Coues Deer Pressure

[couesarcher]

I need some input on this one,

 

I have a spot in unit 23 that I have been hunting for 3 years now. I put a camera on it 2 years ago. I have tons of pictures of deer, elk, bear, turkeys & mountain lions. I have never seen anyone in the area until now, what a huge disappointment this is turning out to be. This guy and 2 of his dogs have been walking into the area for about 8 weeks. He is like clock work, he comes by my camera every Friday morning around 6:30 to 7 am. The one thing that is a glaring problem is the amount of deer that are not coming in this year compared to last year.

Last August (3rd to 13th) in a 10 day stretch i had 1200 pictures (80% of these were deer), this last weekend I retrieved my memory card (4 weeks out in the field) and there were only 562 pictures (50% of these were deer). I'm not sure if the deer are not coming in like last year due to the issue with this guy coming in every week with his dogs and leaving there scent.

I am going to go up tomorrow morning and sit in my stand and see if the guy comes thru again. If he does I was going to talk with him and see if he is just out hiking or what the deal is.

 

What's your thoughts on why the deer have fallen off coming in ?

 

I was really hoping that this was going to be the year to fill my archery tag.

 

Terry

[bowhuntaz1]

There are some forest service employees in the towers that have some dogs. I know some go on walks with them when they are not required to be in the tower. Just a thought.

[kpinaz]

well, buying a cam does entitle you to be the only person that is allowed to set foot in that area (possibly even the entire unit, but it will depend on how expensive your cam is...)

I say stake out the area waiting for the transgressors to pass, then strike down upon them with great vengence and furious anger. I mean, who does the guy think he is, walking his dogs wherever he dang well pleases? Doesn't he know that you bought a camera, and now he's basically trespassing? He's obviously just doing it to ruin your hunting season. You have every right to confront this jerk during his "dog walking" (allegedly...), and find out why he has chosen to ruin your life!!

And when you do it, make sure he doesn't try to get away with any of that "Oh, I didn't know there was a camera" or "but its camo'd so how was i supposed to see it..", and especially not, "I thought this was public land..?"

Oldest excuses in the books.

[afmalinois]

kpinaz.........HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA way to start another battle. I needed a good laugh!!!!!

[scoutm]

well, buying a cam does entitle you to be the only person that is allowed to set foot in that area (possibly even the entire unit, but it will depend on how expensive your cam is...)

I say stake out the area waiting for the transgressors to pass, then strike down upon them with great vengence and furious anger. I mean, who does the guy think he is, walking his dogs wherever he dang well pleases? Doesn't he know that you bought a camera, and now he's basically trespassing? He's obviously just doing it to ruin your hunting season. You have every right to confront this jerk during his "dog walking" (allegedly...), and find out why he has chosen to ruin your life!!

And when you do it, make sure he doesn't try to get away with any of that "Oh, I didn't know there was a camera" or "but its camo'd so how was i supposed to see it..", and especially not, "I thought this was public land..?"

Oldest excuses in the books.

 

 

 

Nice. For your second post I don't think you could have done any better.

[bonecollector]

well, buying a cam does entitle you to be the only person that is allowed to set foot in that area (possibly even the entire unit, but it will depend on how expensive your cam is...)

I say stake out the area waiting for the transgressors to pass, then strike down upon them with great vengence and furious anger. I mean, who does the guy think he is, walking his dogs wherever he dang well pleases? Doesn't he know that you bought a camera, and now he's basically trespassing? He's obviously just doing it to ruin your hunting season. You have every right to confront this jerk during his "dog walking" (allegedly...), and find out why he has chosen to ruin your life!!

And when you do it, make sure he doesn't try to get away with any of that "Oh, I didn't know there was a camera" or "but its camo'd so how was i supposed to see it..", and especially not, "I thought this was public land..?"

Oldest excuses in the books.

REALLY?

[AZLance]

just shoot the dogs, problem solved...

[deserthntr]

just shoot the dogs, problem solved...

 

and good practice for when that buck walks by

[kpinaz]

I definitely went too far with the sarcasm, and I'm sorry about that.

I just get the impression from many people that use cameras, that once they strap that thing to a tree, they "own" that area. But you know that 30 years ago, before trailcams, that guy was still walking his dogs thru "your" spot. You just didnt know about it.

And he has every right to. Is it a bummer? yeah. Is he scaring the deer? Maybe, I'm not convinced that it's a huge deal.

But seriously ask yourself, what are you going to do? Stake out the area to "talk" to him? About what? Are you going to plead to his sense of courtesy to not walk his dogs there? That's great, IF he places the same value on hunting that we do. But what if he doesn't? What if he just wants to get out and walk his dogs, eat granola, and get away from his overbearing wife, on public land.

What if he tells you to go jump in a lake? Then what?

I see alot of posts about how "people" need to have some common courtesy, but that goes both ways. We as hunters need to show just as much courtesy to each other, AND non-hunters alike. Probably more so, since there are plenty of folks that would paint us all as zealous, bambi-murdering, nut jobs.

Your camera gives you information about what happens in an area, but it doesn't give you ANY say on how other people LEGALLY use that area, even if it is detrimental to your goal.

I'm not against cams. They are an awesome tool. But let the dude use the area. Heck, maybe his presence will acclimate the deer to a human presence, and make them more complacent.

[Elkhunter1]

"Good recovery MAV." You really have a way with words! But you do have valid points. I can only imagine what that must be like, Oh ya I can when "MY" spot was "invaded" by illegals last year. One must think like a MARINE adapt, improvise, overcome...

I definitely went too far with the sarcasm, and I'm sorry about that.

I just get the impression from many people that use cameras, that once they strap that thing to a tree, they "own" that area. But you know that 30 years ago, before trailcams, that guy was still walking his dogs thru "your" spot. You just didnt know about it.

And he has every right to. Is it a bummer? yeah. Is he scaring the deer? Maybe, I'm not convinced that it's a huge deal.

But seriously ask yourself, what are you going to do? Stake out the area to "talk" to him? About what? Are you going to plead to his sense of courtesy to not walk his dogs there? That's great, IF he places the same value on hunting that we do. But what if he doesn't? What if he just wants to get out and walk his dogs, eat granola, and get away from his overbearing wife, on public land.

What if he tells you to go jump in a lake? Then what?

I see alot of posts about how "people" need to have some common courtesy, but that goes both ways. We as hunters need to show just as much courtesy to each other, AND non-hunters alike. Probably more so, since there are plenty of folks that would paint us all as zealous, bambi-murdering, nut jobs.

Your camera gives you information about what happens in an area, but it doesn't give you ANY say on how other people LEGALLY use that area, even if it is detrimental to your goal.

I'm not against cams. They are an awesome tool. But let the dude use the area. Heck, maybe his presence will acclimate the deer to a human presence, and make them more complacent.

[CouesWhitetail]

Is your camera on water? Maybe there is some other water in the area that the deer are using more often instead of the one you have your camera on.

 

Speaking as someone who regularly takes my dogs for walks on USFS (and I always take them when I go check my cameras), I really doubt the guy and his dogs are causing that much change in deer visiting the area where your camera is. Especially since he is doing his walks at a regular time, which means the deer can easily change their routine and just come in later if they wanted to. I know when my dogs visit the spots where my cameras are, I have deer, bear, bobcats and more walking by pretty quickly after we leave. Doesn't really seem to bother them. I think deer react more to immediate threats (as in when they smell a lion is nearby NOW stalking them vs walking by an old lion track or scat and smelling that).

[couesarcher]

WOW,

 

Well, I guess I deserved that. I understand why I got the reaction I did after going back and reading my original comments.

I guess at times when you write something down or say something and do not think things out you can come across to others as an idiot or an butt. What I was thinking and what I wrote down really didn’t match.

After reading all the posts, I try and put myself in this guys shoes out walking with his dogs. Who am I to ask him to go somewhere else because I have a camera in the area and planned on hunting this particular spot?

 

Kpinaz you are correct, I guess everyone needs a kick in the butt every once in awhile.

You are absolutely correct; I'm not entitled to anything. Everyone has right to our public lands.

 

If I offended anyone with my post I apologizes, that was not my intent.

 

Amanda, I’m not on water, I’m sitting on a salt lick. There is water about ½ mile away. I have noticed that some deer have come in within 1 hour after he comes thru and then there are times when the deer have flat out disappeared for several days when a lion has come by.

 

Terry

[MattMan]

If anything, the guy is doing you a favor by normalizing human activity and scent in the area you're hunting. Use it to your advantage.