing. I got a couple of pictures of the bobcat that I will try to post when I get back home.
It was big and had the color of a mountain loin but with about a 6 inch tail.

 

[phylodog]

I doubt a one off event of this nature will have a lasting effect on most mature bucks. Especially a one off event that wasn't directly threatening. If the habitat is right, most mature bucks are very reluctant to abandon their home ranges or even their core areas.

You may be right, or not. There may have been a buck there when he did it, or not. I’m not convinced any damage was done but I do know that if it weren’t for that piece of scum trespassing it wouldn’t be a concern at all.

 

[two70]

You may be right, or not. There may have been a buck there when he did it, or not. I’m not convinced any damage was done but I do know that if it weren’t for that piece of scum trespassing it wouldn’t be a concern at all.

Yeah, its a frustrating situation to be sure but there's no reason to overreact about it. Short of the dumbass trying to run down a buck, little lasting harm was likely done.

 

[El Conquistador]

You may be right, or not. There may have been a buck there when he did it, or not. I’m not convinced any damage was done but I do know that if it weren’t for that piece of scum trespassing it wouldn’t be a concern at all.

I hate it for you. One thing I can’t stand is a trespasser. I really don’t have that problem at my place but I do have problems with people letting their dogs run loose. The last few years I have different dogs showing up on my trail cams. Not sure where they are coming from a few houses a mile or so from the back side of my property. It gets frustrating

 

[phylodog]

Yeah, its a frustrating situation to be sure but there's no reason to overreact about it. Short of the dumbass trying to run down a buck, little lasting harm was likely done.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. When it comes to spending the time and money we do preparing for months/years only to hear the sound of an ******* ruining it on our way out to the first sit of the season I can't fault anyone for any reaction so long as it doesn't cause death. An ass beating resulting in a few hours getting stitched and casted up is the only appropriate punishment in my eyes, the courts sure as hell aren't going to provide any sort of deterrent and the types of scumbags who do this crap only learn through pain.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. When it comes to spending the time and money we do preparing for months/years only to hear the sound of an ******* ruining it on our way out to the first sit of the season I can't fault anyone for any reaction so long as it doesn't cause death. An ass beating resulting in a few hours getting stitched and casted up is the only appropriate punishment in my eyes, the courts sure as hell aren't going to provide any sort of deterrent and the types of scumbags who do this crap only learn through pain.

What about a crossbow bolt in the leg? "Your honor, I was shooting at a nice buck but missed. Unfortunately this trespassing yute happened to arrive at the same place the bolt did at exactly the same time."

 

[two70]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. When it comes to spending the time and money we do preparing for months/years only to hear the sound of an ******* ruining it on our way out to the first sit of the season I can't fault anyone for any reaction so long as it doesn't cause death. An ass beating resulting in a few hours getting stitched and casted up is the only appropriate punishment in my eyes, the courts sure as hell aren't going to provide any sort of deterrent and the types of scumbags who do this crap only learn through pain.

If I had the option of choosing a one time atv incursion into my hunting lease instead of what I will likely have to deal with this season, I'd take the atv without hesitation. Two or three of them in early October would still be a heck of a deal in comparison.

It's just not worth getting that worked up over. Things in my control are more important than the things I can't control.

 

[phylodog]

If I had the option of choosing a one time atv incursion into my hunting lease instead of what I will likely have to deal with this season, I'd take the atv without hesitation. Two or three of them in early October would still be a heck of a deal in comparison.

It's just not worth getting that worked up over. Things in my control are more important than the things I can't control.

I try really, really hard to exercise that very wisdom as often as I can in my life. Most of the time I’m successful. But in the moment, when the offender is within reach I find it beyond my abilities.

I’m sorry but it’s a very, very simple concept. Stay off of property you don’t own. There are few concepts in life simpler than this one. It’s so fundamentally simple and basic that any violations are deserving of whatever consequences the violated sees fit. I will never see it any other way. There are no valid excuses for it.

 

[Tryin']

I try really, really hard to exercise that very wisdom as often as I can in my life. Most of the time I’m successful. But in the moment, when the offender is within reach I find it beyond my abilities.

I’m sorry but it’s a very, very simple concept. Stay off of property you don’t own. There are few concepts in life simpler than this one. It’s so fundamentally simple and basic that any violations are deserving of whatever consequences the violated sees fit. I will never see it any other way. There are no valid excuses for it.

Is this in Hamilton County, or your other property in Parke? I assure you, most Hamco deputies will jail second-visit trespassers that they catch.

 

[Michigan Slim]

See the sign in my avatar. I had them made for my property in Michigan -because of family on quads tearing up my place.

 

[phylodog]

Is this in Hamilton County, or your other property in Parke? I assure you, most Hamco deputies will jail second-visit trespassers that they catch.

Owem Co. It's never the C.O or local LE, they've always done all we could ask. The judges and prosecutors? They could not care less, it's a "victimless crime" and is treated as such.

 

[Tryin']

Owem Co. It's never the C.O or local LE, they've always done all we could ask. The judges and prosecutors? They could not care less, it's a "victimless crime" and is treated as such.

That really sucks, man. I'm so sorry.

 

[two70]

I try really, really hard to exercise that very wisdom as often as I can in my life. Most of the time I’m successful. But in the moment, when the offender is within reach I find it beyond my abilities.

I’m sorry but it’s a very, very simple concept. Stay off of property you don’t own. There are few concepts in life simpler than this one. It’s so fundamentally simple and basic that any violations are deserving of whatever consequences the violated sees fit. I will never see it any other way. There are no valid excuses for it.

I hear you and I've been there. Not so much with atv riders but with trespassers for sure. As frustrating and angering as the situation is, don't let it ruin your season or make you forget that you're fortunate to be able to enjoy God's creation the way few non-hunters ever will.

I know its tough to let it go in the moment or in some cases even long after the moment. More than a decade later, I've just now gotten to the point where I can look at a couple trail cam photos of a particular buck without seeing red, though I'm still disgusted that I could have very likely had a 195" buck on my wall if not for a poacher. Then there's the biggest 8 pointer I've ever seen, which my father had a good chance to kill from a stand I setup if not for the feds interrupting their regularly scheduled neglect with a random act of management.

 

[phylodog]

I hear you and I've been there. Not so much with atv riders but with trespassers for sure. As frustrating and angering as the situation is, don't let it ruin your season or make you forget that you're fortunate to be able to enjoy God's creation the way few non-hunters ever will.

I know its tough to let it go in the moment or in some cases even long after the moment. More than a decade later, I've just now gotten to the point where I can look at a couple trail cam photos of a particular buck without seeing red, though I'm still disgusted that I could have very likely had a 195" buck on my wall if not for a poacher. Then there's the biggest 8 pointer I've ever seen, which my father had a good chance to kill from a stand I setup if not for the feds interrupting their regularly scheduled neglect with a random act of management.

It doesn’t ruin my season, we still hunted that day just not where we’d been planning to. We saw about what we expected to in the alternate location which was nothing. I suspect it’s a bit different for everyone and likely depends on how much time and effort has been put in before a trespasser decides to interrupt the plans.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I'll be in Michigan for the firearms opener sitting on ridges being visible from federal land. I get it.

 

[Hookeye]

Had a decent chunk of private ground.
Lots of poaching/trespassing in the area.
Big deer still seen.
Maybe not as often or as early, but they were still around.

Might mess up that day's hunt. But if not repeated, I'd not worry.
In fact folks doing stuff next door or a couple farms down might be
what puts deer on your spot.

 

[DragonGunner]

Trimmed some limbs behind me about 24 yds on an old logging trail. Had seen small buck using it, only place for good shot behind me. Well this morning 2 yearling and doe came past, lucky I saw them. Barely had time to get turned around and doe stopped long enough in that only spot. The 3 blade fixed Muzzy got lungs and the heart. Went about 100 yards…. And fell into a 15’ deep ditch. But right where a dead end trail stopped. SxS pulled it right up. About the easiest deer recovery in my life. Already got packed in coolers with ice, take my time later canning it. Now for a buck I hope.