Public land guys: How often do you see deer?

[Recluse]

Just curious if anyone else keeps track? I hunt public only and started keeping track of how often I see deer. Where I live, every single WMA has easy access, so it's hard getting away from pressure. I've found hunter sign just about everywhere.

To be clear, I'm not counting deer I see during my walk in or walkout. I'm only including deer that I see from when I'm in a tree.

So out of 46 sits so far this year, I've seen 19 total deer. (I'm not tracking the deer I see per sit, just the total). For many of the sits, I've seen nothing! I've harvested 1 so far this year.

What's your numbers look like?

[Andyschulte]

In 6 sits I’ve seen deer each time. The area I’m hunting has a good population though.

As far as seeing bucks I want to shoot, I saw my first one today.

[Stingray713]

5 hunts, 3 deer, all 2 or 3 yr old bucks maybe older tough to tell with a couple

[Stingray713]

All 3 bucks were first week of the season, last two hunts haven’t been hitting on much.

[Abishai]

I've been out 5 times and have seen 0 deer. Albeit, I'm going in cold based on Google Scouting in highly pressured areas. I just am having trouble finding the deer.

[Recluse]

I've been out 5 times and have seen 0 deer. Albeit, I'm going in cold based on Google Scouting in highly pressured areas. I just am having trouble finding the deer.

Not sure where you live, but a lot of the parcels here have a mix of timber and wetlands. For some reason, no one wants to be near the marshy area with saplings. And That's where I've found almost all of the buck sign this year.

I've found very little sign in the timber. I've also seen more hunters than ever this season, it's crazy

[justdirtyfun]

3 hunts with deer sighting 2 times.
What is difficult is ignoring a spot where you WILL SEE DEER and picking a different spot where you MIGHT SEE BIG DEER. That kind of patience is needed if you want it bad enough.
So glad you have had so many hunts. Are you bouncing around multiple properties?

[Recluse]

3 hunts with deer sighting 2 times.
What is difficult is ignoring a spot where you WILL SEE DEER and picking a different spot where you MIGHT SEE BIG DEER. That kind of patience is needed if you want it bad enough.
So glad you have had so many hunts. Are you bouncing around multiple properties?

Very cool and yea I agree, that is tough. I have a "favorite tree" I've killed young deer out of. Always have to resist the urge to over use it

Yes, I've cycling through a state park, 2 different state forests and three WMAs. I enjoy being in the woods more than anything, so it's always time well spent. My wife and I both work from home full time now, so logistically, it works

[Tsom]

4 sits and 0 deer. Pretty common for me in so. Nh anyway.

[RuskiBow]

6 site. Seen deer 3 times. Shot deer 2 of those times. Still learning! 2nd year beast hunting. Have yet to shoot a buck with my bow on public, but I’m not giving up

[Swamp Stache]

9 sits so far. Probably see deer 75-80% of my hunts. 46 sits so far this year your hitting it hard! I'm jealous haha.

[szwampdonkey]

I don’t really keep track but would say i average 1-2 per sit. Don’t always see mature Bucks but at least see does or small bucks. I don’t spend any more time in a spot if i don’t see a deer.

[Wlog]

I’m guesstimating it’s around 75 percent of my hunts that I’m seeing deer but seeing deer isn’t necessarily my goal. The perfect scenario is seeing just one deer and it’s the one you want to shoot. Only two eyes, one nose and one set of ears to fool instead of a bunch.

In your situation, with easy access and lots of pressure. What has worked for me is looking for deer where a hunter would typically think “there’s no chance of a deer living there, it’s too close to”… This or that. Whether that thing is a road or parking lot or whatever. For example, one of my best spots that almost always produces a sighting of a buck, I have to walk 1/2 mile, cross a bridge over a deep creek then walk back towards the parking lot. Most people walk in that far, they continue going deeper. I guess it’s just human nature to continue going the same direction once you go that far. IDK

Also have found a lot of good spots on public hunting right up behind peoples houses, as close as is legal of course.

[Jmitch]

4 public land sits so far this year and saw deer on 3 of them but biggest is a 2 yr old and have yet to have a deer in range

[Boogieman1]

When I hunt public it depends on what I am hunting to get u accurate sightings. If I’m just deer hunting (after doe’s) I typically see deer prob 75% of the time. If I’m after a big brute my sightings drastically drop off. Would guess 1 sighting for every 5 or 6 sits and some of those sits are all day.