Dave,

Sounds silly doesn't it????, but "hunt to save the deer"!! That is exactly how I hunted last year, and this year. Our farms sound similar. Our main farm that I hunt the most is 160 acres of pasture, hay ground, tillable, and two 7 acre plots of woods, one on each end. I strictly bow hunted this year, as I still have a freezer full of meat. So, I did not NEED to kill a deer. During the early archery, I only hunted our farm a handfull of times, when it was perfect not to run deer off. I hunted a LOT less, and spent many days not hunting the prime of the rut due to the wind, and fear of pushing deer off the property. I hunted that farm only TWICE during the firearms season, and twice during the ML season with the bow. And again ONLY when conditions were perfect so as not to run the deer off the property to the knotheads next door. The Amish hunt all week, and every weekend put on deer drives. 1/2 way through the ML season, I had every deer in the whole 2 mile square section on the farm. Now, after the snow and cold hit, there are an unbelievable number of deer on the farm. Since everybody else has quit hunting, I have hunted every spare minute in the late archery. 15, 20, and up to 40 deer per sit! Even though I have NOT killed a deer, I've actually had the best season in about 10 years as far as deer sightings go. Passed a nice 130" 8 point twice during the bow season. I am still seeing him all the time, and if he makes it, should be a real looker next year. The local doe numbers were up this year. Add to that the coyote control, the doe/fawn ratio has went through the roof. Last year when the deer were yarded, there were 2 adult deer for every fawn. This year the fawns out number the adult deer by over 2:1!!!!!! So, with adjusting the way I hunt (less), and working at killing off the coyotes, it all HAS made a big difference! So, if hunting less to see more deer when I do hunt is what works, then thats what I'll do until something changes. ****.....I may even be able to take a doe off the farm next year and not feel guilty about it!!!!