South Central Fayette County covered in deer! No agriculture, just pines and hardwoods.

I have some areas ate up with deer. But as I said, around my house the numbers are way down. Basically not hunted but a few neighbors a couple of properties over may kill 1 -2 a year. Not enough to drop numbers. I go at night with a spotlight and still see VERY few. I see very few anytime of the year day or night. This use to be the premier area in this county for numbers. Something happened and it ain't the limited hunting.

Hey bud...no offense but you need to calm down. Matt is a great biologist and a good member here.

You...well hell..I dont know you, but the personal attacks right out the gate doesnt speak well for you in my opinion.

Wow dude...youre a tool.

We have had two other biologists I know off who dont post here anymore because of people like you.

Many of us like having a biologist to speak to about things we see.
Matt has always been helpful on here and non confrontational.
He has helped me in pointing me to where hogs could be on the WMA and due to his help I harvested one. When I had a problem on my property..he was here that day to help. I personally think your attacks are 1.) unwarranted 2.) immature .

I was just at a meeting with more then a few Fish and Game biologists...Matt was one of them there. The whole meeting was about HUNTER input of what they see to HELP formulate limits, etc.

They actually SEEK hunter input, so your attacks on him are uncalled for.

Please think before you post ok? thanks!

Our lease is made up 3 different tracts. All of these are within a few miles and the population density is vastly different on each. All these are plots in planted pines. The difference is the people that live around them and how they hunt and how much they hunt.

seen plenty but no shooter yet. last week is the first time i remember getting eat alive by mosquitoes in december.

I believe yotes are hurting us majorly. I took my son behind the house Sunday afternoon. We had 7 deer come in the field with only two of them appearing to be fawns. One doe I know had twins make it I'm afraid that's the one my son killed. How do 5 does only have two fawns between them? Coyotes are killing our fawn population it's as simple as that. That will be the only doe we shoot at the house this year. I shot one last year and none the three previous years. I'm fixing to wage war on the coyotes around here.

What happened to the original topic? I thought all would be posting what they are seeing or not seeing early in our gun deer season. This has long digressed into a boring policy discussion. I'd much rather read on what's happening in the woods!

Dirkdaddy, i can't speak to your situation, but thinned pines don't have a lot of cover and sometimes limited native browse, that along with your neighbors and the coyotes, may be keeping the deer held up in some thick nasty spots during the day, that or, like you say, the density is low. On my mountain property, we are not seeing much, as far as deer goes. Thousands of contiguous acres of hardwoods, loaded with acorns, is the culprit, i'm sure. I'll be moving to the club property in about 10 days. Basically no one has been hunting it, since gun season started.

We've been getting skunked here in Skyline, TVA, and Black Warrior. Went down to Florida and hunted for 5 days (got skunked) and on the morning of the 6th day we shot a doe from the front porch of the house while drinking coffee, go figure.... We had over 300 pics of deer in a little over a week up in Skyline, and they were all moving around midnight..

Agreed, go to the THICK stuff right now; those bigguns- have moved there.

I am headed out this afternoon for 11 days... popped a 7 last day of BP season and a nice butterball nanny on rifle opener..

Meats in the freezer so it's time to settle in the deep and thick stuff to find Mr. Big Stuff..

Good luck y'all!!!