NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON

[coldmike1]

Hello everyone, I hunt a farm between Cambridge and Hamilton with lots of bush and fields. This year the crops were corn and soy. I have been hunting the first week of the controlled hunt and in previous years it was not uncommon to see 10 to 15 deer in the week. As of 3pm today, I have seen nothing and hardly heard any shooting. I have talked to a few other guys and they are saying the same. Judging by the posts on this forum or lack thereof, is there fewer animals out there...BTW, I have not seen a single coyote this week either. Somethings up! We all know that the MNRF can't manage anything but what else is going on

[Fisherman]

Good question, where I live west of Barrie you can normally see the deer and turkeys in the fields, it's been pretty barren all summer and fall.

[ytjigger]

I got lucky on Nov. 1 at dusk. That was the only deer I saw through Oct. & the first week of the gun hunt in Bancroft. Lots on the cameras at night. I think deer are becoming more nocturnal especially with the warm weather we get now. I walked into my stand Nov. 10 in a t-shirt & jeans in the afternoon. I also think deer look up more when there are Fishers around as I think they prey on the small ones.

[Drew]

Where I hunt, north of Bancroft, everything seems dry, swamps, creeks places where there’s always been standing water, etc. not a lot of water this year. Not many oak/beech nuts either, probably due to lack of water. In turn, very few deer around - they’ve travelled somewhere with more food I think. Last year - lots of acorns, and we had lots of deer around.

Agree with them travelling at night for sure - a few on cameras late nights, nowhere to be found in the daytime.

[ytjigger]

We also noticed how dry the ponds were. Lots were at their lowest level in the 42 years I have hunted 57. Years ago the ponds would be frozen & you could walk around them close to shore. It made for quiet traveling if there was a bit of snow on the ice but I think those days are long gone