pahick - we can agree to disagree. My post was not a complaining post to bemoan the lack of deer sightings and blame it on other hunters. I always choose less deer density/fewer hunters than higher deer density/more hunters. As an aside, I too prefer to hunt deer undisturbed - they are easier to figure out than when hunters are moving them around.
I am curious how deer numbers in 1982 compare to 2014 in the areas you reference. I hunted alot in Warren and Elk counties in the late 70 and early 80's. There is not the same number of deer in those areas today as there was in the late 70's, early 80's time period. The deer numbers dropped off in the early 1980's - and increased doe licenses didn't start till the early 90's if my memory serves me. As an aside my family hails from Clearfield County and my grandfather and father stated the same observation - their experience dates back to the 50's.
Something to chew on with respect to hunter mobility: I sense that I'm a bit older than you. As such, I remember the revolution that was the Baker treestand. The first one I remember belonged to my uncle who bought it to archery hunt from. The only treestands I recall from my youth were wooden fixtures nailed to trees. The Baker allowed you to hunt anywhere suitable trees were found. I recall very, very few people hunting from treestands in rifle season and certainly none in a portable before the early 80's. Possibly it could just be my part of PA. This year I watched 2 guys climbing treestands within site of my first location. My Dad, brother and I are likely representative of the modern deer hunter - we've been using climbing treestands almost exclusively for 25+ years. I normally hunt brushy areas that are virtually impossible to hunt from the ground - without a TS, you would push those deer toward other hunters if trying to hunt there. Its my position that this evolution occurred in NW PA, southern NY, and eastern OH about the same time. I hunted all three of those states in the same year during that time frame and saw the same thing.
As to fewer hunters, its a numerical fact that fewer hunters exist now than at about any earlier time in history. Having hunted in more than few States under natural and man-induced movement conditions, I think its a bit of a stretch to infer that deer movement isn't increased when hunters are moving around the woods. The inference being less guys = less deer total movement. Last year on the first day of rifle I saw 49 deer from my treestand. This year I saw 24, 22 between noon and 4:30. I mentioned watching people climbing trees this year. I saw at least 1 other guy from my treestand as well. I saw 24 deer, mostly around noon. I hunted the first saturday, which was crappy - 36 degrees and rain/fog. I saw not a single guy and 1 deer from the exact same stand, with the exact same wind conditions. My Dad saw 0. This past saturday was a repeat of the first saturday. No guys, 1 deer sighting - until my Dad and brother got down and made loops through known deer bedding areas. 10 deer were seen in 1 hr. We've hunted this area for 30 years. We know where the deer eat, bed, travel - travel both under natural conditions and when pushed. I've seen this many, many times in my areas and its not a remarkable coincidence. I probably won't be convinced that less hunters that are less mobile don't result in less total deer sightings.
I'd gather by your reference to bear hunters, you live/hunt in the 'big woods'. I don't doubt deer get back to their normal patterns in a few days after bear season. I think the difference is the amount of pressure actually experienced by the deer during bear season in your area. Overall, I think deer in those type scenarios have much less overall pressure than their farmland brethren.
This was a long-winded way of saying we can disagree on amount of hunter movement and deer habitat. I agree wholeheartedly about hunter expertise and made reference to such in my post - things have changed but the hunters, for the most part, have not. Your pictures don't display for me but don't doubt you've shot some decent bucks or you wouldn't be posting them. My representation from last year - big 8 pt from eastern TN, shot high on the mountain with no agricultural fields within 10 miles; a 10 pt shot from the aforementioned treestand about 100 yards from a PA farm field. I could post numerous pictures of both environments plus a few from western states but don't think this is a bigger wanger discussion. To your point on hunting where no people go - thats why I hunt the mountains of east Tennessee. Love the mountains and the fact that I see no people. I may have a few sheds from bucks I'm trying to figure out.
They are there, the people are not.
