No Deer
I don't have an explanation, but I will pass along my observations. I keep a journal and have for years. Every so often, you will find a period of time when deer seem to migrate to, bed down in, and travel through open terrain a little more frequently. For whatever reason, that seems to be the case this year in the area that I hunt. I usually hunt deep in the woods and try to find high bluffs. Not only have I not seen deer there this year, I've seen very few scrapes or rubs. After jumping deer three days in a row last week on a power line coming from my stand, I moved to a broom straw field. That afternoon I filled my first tag with a young buck. This past weekend I saw a trophy buck within a mile of my house chasing a doe beneath a power line. I've asked others I know that have taken deer this year and most are citing highest activity at or near edges of cover. Again, I can't explain it but recognize at least a temporary shift in behavior in my neck of the woods.