Deer Season 2020-21

[two70]

I have seen maybe 10 deer all season with no shot opportunities. My usual spots that produce are pretty bare this year. I don't know if the Blue Tongue from last year it my area harder than others, but we are not seeing very many deer at all this year. I can still hunt the last 4 days of the muzzleloader season and the last 4 days of the antlerless season, so hopefully I will get one.

If you didn't see many deer last year after blue tongue hit, then the outbreak may be the cause as it can take several years for a location to bounce back after a bad outbreak. It stands to reason though if you saw deer last season after the outbreak, then it is unlikely last year's outbreak is the cause of not seeing deer this year. It is possible you had another outbreak this year but outbreaks severe enough to significantly reduce local populations usually don't go unnoticed and it's pretty rare for them to occur in the same area in back to back years.

 

[Diesel24v]

Took this one on opening day with my 44mag Henry big boy. He made it about 20 yards. Shot a coyote at 12:08 and shot him at 12:38. Was a pretty exciting day. Saw activity pretty much all day. I have seen more deer movement this year than I did the last 5 years combined.
View attachment 94823 View attachment 94821

 

[phylodog]

Took this one on opening day with my 44mag Henry big boy. He made it about 20 yards. Shot a coyote at 12:08 and shot him at 12:38. Was a pretty exciting day. Saw activity pretty much all day. I have seen more deer movement this year than I did the last 5 years combined.
View attachment 94823 View attachment 94821

Congrats! It's good to see the herd is doing well in some places, I'm afraid it's going to be a few years before we have much of a chance at a mature buck.

 

[Jaybird1980]

World Record Doe

https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/hunting/the-world-record-doe/

 

[pappyon]

having 17 grandkids with most hunting i have to say we have had a banner year. The kids are passing deer every time out. Last weekend we had 26 deer on us in groups up to 16. We have left this area alone for the most part and waited for late season. I think the pressure around us has driven them all to us. I put the boys in a stand or drop them off early and go to another spot with another grandson. we text each other from the tree. They took it upon themselves to pass big does now...as most are bred. Passing small bucks...leaving buttons alone too. Kind of a selective (get a young does) hunt. But we do have a farmer who asked us to reduce them. so yesterday one of the grandsons got a huge doe. He said he had 5 in at daybreak. Then 6 more an hour later. Then 3 came in and he took one. all these does and not an antler in the bunch though. We have seen our share...and the boys have taken theirs. Have enough Salami and sausage sticks to get thru ice fishing for sure.

 

[trimman83]

I took a doe in earlier bow season. I took a couple very large does with my ML Friday after Thanksgiving. I've had a lot of good bucks showing, in daylight, this season on camera in Marion, Owen and Shelby Co. Saw 5 bucks and 9 doe on gun opener in Lawrence Co, with two of the bucks being good ones. I just never got a good shot on the good ones. Marion Co has been hard on me. I am always there when the deer aren't and visa-versa. Hunted 2 or three miles west of Freedom IN this morning with 3 other guys and we saw 0 between us. Cameras have shown some big bucks frequenting that area though. I'll go again to Shelby Co in the morning, then maybe Marion Co in the afternoon. I've got enough meat for us this season, but I have plenty of people wanting some meat or sausage for themselves. I'd like to get a good buck from the firearms season(time running out) and then maybe one from the reduction zone. I've got my life time license, so plenty of tags.

 

[BigRed]

Saw no deer today.... maybe because I was more interested in enjoying the day in the woods with a decent cigar than anything approaching hunting.

I did get see a bald eagle working its talents on a river.

I'll mark it as a damn good day.

 

[dprimm]

I have not seen anything in my last 3 outings. Last 3 years I always saw something. We know they are around... tacks, busted hot fence, and even seeing them when not hunting. Frustrating.

I scouted again Saturday and found their river crossing. It had moved after flooding.

 

[bobjones223]

Well I finally get to post here!

Got a nice doe on Saturday, had a great evening in the woods, and learned a few things for the future.

#1) 7.62X39 will drop deer with NO problem.
#2) 7.62X39 with a muzzle break and no ear plugs...VERY LOUD!!!!!
#3) 7.62X39 with a vertically ported break...VERY BRIGHT!!!!
#4) Going to use .44 mag next year!

So to set the record straight out the gate...I HUNT IN A REDUCTION ZONE!...so yes I can use rifle till the end of January.

I had about 20 doe come in on me at 5:30pm Saturday...close to last light and decided to take one..(earned my buck).

As a reduction zone there are houses around and maybe.....a retirement community right next door!...LOL

Long story short...I know the 7.63X39 shook the neighborhood (the wife texted from the house "That was FU""ING LOUD!!!), the muzzle flash blinded my night vision, and the sound left me ringing for an hour!

I have always wanted to take one with the 7.62X39 bolt gun and checked that off the list.

Now it is back to final development of the 300gr. .44mag sub sonic....LOL

But on a side note I did get approval from the financing department for a suppressor due to how LOUD it was so........

 

[roscott]

That’s pretty funny, although hopefully your hearing is ok! Suppressors are amazing for hunting, because they solve all those problems!

What county is your reduction zone in?

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

I have had similar experience with a 10.5" 300BO. My stepson shot a doe last year. I asked if he heard where it ran after the shot. He said all he could hear was ringing! Luckily, I was in a location I was able to see the shot and the deer expire.

 

[dprimm]

Well I finally get to post here!

Got a nice doe on Saturday, had a great evening in the woods, and learned a few things for the future.

#1) 7.62X39 will drop deer with NO problem.
#2) 7.62X39 with a muzzle break and no ear plugs...VERY LOUD!!!!!
#3) 7.62X39 with a vertically ported break...VERY BRIGHT!!!!
#4) Going to use .44 mag next year!

So to set the record straight out the gate...I HUNT IN A REDUCTION ZONE!...so yes I can use rifle till the end of January.

I had about 20 doe come in on me at 5:30pm Saturday...close to last light and decided to take one..(earned my buck).

As a reduction zone there are houses around and maybe.....a retirement community right next door!...LOL

Long story short...I know the 7.63X39 shook the neighborhood (the wife texted from the house "That was FU""ING LOUD!!!), the muzzle flash blinded my night vision, and the sound left me ringing for an hour!

I have always wanted to take one with the 7.62X39 bolt gun and checked that off the list.

Now it is back to final development of the 300gr. .44mag sub sonic....LOL

But on a side note I did get approval from the financing department for a suppressor due to how LOUD it was so........

the .308 I use is the same way. I bought comfortable electric muffs. I just leave them on the entire day. Sort of cheating as I can turn them up and amplify all sounds. Till a squirrel runs by and I think the cows are all charging my way.

where is your reduction zone?

 

[bobjones223]

That’s pretty funny, although hopefully your hearing is ok! Suppressors are amazing for hunting, because they solve all those problems!

What county is your reduction zone in?

Hamilton

 

[tcecil88]

If you didn't see many deer last year after blue tongue hit, then the outbreak may be the cause as it can take several years for a location to bounce back after a bad outbreak. It stands to reason though if you saw deer last season after the outbreak, then it is unlikely last year's outbreak is the cause of not seeing deer this year. It is possible you had another outbreak this year but outbreaks severe enough to significantly reduce local populations usually don't go unnoticed and it's pretty rare for them to occur in the same area in back to back years.

Last year was pretty sparse too. I got a decent buck last year on the middle weekend of the firearms season. I saw a nice group of does milling around in a thicket yesterday, but never could get a shot with the crossbow. I saw deer 1 out of the 4 days I hunted last weekend.

 

[DEC]

Real proud of my youngest. She is a Freshman at Purdue these days, so hunting is limited. In October she bought an archery tag and told me the she was only going to bow hunt regardless of the seasons that were in. She hunted a couple times in October with no luck. Then she came real close twice over Thanksgiving break during gun season. I offered to buy her a gun tag and she said "no". She hunted 6 out of 7 days that she was home over Thanksgiving. She came home for Christmas break and on Saturday evening, during muzzleloader season, we went to a stand over a food plot. Four bucks came in and the three smallest were allowed to live another day. Syd double lunged the biggest of the bunch at 12 yards. I never coached or advised ... I simply filmed. The hit was double lungs but at the back of the lungs. So we let him lay for about 6 hours before going after him, as I really thought it was liver. We ended up backing out after losing blood. The next morning I called in a buddy who tracks with his lab. That dog ran over 800 yards on a track with no visible blood, right to the deer in about 15 minutes time. I gutted the deer and sure enough, double lung. He just refused to die. It was actually a lot of fun watching the dog work.


Anyway .. proud of Syd.

 

[BigRed]

Is there anything better than father and daughter time in the woods?

There could be, but I doubt it.




I am tempted to make some jokes about boys coming around and such, but it is an easy temptation to decline.

When our daughter was growing up, she weeded out the clowns quickly... may have something to do with days like that.

 

[srad]

Congrats to Syd! And to you pops. What a fantastic story and one heck of a young lady you got there.

 

[Michigan Slim]

My daughter hit her first buck with a muzzleloader. Not a great hit so we let him lay up overnight. Went out at first light and found him. No meat. No guts. No ribs. Completely stripped by coyotes. She says that filled her buck tag. Let's hunt yotes!!!

 

[76caprice]

Congrats DE! Michigan Slim I feel your pain but the experience for her will last a lifetime!!!

 

[76caprice]

Congrats DE! Michigan Slim I feel your pain but the experience for her will last a lifetime!!!