Deer patterns and drought conditions

Graddy-fied

Spike
I've got a 40 acre tract I bought this year in Duplin County. There is no standing water on the property, and with the current conditions I'm not sure how far away the nearest reliable water source is. It's DRY around here right now.

I've noticed a marked decrease in deer sightings since the start of the season. About 3/4 of my property is ag fields, with the neighboring property in woods, so maybe the deer are just getting smarter with the season and going nocturnal, but I'm also wondering whether they're starting to congregate around water sources.

Anyone else notice that the dry conditions across the state are affecting patterns?
 

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
The drought has affected the hunting in a lot of ways, small creeks have dried up, no or very little dew on green vegetation, dry conditions have made the leaf cover very noisy in the woods, and no rain to rot the acorns. Probably the largest acorn crop I've ever seen and the first ones to fall, if still on the ground, are still good. Combine all of that with warm to hot temps and the deer don't move much in daylight hours.

We haven't had a good rain in Caswell Co since Aug, I've never seen it this dry at this time of year.
 
DeerManager

DeerManager

Eight Pointer
I am sure water availability does effect deer among other things. I have come to believe that there is three major things that effect deer patterns. Those thing would be human pressure, food/water sources, and the rut(all phases).
 
roundball

roundball

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Graddy-fied said:
I've got a 40 acre tract I bought this year in Duplin County. There is no standing water on the property, and with the current conditions I'm not sure how far away the nearest reliable water source is. It's DRY around here right now.

I've noticed a marked decrease in deer sightings since the start of the season. About 3/4 of my property is ag fields, with the neighboring property in woods, so maybe the deer are just getting smarter with the season and going nocturnal, but I'm also wondering whether they're starting to congregate around water sources.

Anyone else notice that the dry conditions across the state are affecting patterns?
Click to expand...
Wouldn't surprise me...
On a related note, I have a large 3' deep x 24" wide bird bath in the back yard and am having to refill it every couple days lately.
Security cameras are catching deer drinking from it during the night.
 
jug

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Graddy-fied said:
I've got a 40 acre tract I bought this year in Duplin County. There is no standing water on the property, and with the current conditions I'm not sure how far away the nearest reliable water source is. It's DRY around here right now.

I've noticed a marked decrease in deer sightings since the start of the season. About 3/4 of my property is ag fields, with the neighboring property in woods, so maybe the deer are just getting smarter with the season and going nocturnal, but I'm also wondering whether they're starting to congregate around water sources.

Anyone else notice that the dry conditions across the state are affecting patterns?
Click to expand...
Yes sir. My foodplot fields in Rockingham are all but gone. Usually lush green salad to graze on but nothing. Corn alone does not keep them coming back either. Starting to see the same thing here in Harnett. Deer don't have the lush clover and corn menu right now. My neighbor here in Harnett killed a big ole wide 8 Sunday after Thanksgiving. Deer was cruising the edge of a freshly germinated wheat field. Thats where my does went and took big boy with them.
 
jug

jug

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Zach's Grandpa said:
The drought has affected the hunting in a lot of ways, small creeks have dried up, no or very little dew on green vegetation, dry conditions have made the leaf cover very noisy in the woods, and no rain to rot the acorns. Probably the largest acorn crop I've ever seen and the first ones to fall, if still on the ground, are still good. Combine all of that with warm to hot temps and the deer don't move much in daylight hours.

We haven't had a good rain in Caswell Co since Aug, I've never seen it this dry at this time of year.
Click to expand...
You just described Northern Rockingham county.....we have not had a good rain since late August. I never seen it this dry up there .
 
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team muddy creek

Twelve Pointer
Been the worst deer season I have ever had, I have only saw 2 small bucks all season on our farm, we have soybeans, corn, clover, and oaks. Nothing after about the 2nd week of black powder season.
 
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Scrub

Scrub

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Tons and tons of acorns that haven’t been rained on so they’ve stayed good throughout the season. Warm weather I think makes them even more nocturnal.
 
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