deer numbers down

[rebal69972]

from reading everyones post on here it seems like the numbers are down everywhere. i hunt in 3 different parts of the west side and i havent seen half of the deer this year from what i saw last year        is everyone seeing less deer and if so why? i know ive seem more yotes but i wouldnt think that there numbers would be that high

[DeerThug]

We have seen maybe 20% of the deer as in past years.  BUT when we do see a buck the racks seem to be bigger than we are used to seeing.  Also they are way more skiddish.  Predators?

[KFhunter]

last saturday I really hunted an area I hadn't been in for about 5 years
wow, what a decline
 
not just because I didn't see any deer AT ALL (thats never happened before), but I looked for sign all day and didn't see anything.  no fresh deer droppings, tracks, rubs anything.  I did see one nice elk rub, but in years previous I'd see them all over.
I didn't see any deer rubs
 
what I did see were yote droppings full of deer hair, it was all over.
 
my theory is a cat or two moved in and started knocking the deer down, yotes scavanged the carcases, deer moved out.
either that or I was looking at wolf scat, but honestly I didn't study it much. 
 
 

[Ridgeratt]

 KF Hunter there were some in your Dad's old Field this morning.
Oh yes check with Campmeat! My calender is filling up. He saw last years. the way I keep track.

[smitty8202]

I agree. my dad has been out everyday since mf season started except yesterday and have seen 5 deer all does in 4 days of hunting 2 of which were in town behind a house. we saw alot of deer during scouting but once the season starts they go ghost. 

[blacktail luv]

Our deer herd really seems to be struggling in western klickitat county.   Definitely is getting to be less and less every year.  Sad to see the decline in numbers.  When you are trying like hell to get your 8 year old a deer and he walks his arse off for nothing it breaks my heart.

[dreamunelk]

Weather has a lot to do with it on the west side.

[demontang]

I haven't been seeing the bucks like I have in the past but yesterday I spotted about 80 doe's/ fawns but only 1 buck

[wreckerman5357]

Hunting sucked in Dayton over the weekend. We killed 2 deer from the same spot on our property last year and 0 this year. The fog and the rain killed us, scouting looked good but the bad weather brushed them up.

[Athomas0314]

Yea me an 5 others hunted 3 full days this weekend in the teanaway region an didnt see a single deer.

[500 long]

I have found animal sightings are always lower during a bright moon.

[rebal69972]

Our deer herd really seems to be struggling in western klickitat county.   Definitely is getting to be less and less every year.  Sad to see the decline in numbers.  When you are trying like hell to get your 8 year old a deer and he walks his arse off for nothing it breaks my heart.

i understand that i had my 10 and 11 y/o daughters out tring to get there first deer all weekend and seen nothing. even scouting through the summer i didnt see much sign and i only got 3 doe's on my trail cam. last year in the same spots i saw probley 200 deer through bow season and now theres nothing

[buck man]

Might not matter as much for you wet side guys but here on the dry side we have had 2 record breaking snowfalls out of the last 3 years. Winterkill baby. ...and wolves,cougars, bears, yotes,and cars. Been hard to grow the herd.

[rebal69972]

does anyone know what we can do to help our heards. i know we cant do anything about the weather but there has to be something we can do any ideas?

[JimmyHoffa]

does anyone know what we can do to help our heards. i know we cant do anything about the weather but there has to be something we can do any ideas?

More predator hunting.  You could also go feed the deer, but that would require a lot of effort--especially compared to removing a few predators.  I get those 50lb salt blocks from the feed store ($6) and toss them in certain areas for the off season.  I use the ones with selenium so their hooves are strong.