Hey, I just started leasing Potlatch land this year. Leasing 120 acres in St. Louis County near Embarrass. Had trail cameras set up and I had gotten a ton of pics in 4 different locations. Since bowhunting opened we have not seen anything. Trail cameras as well are now getting hardly any pics. Was there this past weekend and I did not see any fresh deer sign at all. Just curious if anybody might know something we don't. Deer movement, sighting and sign seems to have stopped right after my buddy started baiting for bear which he could not hunt anyway. Any suggestions, long drive for the disappearing deer.

I am willing to bet when you started baiting for bear you brought the wolves in. I hunt in the cook area and on several locals on lake vermilion. When the wolves move thru it can take upto several weeks befor the deer move back in. We had a tough time this year with the wolves in the cook area. First time in about 12 yrs we didnt have any bears come in and stick around. If the area you hunt is hunted hard for grouse the activitiy will sometimes move the wolves off. I feel your pain, good luck!!

Maybe, but we had heard wolves before that also.

Could also be that there is someone baiting nearby and not for bears. This can really alter the deer feeding and bedding areas. Know anyone that leases near where you hunt? Hopefully this isn't the case but it can and will definately change the activity patterns. Good luck, let us know what you find out, if it is wolves, bear or bait.
Tunrevir~

October die off, gets real slow for a few weeks till pre-rut

We have had a similar situation on our property. We usually see 30-40 deer on any given evening (seriously). However, this fall we have only see 4-5 on the field regularly. We have run 2 baiting stations for bear and have not been successful. We also have trail camera pictures of wolves, but the wolves have always moved through. We had a new select cut-clear cut that is drawing the deer off the field, but I can't believe that many deer are skipping the field and moving into the new cutover. The deer would bed in that area, but I can't imagine that many bedding in that area specifically. Any thoughts?

I have a 10 acre food plot that in years past would have 30 deer on it on any given evening. This year there a half a dozen calling it there dinner table. I have seen some oaks with more acorns then I have ever seen but it is in select areas. I do not know the reason, it could be fewer deer in my area, wolves orwho knows. I keep hoping its the acorns and they will thin them out and come back to my plot. Needless to say I have been hunting else where.

We also have noticed a huge drop in the number of deer observed in the fields. We probably see one or two for every 10 we would see last year. I think (hope) it's because of all the acorns on the oak ridges.

Small game season opened the same weekend - maybe some locals are hunting and pushing deer when you are not there

We noticed the same thing this past weekend while driving from Moorhead to Northome. In past years we usually see at least 50-100 deer on that drive, and this time we only saw 4 total over a very large area. Maybe it's acorns, or the deer haven't switched from browse (leaves) to ground food??? They couldn't have died off that much from last winter?

I will bet money it's the acorns. I have 10 deer every night in my back yard eating acorns like crazy. I never seen deer back there like this year. There is a huge acorn crop.

Maybe your land was frequently visiting by human.

I've noticed the same thing on our hunting property. Deer numbers seem down but I know they're not. Definitely a heavy acorn crop... best I've seen in the past 5 years for sure in the area I hunt and the deer are taking advantage. Seems to be more nocturnal movement than normal as well or should I say less daylight movement.

Lots of nocturnal movement right now. I went from almost 0 night pics on my trail cam to at least 75% of the pics being afer dark in the last week. Give it time, once the corn comes out and the rut starts, the deer will show back up.

I didn't factor the acorn crop into my first post and hopefully they are keying on the acorns. For what it is worth, we manage 660 acres as QDM land in Wisc. and plant food plots ect. to keep the deer coming in regularly. The bigger bucks are showing up on occassion but not as much as we would like but we also put our cameras out alot earlier this year then years past. From the log books from the past three years the big boys and a good amount of does don't start showing up untill around the 20th of OCT. Keep your cameras out and keep a vigil. It is a bumper acorn crop in alot of places so they may be hanging back for a bit and just eating the acorns. Good luck out there, stick a big one!
Tunrevir~