# Nocturnal Deer!!



## bassman69 (Feb 2, 2007)

I hunt in the ottawa Valley on about 1000 acres and the deer yard in front of my huntcamp on about 100 acres. Once the cold air and snow hits though, they turn completely nocturnal. I hunt 2-3 different stands with feed and never see anything. I even leave the area for 3-4 days at a time to releive the hunting pressure but still nothing in the daylight hours. I leave 2 trail cams out and they are full of pics!! Over 6 different big bucks and 5-10 different does and my feed is gone every night. 

Anyone have a suggestion to get them coming during the daylight hours???


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## araz2114 (Jan 13, 2003)

*Leave less food at night*

Take the food with you when you leave. I have used corn in 5 gal pails for scent. Leave a little bit in one so they can get some.... they may start showing up earlier to get it before it is gone.

Just a thought,


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## Mr.LIFETIME (Apr 12, 2006)

araz2114 said:


> Take the food with you when you leave. I have used corn in 5 gal pails for scent. Leave a little bit in one so they can get some.... they may start showing up earlier to get it before it is gone.
> 
> Just a thought,




Exactly, thats what I do and it works.


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## stalk-and-drop (Mar 1, 2007)

We hunt in the Valley as well, and are finding the same thing going on.

My buddy has been diligently manning his tree stand every day, and no deer. Just tracks... everywhere.


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## Pierre Couture (Oct 28, 2004)

bassman69 said:


> I hunt in the ottawa Valley on about 1000 acres and the deer yard in front of my huntcamp on about 100 acres. Once the cold air and snow hits though, they turn completely nocturnal. I hunt 2-3 different stands with feed and never see anything. I even leave the area for 3-4 days at a time to releive the hunting pressure but still nothing in the daylight hours. I leave 2 trail cams out and they are full of pics!! Over 6 different big bucks and 5-10 different does and my feed is gone every night.
> 
> Anyone have a suggestion to get them coming during the daylight hours???


How close to the feed do you hunt? It might help to relocate the stand a few hundred metres from the feed.


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## str_8_shot (Aug 17, 2007)

Try a timed feeder, they seem to work.


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## bassman69 (Feb 2, 2007)

*relocation of stand*

I actually have tried both those suggestions and no luck, not even seeing any deer!! The timed feeder goes off but the deer still only come out at night. I have 2 other stands approx...100-200 yards from the feed and still no luck. Most of my trail cam pics show deer movement between 11:00pm and 5:00 am. Very tough and frustating hunt especially when the trail cam shows dozens of deer every single night at the feed!


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## Engine10 (Sep 6, 2007)

Tonight I hunted with Borts2 at his place, 1 mi. n.of Lk Erie near Wallacetown and the deer didn't come out till very last light, then they streamed into the corn stubble on the run, 19 deer in front of me from 30-180 yds and a bunch around him. No shot opportunities.Too dark. Is that like nocturnal... 
Going to try the n. bank of the Thames R. in the morning.
Frustrating isn't it?


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## bassman69 (Feb 2, 2007)

*nocturnal deer*

Well, went out to replenish the feed, and some positive news, there was a doe and a six pionter at the feed yesterday at 1 in the afternoon on the trail cam, they do move in the day, just got to be patient and sit during the middle of the day sometimes.


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## cath8r (Jan 17, 2003)

Putting bait out can turn deer nocturnal anywhere. I never got into baiting for deer too much as I've found the same thing, lots of tracks and no deer sightings when I'm in the tree. Often times the deer will bed 50 yards or less from a bait pile. If they see you go in there it will turn it cold fast.
One thing to try maybe is to set a food pile that you replenish every few days. Dedicate one trail to that pile that you walk to and from your truck. Then set a few strategic stands around the woods you hunt to set up on the deer that your bait pile will keep in the area. You can shoot them in their daily routines that aern't revolving around them eating at the pile of food you put out. If you want to put a stand that you can shoot at a deer feeding at the bait try setting one up 30 or 40 yards away so you aern't as apt to get picked off on the way in or in the stand. Also, consider the wind direction when you are on the way too the stand and when you are in the stand. If they smell you on the way in its just as bad as gettind smelled when you are waiting for them. Hope this helps and sorry for getting long winded.


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## Landscaping (Jul 23, 2007)

*Wow! Awsome!*

Its a universal thing. I wish i was a Whitetail biologist. I have been baiting and killing bucks and does for over 14 years now from December 10th - 31st. I find exactly what you guys are saying is true to the teeeeeeee! these animals would kick our @#$ if they could. I hunt 30 yards away from the bait over a trail coming into it. Yes, sometime they come in at night, and during the time we're not there.... so BING! i took the bait with me one year everytime. I shot a 142" buck the 21st of December. Timed feeders means the deer need to be trained... which means ALL YEAR FEEDING for best results...trust me. I hope we get this figured out, I'm spending Christmas money on Corn.... DUH!!!


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