What could cause this change?

For the last 2 months I've had a ton of deer & hog(outside feeder pen) pics. Average about 500 a week. About 6 different bucks, a couple doe's & about 40 different hogs. Just checked my game cam today & had 276 pictures from the last TWO weeks. 6 pic's consisted of 2 tiny deer I've never seen before and 6 pic's of 4 hogs. The rest were coons. What could cause this? I've done nothing different than I have for the last several years but everything but the coons have vanished! Went & checked the only 2 oaks on the property to see if maybe they were dropping acorns & there were absolutely none in the trees or on the ground. No tracks or scat of deer or hogs there. Your ideas??????

I feel your stress, I have one place that has just went cold myself. The game just stop traveling through that area.

Rain..lots of green forbes up right now

Maybe your neighboring hunters have started feeding.

What he said.

x3 We finally got our spring green up in Oct. Time to hunt the deer instead of the deer hunting you.

Could be a big cat in the area.

Acorns, someone set up another feeder, new growth from the rain, but I'd put my money on Acorns or the new feeder.

Note: Not all acorn bearing oaks are the same, and some trees attract deer, and some don't, and possible the good tasting acorns may be on some trees that are not on your property.

everyday now

Here fixed for ya'.

Happens this time of year. The does moved because they found a more consistent, easier food source. The bucks followed the does. The pigs are probably just a coincidence, but they might be hitting the same food source.

Anyways, your hunting season is ruined, so you might as well just pack it up and call it a year. Bigtime failure by you.

Just kidding, they'll be back.

X's 2

Had the same problem 10 years ago in San Saba. Had no clue what was going on until I saw the cat as I was leaving the ranch. The cat was seen 3-4 more times while I was still on that lease. Lease was lost a year later and the hunting never improved.

And again damn I can't believe there aren't 1000 people a year attacked with all these cats.

Unfreakinbelievable 30k at this right is gonna happen this month

Daughter hunting thread, TSX thread, Big Cat thread, Big Black Cat thread, and one Savage thread away from 30k.

Next it will be a Black cat holding a "waffle"!!

Same thing for us,all kinds of traffic and now not as much.Acorns,browse,forbs,rescue grass, all of these things have slowed movement.It will get better.

Do cougars purr?

Rain has greened it up.

I like waffles.

Your trees not producing could be the problem...because someones somewere nearby is...

Buy them a few drinks and they will.

Can't be any worse than last year LFD

Greetings,
Bow season is getting close to ending and the "serious hunters" are filling their feeders and setting them to go off like crazy and throw lots of corn as they don't want to waste expensive corn when they ain't gonna be there.

Oh and they trained the big cat to pee on yours.

With cats or just plain?

Man, y'all successfully destroyed this thread! Almost all the surrounding properties are fields w/no trees or plots so I don't think they are going there for acorns/food. I can see the possibility of several surrounding properties just recently put up feeders getting ready for rifle season. Time to get off the feeder & hunt the trails I guess. IDK WTH y'all are talking about w/waffles.

Did you have water on the property? is it almost gone or dry now?

The rain has increased the natural browse. I doubt another feeder would have much impact. Think of how little food a single feeder throws out. Now think of a few thousand acres of forbes sprouting up. That is what they are after.

Another vote for rain bringing new green and forbs being the biggest cause. I've seen more forbs the last 10 days than I've seen all year. I'm hoping it stays cool and they don't burn up. Forbs will do more for the deer than anything I can put out for them.

But, if it is forbs, don't sweat it, the rut will have them moving again and once the first frost hits most of the forbs will be gone.

I have 2 ponds & a creek. All have water.

I wasn't referring to 1 other feeder. By my guesstimation, I'd say there is probably 8-12 new feeders added w/in 1.5 miles of my place.

A few drinks, phurr petting and the cougar will purr.

On the other hand it sounds like time for boots on the ground. Your going to need to look for them if it doesn't bother the others on your lease. Good luck scouting and keep an eye out for the big kitty.

Since the rains we've had a definite slow down on our feeders too.

They are watching the WORLD SERIE'S ! GO RANGERS !!!

Okay, so say there are 12 feeders each putting out a couple of pounds of corn. That still is not near what the new growth will be. It's either acorns or the new growth. If there are no oaks, it's new growth. This happens every year, except it is usually acorns.

This is the 1st time it's ever happened to me there & I've been hunting there for over 25 years!!!!!

The deer probably read the Spanish version of the TP&W handbook and realized that the season has started.

Someone in your county is feeding "Indian corn" since it keeps them around the feeders longer!

Same thing on our place. Two weeks ago I had 20+ deer coming to the pond every evening. I havn't seen a deer for days. 3" of rain and there is a green fuzz everywhere. It's all good this will put a little fat on them. Scout your draws and low area's especially in the mesquite.

Maybe it's the same cat just getting around.

I read that in Oct bucks are guarding the does and the does are laying down for I forget what reason.

But my money is still on the CAT!

If the rut has started where you are, which I doubt, the bucks change there patterns to get away from the other bucks and start following the does.

Rut hasn't started. Bachelor groups may have just broke up bt rut won't start for 2-3 weeks.

Prior to the rain did your neighboring places have water, if not that could be part of it. We usully see a drop in Deer numbers when some large wheat fields usually planted late come up. The inceraae in forbs after the rain will do the same. I can see a big difference in the last 2 weeks in the condition of the deer out where I hunt since the rains. Some does that were pulled way down I bet have put on 15 lbs or more in 2 weeks, Ribs easy to see before rain now cannot see them, not as hollow or guant looking. Actually look more like something you would want to shoot for food now. Cannot attribute this to more feed from feeders as I have been feeding on that place almost all year, couple weeks early March not feeding except one Protein feeder hever went out of food.

not sure where you are but saw 140ish buck tending a doe this past Sunday afternoon. I have seen fawns in mid May on that place so do the math those does that had then had to be bred in mid October. Bucks are like we are and will get it any time they can.

Most does will cycle around a specific time but not all, some will come in earlier than others. I think those that have no fawns will come in earlier than those with fawns still nursing. If my memory is right on that there might be more does cycling early this year due to fawn loss during the drought and a trickle rut without the crazy rut many hunters expect.