Small acreage - not many summer deer sightings

[unclefish]

Bought a small place last June (37 acres).....didn't see many deer during the summer on trail cams....even though I starting feeding corn and protein right away to see check inventory.

Sept comes around and the bucks start showing...mostly young bucks with one borderline shooter. Even had 7 bucks in one picture. Never releases an arrow or fired a shot last year cause there was nothing I wanted to shoot.

Didn't refill the feeders from Jan - Mar. In March started feeding again and really don't have many deer pictures at all....even in this drought. I thought they would be hammering the protein and corn/soybeans.

Any one else ever experienced this.....fall sightings but not many in the summer. Thanks!

[arrowdynamic]

How many cameras do you have? How are they spaced? Notice any hard signs like tracks, scat, rubs, browsed plants? Do you have water? If so, put a camera around it.
I haven't bothered with cameras yet, but I've scouted some trails to see which ones have the most active signs. I am putting out one camera this week on the hottest area and then will put out a couple more by the end of the month. This is on 72 acres.

[bowhuntertex]

I have more deer than I have acres on my place........but I feed heavy year round and also make sure there is always water. I keep two corn feeders going year round, feed alfalfa year round, keep a deer block out at each feeder year round, and feed a bag of horse and mule at each feeder every couple of weeks. I have been doing this in the hill country for 15 years on about 30 acres and I have more deer than I can ever shoot. I usually have about 7-10 deer harvested off my place a year.

[sniper steve]

I hunt a lot of small pieces of land here in Illinois, and I've witnessed exactly what you describe, deer disappearing and then popping back up around the same time every year. I've learned that most of the time, for me anyways, it's the neighbors causing the deer to change patterns. People coming and going from summer to winter homes, summer camps, people out exploring nature preserves, hunting pressure, farming schedules all play a huge role in whether or not the deer are going to cross my small piece of property. Some investigation into what your neighbors are up to may answer some questions.

[unclefish]

Have 2 TC's out. Both on feed pens. Its so dry that you can't really make out a deer track. Have water on the place but its infested with cattle.

I think I'll put a TC on the tank in spite of the cattle. Just to see what's up.

These deer did the same thing last year and then showed up in force early sept. Hopefully they will this year.

Sent from my Atrix

[DeadeyeDeb]

Have 2 TC's out. Both on feed pens. Its so dry that you can't really make out a deer track. Have water on the place but its infested with cattle.

I think I'll put a TC on the tank in spite of the cattle. Just to see what's up.

These deer did the same thing last year and then showed up in force early sept. Hopefully they will this year.

Sent from my Atrix

Then be ready for them in Sept. A positive is they are getting their food somewhere else and coming back to your place come hunting season. A win-win for you. Less $$ on corn and deer coming back to hunt. Let others feed them thru the spring and summer. You feed them fall and winter