Where did they go?

[Spruceygoosey]

I’ve been hunting my area for 10 years for Whitetail. Every year has been fairly consistent. 2-3 nice backs on camera every year, usually see a handful of young bucks or doe’s every day when hunting.

This year was no different. Every time I would check the cameras, there were several deer visiting day and night. Lots of scrapes, track etc. I would see the usual number while out hunting the area during the first half of November.
As soon as the snow hit in mid November, it became a ghost town. Hardly any track, cameras had very little activity. I just spent the passed 4 days from dawn till dusk in a blind and did not see 1 Deer. There were no fresh track, no camera activity, etc.

Every year when it snows, there is always as much, if not more activity.

I did have a cougar go through the area I’m hunting, and since then things went quiet. I don’t see that being the issue though?
No man made foot traffic either.

Any thoughts on what I might be missing? Late season, end of rut? I’m at a loss.


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[Dan4570]

That's quite normal on the last week of november for me.
(A) bucks have locked down does in thick bush. (B) Bucks are burnt out from the rut and in hiding, does have been pushed hard as well and are feeding. There's so many variables during the rut and after the rut.
You could pattern a buck all september/October and bam he's gone in November.
It's normal for most of the resident bucks I see to disappear and new bucks show up just for the rut.

[Spruceygoosey]

Thats makes sense to me Dan.

Thanks for the feedback.


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