I have a theory, 40 years in the making

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   We have a place we have been hunting for 40 years. Some private and some public, we could never hunt the Private always posted.In the beginning we called it the "Meat" locker. Deer was 100% guaranteed, you just had to look for the one you wanted, large percentage of mature deer. There was a lot of others hunting but all road hunters. This is LARGE river brakes land incredibly rough. The road turned to $hit if it sprinkled or the snow even thought about melting. Many a trip almost trapped us in till froze or dried. But there were a few active ranches around and one in the very bottom.
There was sharp tail, sage hens, P dogs,cotton tail, jacks, deer, antelope, hawks, raccoon, and Gobs of coyotes, lot of life. Over the years the active ranches left, till now only a few cows are run in the area.
A lot of the BLM roads are all grown over and abandoned.
Less people hunt it but very little life left. This gradually happened.
Slowly the deer went away along with every thing else.
Sad to say the least. I was out there yesterday calling, calling to nothing I guess. It is several thousand acres I pretty much covered it all that the deteriorating roads let me. I saw one little deer, not one bird I could remember, not even any snakes. GRASS HOPPERS out numbered the 'skeeters. No coyote $hit, no sounds other then a gentle breeze in the lush grass and sage brush. Eight hours nothing.
Going in and on the way out as you near the "Top" the farmland is in vision and more things going on. I started to see wildlife again, coyote crap in the road, gophers, tracks all over.

What I think is:

The brakes are SO rough that nothing "Likes to live in it"
But are pushed in, with little to NO presser nothing goes in.

Kind of an odd theory. But what I have seen in more than one place over the MANY years I have hunted...

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d4570 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 27 January 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9961	Post Options Post Reply Quote d4570 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: I have a theory, 40 years in the making Posted: 10 August 2020 at 13:53
	We have a place we have been hunting for 40 years. Some private and some public, we could never hunt the Private always posted. In the beginning we called it the "Meat" locker. Deer was 100% guaranteed, you just had to look for the one you wanted, large percentage of mature deer. There was a lot of others hunting but all road hunters. This is LARGE river brakes land incredibly rough. The road turned to $hit if it sprinkled or the snow even thought about melting. Many a trip almost trapped us in till froze or dried. But there were a few active ranches around and one in the very bottom. There was sharp tail, sage hens, P dogs,cotton tail, jacks, deer, antelope, hawks, raccoon, and Gobs of coyotes, lot of life. Over the years the active ranches left, till now only a few cows are run in the area. A lot of the BLM roads are all grown over and abandoned. Less people hunt it but very little life left. This gradually happened. Slowly the deer went away along with every thing else. Sad to say the least. I was out there yesterday calling, calling to nothing I guess. It is several thousand acres I pretty much covered it all that the deteriorating roads let me. I saw one little deer, not one bird I could remember, not even any snakes. GRASS HOPPERS out numbered the 'skeeters. No coyote $hit, no sounds other then a gentle breeze in the lush grass and sage brush. Eight hours nothing. Going in and on the way out as you near the "Top" the farmland is in vision and more things going on. I started to see wildlife again, coyote crap in the road, gophers, tracks all over. What I think is: The brakes are SO rough that nothing "Likes to live in it" But are pushed in, with little to NO presser nothing goes in. Kind of an odd theory. But what I have seen in more than one place over the MANY years I have hunted...
	Remember: Four boxes keep us free ,the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, AND the cartridge box

BEAR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator Joined: 07 September 2013 Location: Appalachian Mtn Status: Offline Points: 14390	Post Options Post Reply Quote BEAR Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 August 2020 at 14:08
	Sounds correct to me. Here in the east i think most game lives within 500 yards of the road. Why?? Critter like what I call breaks in the habitate. edges of fields, fire burn areas, edges of roads, any try of habitate change creates an EDGE. BUT....when hunting season comes, the slightest hunter pressure and then that 500 Yards changes to 1 mile in. They don't like that 1 mile into deep woods, but can 'hack it' untile the pressure reduces and they can come out to that 500 yards area. Here in the east this is what generated the F-150 hunters (road drivers). My primary way to hunt deer has been to go deep into the forest, 1 mile plus. Then turn and face back to a logging road, the deer always came that way driven by incoming hunter activities. just thoughts
	“ The IQ and the life expectancy of the average American recently passed each other in opposite directions.”

lizard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .30/06 SpringField Joined: 17 February 2016 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 319	Post Options Post Reply Quote lizard Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 August 2020 at 17:36
	D, When I first moved to the Missoula area in 1972 I purchased a house (still in it). The road was gravel and in the county, not city. Rarely would we see a deer. Several years later the road was paved, and mule deer would be seen on the South hillside in late winter. Now 48 years later thousands of people live around us, we are now in the city, and deer everywhere. Last evening on a short walk we saw 16 deer. Just minutes ago I came from a friend's house about 2 miles away and saw 20 deer. Mule deer in his yard, and mostly whitetail around here. On the way to my son's house about 2 miles away couple of days ago I counted 16 fawns, which were mostly twins. I lost track of bucks and does. I can step out of my front door and have deer stand 10 feet away and just look at me. I used to be able to walk from my house and shoot coyotes. Not any longer. Lots and lots of people are moving here every day Especially lately now that people can work from home and all of the big city problems. Most pay tens of thousands over the asking price sight unseen just to live here. The median priced home here now is $340K and increasing $20-30K each year. Dang.
	Trigger Control is knowing when not to pull it.

BEAR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator Joined: 07 September 2013 Location: Appalachian Mtn Status: Offline Points: 14390	Post Options Post Reply Quote BEAR Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 August 2020 at 18:17
	deer love the free food at house. people seem to plant the perfect diet for deer. And that diet makes them tasty. Crossbows are your friend
	“ The IQ and the life expectancy of the average American recently passed each other in opposite directions.”

lizard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .30/06 SpringField Joined: 17 February 2016 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 319	Post Options Post Reply Quote lizard Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 August 2020 at 20:51
	Bear, I agree. We have good food for the deer and no wolves nearby. Mountain lions and wolves take a heavy toll on our deer and elk. We can hunt deer in the forest for an entire day and many times don't see even 1 deer. Then when we come home we have to push them aside to get in the driveway.
	Trigger Control is knowing when not to pull it.

BEAR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Administrator Joined: 07 September 2013 Location: Appalachian Mtn Status: Offline Points: 14390	Post Options Post Reply Quote BEAR Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 August 2020 at 01:22
	. 'push them aside to get in the driveway.' for that we need D super guard!
	“ The IQ and the life expectancy of the average American recently passed each other in opposite directions.”

d4570 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 27 January 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9961	Post Options Post Reply Quote d4570 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 August 2020 at 07:29

	Remember: Four boxes keep us free ,the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, AND the cartridge box

jsgbearpaws1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List .416 Rigby Joined: 02 March 2013 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3606	Post Options Post Reply Quote jsgbearpaws1 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 August 2020 at 20:32
	Let me think on this......scrub brush and sage for dinner? Get shot for dessert! Move close to the ones shooting us and they leave you alone and feed you tasty stuff?....hmmmmm.....nope, no correlation.
	...oh yeah! thats gonna hurt!