Question: I’m from New York and have a good amount of property with food plots and the whole nine yards. The properties around me are highly pressured during gun season. During archery season I see deer all day, but during gun season they disappear. They’re not in plots or travel corridors. Any ideas why this might be? — Jon A.
Answer: I think you have answered your own question without realizing it. Several studies have looked at how hunters influence deer movement. In general, deer do not relocate. Instead, as hunting pressure increases they move less during daylight hours and spend more time in thicker cover.
Without knowing more about your property it’s hard to make specific recommendations about how you might remedy this. However, I can offer a few general tips. First, minimize your presence on your own property. Hunt only from fixed stands. Avoid still-hunting and, of course, drives. Always be mindful of the wind when entering and exiting stand sites.
You might also consider hanging a few stands in thicker cover near bedding areas and in the woods downwind of food plots. If you have mostly larger plots, consider establishing a few smaller plots nearby. Deer might be more inclined to visit these before entering the larger plots after dark.