Deer????

[Finger_Mullet]

I went down to my leased land yesterday. I had to move a box stand to a new location. The beavers dammed the creek up and make it impossible to cross during the winter. I did not get to hunt that stand in December at all.

The creek is a big one. Usually pretty deep and even deeper near the beaver dams. I noticed the creek fords were dry and have been dry for some time. I decided to look for a deep hole and try to find a tree to climb near the hole to bowhunt in case I decided to head down for a quick hunt before gun season. I walked and walked and wlaked. I never did find a drop of water in this creek. It was bone dry. You can drive a truck up the creek and not worry about getting stuck. Even the swamps behind the beaver dams were bone dry. I hope the beavers DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guarantee no such luck though.

My question is when the creeks dry up where do the deer water at?? I could not find so much as a puddle anywhere on the land. There were plenty of deer sign but no water at all. They have to be getting water somewhere but I have no clue where.

Darin

[TreednNC]

I went down to my leased land yesterday. I had to move a box stand to a new location. The beavers dammed the creek up and make it impossible to cross during the winter. I did not get to hunt that stand in December at all.

The creek is a big one. Usually pretty deep and even deeper near the beaver dams. I noticed the creek fords were dry and have been dry for some time. I decided to look for a deep hole and try to find a tree to climb near the hole to bowhunt in case I decided to head down for a quick hunt before gun season. I walked and walked and wlaked. I never did find a drop of water in this creek. It was bone dry. You can drive a truck up the creek and not worry about getting stuck. Even the swamps behind the beaver dams were bone dry. I hope the beavers DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guarantee no such luck though.

My question is when the creeks dry up where do the deer water at?? I could not find so much as a puddle anywhere on the land. There were plenty of deer sign but no water at all. They have to be getting water somewhere but I have no clue where.

Darin

Im not sure Darin, but when you do find a puddle...watch out. Being in the wetland and stream delineation buisness...most every creek Ive seen lately was dry except for a puddle maybe here or there. It reminded me of those African hunting shows where they hunt a watering hole with all the tracks around em. They must have to travel. I dont think they can obtain water to succulent green growth like rabbits and rodents.

[Finger_Mullet]

I pulled up an ariel view of the land that I hunt just after typing the post. It looks like a few ponds around our land. Most of the land around my 700 acres is farm land, cow pasture mostly. There is a pond just across a pasture that joins the tract.

I have never seen it so dry. We dug our little pond out over a month ago and the deer are climbing down in it to get to the little puddle in the bottom.

Darin

[TreednNC]

Yep...its all about the water right now. Im on the fence about corn, not from an ethics stand point, but from the theory that deer might seek refuge in an area without corn, later in the season once theyve figure the corn=hunter thing out. This year it seems like a good year to put out corn/apples/persimmons with the lack of good farm crops. Lotsa guys here have bushhogged their beans and corn down and not bothered with tryin to harvest. Just getting ready to put rye down.

[Finger_Mullet]

I have always hunted over corn. Some think it is unethical. I really don't care. It is what you are used to doing. I personally don't like hunting with dogs but I did it growing up and now it is a personal choice of mine to not do it. Those that have always hunted natural sign and not over corn will be biased. It is like the braid vs mono thing.

I hunt both ways. In the early season I hunt over corn. Usually the 2nd week of December deer are shy about coming into a corn pile. I then switch to not hunting over corn. I hunt trails, funnels, etc... I kill deer both ways. I see it as a tool used for the killing deer.

It is hard to hunt 700 acres of pine thicket and not hunt over corn. There are very few trees to climb. I hunt mainly box stands in the pines. I place them on fire lanes and bait 100 yards from the stand. I have good luck all year doing this.

Deer will pattern a stand. They will go to where the hunters are not. Either over corn or not over corn.

Darin

[TreednNC]

Yep. Early season Ill corn a little bit. I drop off a little later when they pattern corn to stands. I do have some stands that I just say WTH and corn year round with. Sign is sign tho, corn or no corn and ya cant go wrong with that. :)

Justin