Originally posted by DEC: It is funny how deer numbers in certain pockets vary. Many are reporting numbers of deer sightings being down this year. Personally, my deer sightings have gone way up this year. Which is odd because for the last 4 or 5 years they have dropped steadily to the point where it was hard to even get motivated to go hunt. But this year it has been crazy on both of my main properties. What has been missing is mature bucks this year. Heck even seeing a 2 1/2 year old would be nice at this point. This year it seems like 1 1/2 year old bucks are literally hiding behind every tree. Plenty of does also this year. But then I talk to other guys even in the same county and they are not seeing squat for deer. Been kind of odd for sure.
I just like seeing the real time harvest numbers. The next step would be for the state to be able to break the numbers down in real time even better. With the technology I would think that it wouldn't take too much to see county data and even antlerless vs buck data in real time.
Still time to get out there this year though. Cold fronts are moving in and it could get pretty good in the next few days.
I agree DEC... The two places I hunted this year (Fulton & Franklin County) my deer sightings were way up this year... Been a few years since I have seen that many deer... But other than the Doe I took there was only one other one I would have taken and she was bigger than the one I got...
Lotta dinks running around but that means in a couple two or three years there should be lots to chose from if they don't get taken or die by other means...
