three deer camps having a hard time from bracebridge to huntville .1 buck down for all three camps.no one is seeing deer just wolves.they cannot shoot because townships touch the park.were talking 100s of acres these guys hunt. not even seeing sign.anyone know whats up.one crew who are very experianced are getting discouraged. the even use dogs and are not cutting fresh tracks.
northern ontario hunt camps having hard time deer
- Thread starter dogger1
- Start date
In my part of Eastern Ontario we aren't seeing any signs of the rut - no rubs, no scrapes etc.
A couple guys I work with spend a week "suntanning" out in the Renfrew area. They hunt with a group of eight and saw one deer "off in the distance" the entire first week of the gun hunt (it was wicked warm).
However, I was at one of the "hats for hides" locations and they had three pallets stacked close to six feet high with hides laid out flat - so someone is seeing and shooting deer.
A couple guys I work with spend a week "suntanning" out in the Renfrew area. They hunt with a group of eight and saw one deer "off in the distance" the entire first week of the gun hunt (it was wicked warm).
However, I was at one of the "hats for hides" locations and they had three pallets stacked close to six feet high with hides laid out flat - so someone is seeing and shooting deer.
Bancroft area, deer sightings and sign are way down too. I think there's two reasons:
1. Other species pushing them out. We see WAY more moose, elk, turkey, bear, cougar, and wolf than we ever have before.
2. Streamlining of crops in southern Ontario draws a southerly migration. Fields across southern Ontario that used to be a patchwork of every crop under the sun (and a lot of tobacco), have given way to corn, corn, soy beans, corn and corn. An endless supply of not only food, but also shelter.
We've noticed a real shift in hunters. Opening day used to be crowded highways of everyone towing a quad north from southern Ontario. Now the traffics lighter and you can watch a steady stream of orange coats in pickups driving south instead. That Hunter that got shot in brant county had travelled all the way from timmins.
1. Other species pushing them out. We see WAY more moose, elk, turkey, bear, cougar, and wolf than we ever have before.
2. Streamlining of crops in southern Ontario draws a southerly migration. Fields across southern Ontario that used to be a patchwork of every crop under the sun (and a lot of tobacco), have given way to corn, corn, soy beans, corn and corn. An endless supply of not only food, but also shelter.
We've noticed a real shift in hunters. Opening day used to be crowded highways of everyone towing a quad north from southern Ontario. Now the traffics lighter and you can watch a steady stream of orange coats in pickups driving south instead. That Hunter that got shot in brant county had travelled all the way from timmins.
Chuckbuster
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
This. We saw next to no sign of rut activity last week. A friend is out this week in the Parry Sound area, and he is saying that there is finally evidence, with scrapes and rubs, showing up.
Arloashean
CGN Regular
- Location
- People's Republic of Toronto
+1 in Ontario WMU 60 (east and north of Peterborough). Nothing during 5 days, 5 hunters out in active spots.
Seen some at night, some tracks and droppings and a few scrapes. But slow, slow, slow.
Warm, wet, windy. Blech.
Seen some at night, some tracks and droppings and a few scrapes. But slow, slow, slow.
Warm, wet, windy. Blech.
Same in WMU56. We hunted hard the first week. No fresh sign of any kind and no sightings. It was crazy warm, as was mentioned earlier, and it was most discouraging. On our last night up there (Sat. 7th.) I was on my buddy's deck having a butt. I always take a high intensity flashlight and shine it around just to see if I can pick up any glowing eyes. WELL!!! There are 4 deer feeding on the high grass and looking back at me! We hunted the morning, hope against hope, and saw SFA. We're heading up tomorrow for one last kick at the cat over the weekend. Wish us luck, fellow hunters.
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fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
You answered yourself in two words.
Not in Ontario but the rut seem to be not happening here either. I've been watching (all mules) two herds of doe's and three bucks ( a spiker and two very mature 4 point) from my back deck most every day for the last two weeks and the bucks show not much interest in the doe's yet... no swelled necks or much pushing and shoving yet.
Well - We went into the season knowing that the numbers were down. So we changed our tactics, went deeper into the woods, dogged new routes, etc and had some success - 3 deer so far, and chases every day with the Blueticks. My theory is that when the population is down, the remaining deer exist in "pockets", and the challenge is to find the pocket. It can be a lot of work, my dogging duties doubled this year - lost 10 lbs so far.
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
Watched a good 10 point push a doe down my street yesterday. The rut is coming on here in NW Ontario.
Darryl
Darryl
Yep, it's time for another "Eastern Cougar" thread!
Mauser GDog
CGN frequent flyer
Warm weather& late rut aside, there is a ton of wolf sign here right now. Im in huntsville, and both camps I visit in 50 and 53A have much higher than normal wolf sign. One camp is protected by the Algonquin park apron.
Owner of one camp has a awesome night video on his cam of what appears to be 1x larger wolf and 2x more coyote looking animals together. That same trio (I assume) has been spotted multiple times down our cottage road, just a few km's away from the hunt camp, crossing a friends hay fields. Cottage neighbors there are missing a cat, fresh deer kill almost right on the cottage road last Wednesday, and another deer kill pretty much right in a friends back yard in the same area before hunting season.
We hunted 3 days first week, and every time I woke up for a piss, they were calling. Pretty cool, but my freezer is still empty! Knew I should have taken up bow this year
Owner of one camp has a awesome night video on his cam of what appears to be 1x larger wolf and 2x more coyote looking animals together. That same trio (I assume) has been spotted multiple times down our cottage road, just a few km's away from the hunt camp, crossing a friends hay fields. Cottage neighbors there are missing a cat, fresh deer kill almost right on the cottage road last Wednesday, and another deer kill pretty much right in a friends back yard in the same area before hunting season.
We hunted 3 days first week, and every time I woke up for a piss, they were calling. Pretty cool, but my freezer is still empty! Knew I should have taken up bow this year
I usually pass-up at least 50 bucks per hunting season and half the time I still have my license in my pocket when the season ends, however; I have many great memories. I don't measure success when an animal is harvested,.........only a safe and joyful experience in the outdoors with nature is good enough for me. Last years harsh winter in Ontario and this seasons mild temperatures could be a contribution to lack of game sign.
