I hunt in the Enonville/Andersonville area of Buckingham County Va and the deer are scarce. I have talked to people that hunt I other areas and they have the same problem. We had more deer when the season went out last year than we have right now. You don't see them early in the morning or late at night. I don't want to hear that the reason that they aren't in the fields is because of acorns, because I have lived in the woods for the last week and if they are in the woods they must be getting rid of their tracks as they walk and getting up their poop after they use the bathroom. Some people blame it on the Bow and Muzzle Loader seasons. I hunt with 2 different clubs and one doesn't allow any Bow or Muzzle Loader Hunting and the other didn't have but one person to Muzzle Loader Hunt and he never got a shot. The Department of Game claims there are plenty of deer. They are in the business to sell Hunting Licenses. We are starting to see more signs of coyotes. Is that the problem? A friend of mine read an article written by someone in the Department of Game stating that coyotes were not killing alot of deer because they killed other species. So if they are right were are the deer? We have a Va Dept. of Game WMA in my area and they have a special season on when to kill coyotes. Why not an open season like everywhere else? Do they want the coyotes to kill the deer to suit the needs of the INSURANCE COMPANIES, but yet claim we have plenty of deer just to sell Hunting Licenses? Sorry for being so long winded.

In Mississippi the deer outnumber the human population and coyotes are very very plentiful.Have never seen any decline in the deer herd since it was established in the latter half of the last century.And many deer are killed yearly with dogs and still hunting as well. But if deer did go away most foxhunters would be ok.

I too have noticed a sharp decline in the abundance in one area that I hunt as well. There seems to be a shortage of doe's in this area as not many are sighted. In the mountain range in the Cismont, Va. area deer are sc****. I hunted very hard early and late every day the first week of muzzle loader season (when bucks were to be rutting) and don't think I seen 10 deer total. We have noticed that where they use to be groups of deer that were scared out by dogs in the area are now not being seen. The sign is not in the woods as well. No feed last year and the heavy snow fall 2 years back, I believe has taken a toll on them. Just my thoughts and I like Meade have spent a lot of time in the woods since first Oct.

I think the increase in coyote population has something to do with it. The lack of food in the woods last year and the winter has something to do with it and the ones that survived both of those things this year there is so much food in the woods this year deer don't have to get up and move very far at all to get something to eat every oak tree has acorns under it like a truck load of marbles and they will stay hidden until the food either rots on the forest floor or it all gets consumed. I hunt in Lunenburg county we have some smaller blocks we hunt that don't have the deer it used to but with us having 16 days total of doe season this year and 14 days in years past has greatly affected the deer population. On the other hand in other blocks that are bigger we are running a lot of deer does and bucks.

I hunt in Hanover va a lot of deer here died of hymoriic disease the deer were killing have messed up feet where they have gotten over the disease but we've found a lot in fields and near water but we had a lot of deer last of deer season but not as many now.

I heard a very wise hard hunting Gentleman say several years ago,Son what is going to happen now that they have opened up the Season and you can kill does from oct 1 to first of January that the Deer population is going to decrease mightly where you hunt but the deer are going to adapt to the back yards and subdivisions and that is where they are going to thrive and be safe.Now 4 years later i beleive he told the truth.The deer where you hunt at have been wiped out but you can drive through any subdivision in numerous countys and they are full of deer,they have plenty to eat in the subs and plenty of cover and no one to bother them,There are plenty of Deer in Va but they are hwere we cant get to them.

Got a use to be honey hole for deer. I could go anytime and see 20 to 30 deer. This year I see 1 or 2 or none. Saturday morning I killed a coyote in this area. First time seeing one there. Cismont VA. Its 320 acres people hunt near this land and the deer would herd up on this land after first week of rifle season . I started hunting first day of bow and not many deer from day one

In my area of Eastern NC, our numbers are not even close to what they used to be. 30 years ago I could go spotlighting and in 15 minutes see 150 deer now you go for a hour and your lucky to see 5. I dont care what biologists or any scientist says the deer where I live are gone.And I live where I hunt. In the evenings just riding around on the club never cutting the truck off it was nothing to see 20 to 25 deernow you lucky to see 1 or 2 dont get me wrong we still kill some but the deer numbers are no where were they used to be and we dont kill as big of bucks as we used too.

Decline in hardwoods around Andersonville and coyotes have something to do with it I believe... I hunt less than 15 mins away from Andersonville and we have noticed the deer aren't as plentiful as last year but coyotes running wild but when we do get on deer its normally large groups and deer go everywhere. I believe its a combination of a lot of things food,habitat,predators and last years winter are playing a roll in the problems were facing this year.

A lot of clubs are seeing in NC and Virginia. But how many people in your clubs are still shooting every Doe that comes by? That is the only quick fix.. I have seen NO reduction in does riding by on the dog boxes riding down the roads.

WE HAVE LOST APPROX 75% OF OUR DEER HERE WHERE I LIVE IN JOHNSTON CO NC SINCE AROUND THE LAST OF SEPTEMBER .THEY HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS FLOATING IN PONDS,CREEKS AND RIVERS FROM HERE ALL THE WAY THRU NASH,FRANKLIN ,WARREN,WAKE,VANCE,GRANVILLE ,WILSON AND SEVERAL OTHER AREAS OF EASTERN NC .I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE COYOTE HAS AFFECTED THE POPULATION SOME IN THE PAST FEW YEARS BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS .I HAVE HEARD THAT IT IS SOMETHING CALLED BLUE TONGUE AND THAT THE DEER GO TO WATER --DAVID BAILEY

David Bailey is exactly right. Blue tongue has taken it's toll on the deer in our area(Nash county). Our kill numbers are down in excess of 50% for this year. It seems the hardest hit areas according to our game wardens are in and around Franklin,Warren, and Nash counties,however many other counties
throughout the state have been affected.Coyotes have also had and impact. We are seeing and killing more than ever!!!

We don't have the deer either,even places we cant hunt and was always full of deer you don't see them in the fields like you did.When the yotes showed is when we noticed the change in numbers.I would definitely consider easing up on does instead of waiting for the game department to tell you.

i too have noticed quite a difference in our deer population on my end of buckingham too fellas . Way different than years past . I have however seen a big rise in our bear population this year , some say they are hard on the deer too . I don't know if they are or not. I do know that when I get bear on my trail cams the deer disappear.

Several of our guys seen coyotes trailing does during bow and black powder season . One guy killed 2 in one evening .
I myself took a pop shot at one yesterday the dogs were running . Shame I didn't get him .

I do believe the coyotes are a major threat not only to our deer population but also our turkey population as well .

I've heard the rumors about blue tongue and other diseases affecting the deer in our area . I've heard that a farmer in farmville found 14 dead in a small farm pond . But that is here say . Not sure if it's true or not .

I personally think it's a combination of it all . Guys I'm sure yall see the same things I do , look at how many different clubs and private and or public land land hunters that's in our county anymore . With the increased amounts of hunters in the woods , and many of those still believe in if its brown it's down and would kill 50 deer if they could . Threat of a possible disease , bear , coyotes , lack of food last year , it's a wonder we have the deer we do . Meade you're definitely right about the vdgif , all they want is the money from licenses and this good ol insurance companies . I wish all you guys a happy thanksgiving and a even better remainder of hunting season .

i too have noticed quite a difference in our deer population on my end of buckingham too fellas . Way different than years past . I have however seen a big rise in our bear population this year , some say they are hard on the deer too . I don't know if they are or not. I do know that when I get bear on my trail cams the deer disappear.

Several of our guys seen coyotes trailing does during bow and black powder season . One guy killed 2 in one evening .
I myself took a pop shot at one yesterday the dogs were running . Shame I didn't get him .

I do believe the coyotes are a major threat not only to our deer population but also our turkey population as well .

I've heard the rumors about blue tongue and other diseases affecting the deer in our area . I've heard that a farmer in farmville found 14 dead in a small farm pond . But that is here say . Not sure if it's true or not .

I personally think it's a combination of it all . Guys I'm sure yall see the same things I do , look at how many different clubs and private and or public land land hunters that's in our county anymore . With the increased amounts of hunters in the woods , and many of those still believe in if its brown it's down and would kill 50 deer if they could . Threat of a possible disease , bear , coyotes , lack of food last year , it's a wonder we have the deer we do . Meade you're definitely right about the vdgif , all they want is the money from licenses and this good ol insurance companies . I wish all you guys a happy thanksgiving and a even better remainder of hunting season .

Thanks for the responses. So far we have not found any deer remains. We have saw a couple coyotes, but that has been about it.

Meade look at the hooves of the deer that yall are killing. If blue tongue had hit the area, they will have cracked or deformed hooves. The blue tongue hit our area pretty hard. We killed 3 eight pointers this past weekend and both of them had cracked hooves. The good thing is once they had it they will be immune to it if it hits the area again. Our club has cut down on the number of does that we are allowing members to kill. It has definitely cut down our harvest numbers but we are still finding deer to run and kill. I believe that it has helped our hounds as they are having to hunt a little before they jump now.

Tim Cherry

I would be willing to bet the major problem is lead poisoning the doe population as it happened here years ago.

hate yotes as much as anyone...but Im with Bryant. This very liberal doe season for nearly a decade now is the cause IMO.

In my opinion its a combination of disease and yotes and shooting deer in off season.When soybeans hit 14 and 15dollars a few years back the rifle balls went to flying around the house.I have hunted in Hertford Co.N.C. most of my life and we can not kill enough does.The more we kill the more there are.

THIS IS A COPY OF AN ARTICLE THAT WAS IN THE NEWS AND OBSERVER IN OCTOBER I THINK THESE NUMBERS ARE GROSSLY UNDERSTATED

Some Triangle hunters may encounter sick and dying deer this fall.

An outbreak of a virus spread by tiny insects that proliferated over this wet summer has brought epizootic hemorrhagic disease to white-tailed deer.

“This is not a catastrophic event, by any means. This is sort of a ‘normal’ outbreak in terms of size,” Greg Batts, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wildlife biologist for District 3, said Monday by phone from Zebulon. “It is something hunters are going to notice.”

Hunters may see dead deer near water and skinny deer in hunting areas. The disease causes a loss of appetite and a high fever, sending sick deer to water.

Franklin County has had more than 60 cases, Batts said. About 30 cases have been recorded in Vance County, 25 in Wake and a dozen or more in Johnston. Other areas have not reported outbreaks.

Batts said hunters needn’t shoot deer because they’re skinny; survivors will return to corn piles to fatten up and will have antibodies against the virus. But if it’s a deer the hunter normally would shoot, there’s no reason not to.

“Humans are not affected by these viruses, and the affected venison can be consumed,” the biologist said.

Often mistaken for a similar disease called blue tongue, which is rarely found and wrongly called black tongue – epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, is spread by tiny biting flies, gnats or midges, Batts said.

The virus, which is not transmitted deer to deer, is seen in late summer and early fall when the insects are most active.

“The flies live only 21-40 days,” Batts said. “When the weather gets cool enough … we won’t see any more activity.”

Bates said biologists would like to know which of several variants of the disease is affecting deer. Hunters who find deer that died within the previous 12 hours can call 919-707-0050 so biologists can arrange to take blood and spleen samples from the deer. Learn about EHD at www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/AftertheHunt/DeerDiseases.

Comment sought: The Wildlife Resources Commission is revising management of captive cervid through the temporary rule-making process and will hold hearings Oct. 7 and Oct. 14.

Proposed changes would allow issuance of new captivity licenses and permits for keeping captive cervids, such as deer and elk, and allow owners of certified herds to sell or transfer cervids to any licensed facility.

The Oct. 7 hearing is at 7 p.m. at the Iredell County Extension Center in Statesville. The Oct. 14 hearing is 7 p.m. at commission headquarters, 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh.

Comments, due Oct. 16, can be emailed to regulations@ncwildlife.org. Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org/ProposedRegulations.

Trout update: Hatchery-supported regulations ended Wednesday and delayed-harvest regulations went into effect for 33 trout waters in 18 western counties. No trout can be harvested until June. Go to www.ncwildlife.org/fishing, or follow @NCWildlife on Twitter.


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