I hunt 2f, all public land, in the corner of jefferson & elk counties. I hunted 1st day & the 2nd day. For the first time in my life, I saw no deer...not even a tail. The weather was not great, with fronts rolling through - wind, rain, then sleet, then snow, then rain again.
I don't think those two days are at all representative of the deer population in this area. There is so much sign and droppings, it's unreal. I spent a good bit of time in the woods in summer & fall and saw deer every single time I was out. My sense is that bad weather & low hunter turn-out led to the low sightings...and
...here's my rant.
There are a lot of hunting camps where I hunt. From Saturday sun-up through Sunday sun-down, there are guys shooting guns like crazy. Clearly some sighting in & others just spending lead. On top of this there are lots of guys who ignore the no-vehicle law and take ATVs and gators into the woods to avoid walking in themselves. As I listened to the shooting all day Sunday and heard multiple ATVs rolling around Sunday & Monday I realized it's no wonder I didn't see any deer!
I cannot wait for flintlock season. The older I get, the less I enjoy the 1st day hunt based on all the distractions and their effect on my hunt.
