Returned from the Deer Camp. Tough week in 56 !

Most Ontario deer hunters rifle hunt in gangs or camps, it is a highly sociable time and quite traditional. A good deer camp is one of the best possible experiences that a male hunter can have.

I have been saying since May that the Eastern Ontario deer herd had the snot hammered out of it in April when the snow was still four feet deep and the coyotes slaughtered the deer. Plus a lot of the does aborted their fawns because of stress. My guess is the herd is down by about 80%. Just north of me, the MR deer survey estimates the local population at 30% of last year's numbers.

Those of us still hunting (ML, bow) should be trying to take smaller bucks and maybe fawns (especially button bucks) since we NEED our prime breeders if we are going to get out of this toilet. If we have another harsh winter we will be back to the bad old days of the late 70s/early 80s when there was a major celebration in camp if somebody found fresh deer tracks or fresh ####!

AND WE DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT!

Doug
 
6 guys pushing the woods and sitting in our stands for 6 days from before sunup to after sundown west of Calabogie where we have been successful for the past 17 years. Total results - 1 quick view of 1 deer, no shots. No deer tracks on the roads or trails but coyote and wolf droppings everywhere. We were beginning to wonder what we were doing wrong until we talked to other camps. The deer population is down so much after last winter that nobody is getting any - even the big commercial camp had taken only 3 deer since the start of the season although they run many dogs and set their customers along a long watch.
I think its going to be a lean few years, and if we get another winter like last year, perhaps many years until the wolf/coyote population dies off.
 
Funny we are in 48 and same thing there is four camps in my area and we were the only camp to luck out. All the other camps didn't see a thing since opener except three packs of Timber wolves Not brush wolves or Yotes. They have also been spotted. Unfortunately we can't shoot them with the moretoreum on wolves around Algonquin Park. Maybe it is time to write our minister of Natuaral resources and complain. We had seen deer all summer with fawns but nothing since late august. And more and more wolves and bear have been spotted I even seen two huge cows this fall neither of which with Calves
 
We hunt 63A near Elphin. I have hunting/fished this area for the past 25 years. Plenty of deer in our area, although #'s were down IMHO. The 4 hunters in my group all tagged their deer in the first 2 days of hunting. 2 small bucks & 2 nice does. Our area is probably better than the norm, as we have about 600 secluded acres to hunt, & we actively manage the property for deer success. I agree with the comment on yote populations. I urge everyone to get serious on predator control in their area's. As Doug mentioned, we don't want the poor hunting of the late 70's early 80's back to haunt us. I have a feeling this Winter will be another heavy snowfall Winter.

George
 
Max Owner said:
Imagine the quality time with your wife while Bambi grows and fattens up.

Maybe grows a rack........;)
Click to expand...

that's for the other 51 weeks of the year ;).

Maybe hit the western end of the province next year. I dont' they think they were hit nearly as hard. A women who works in my office had her 12 year old boy knock down 3 deer on opening day out by Emo .
 
Well, we have to hope that the regional biologists figure out what is happening and adjust the numbers of antlerless tags for affected WMUs next year. And areas like 67 and 69A for example should have zero extra tags next year. As a hunter who counts on venison for his meat I will not like it, but as a hunter who wants to keep hunting for a few more decades, I think it is necessary for the protection of the herd. And as I said earlier, we who are still hunting with the bow or the 1 December seasons in the affected WMUs should take mature bucks only. No does and no fawns.

Doug
 
Well I hunted the controlled shotgun hunt in 78A. And we experienced similar stories as most of the Northerners did. But our troubles I think were more related to the warm weather then lack of deer. We shot and got 7 of the 9 deer we were shooting at. I was the only one in the group to see more than 2 deer the whole week. I shot 3 deer, one doe and 2 fawns. The one fawn should have had spots it was so small. It looked like it must have been born around late July.
We only seen 4 Bucks for the week. Normally all we see is the bucks, and barley see does and fawns. This year it was reversed. Hopefully next year is beatter. It was nice to have a warm hunt, but it really affected the deer movment and activities.
 
Same in 85b. We only shot 3 deer this year. We think the weather played a part in last week. We saw more coyote sign this year than before. Will be doing more yote hunting this year I think.
 
My area, WMU 92, went from 7 additionals last year, down to 2 this year. And the numbers that I am seeing here certainly substantiate that. Bow hunting last night, a fawn was pissing around in front of me for about 1/2 hour, saw one 6 pointer along the opposite field edge and that was it. The does just don't seem to be around in the numbers they used to be this year.
 
We hunted in 58. Got 7 saw 34 over the week but 26 were seen on Monday/Tuesday. Only saw 3 fawns and 3 bucks, we also saw the first wolf sign ever in our area and the usual tonnes of coyote sign.

from talking around we did very well with the other close camps only getting 1 or 2 each.
 
Saw a dozen or more myself the four days I hunted in 58.No bucks,so I poped a nice dry doe the third day.Going to go out for the last two days to try,and get a buck.
 
Good news and bad news. The spot I hunted the past five years in 63B and that provided me eight deer, got sold to Tree Huggers. I managed to find a spot up here with a good crew in 66A, but the six of us managed one small doe, and we only saw two the whole week.

I had the presence of mind to enter the Controlled draw last summer for 85C where my Father-In-Law has a farm, so I headed down there shotgun in hand and within two hours of entering my old Tree Stand, go this 7, 8 or 9 pointer depending on how you count (I call it 7). Bad news is that the farm is sold - sheesh. One year at a time.

Deer_Nov_6_08.jpg
 
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