irrespective of carcass value, the deer are not showing so much in legal hours this year. High amount of acorns holding them deep in the woods and it feels like it has not stopped raining in months so there normal places are waterlogged.
This is my personal thoughts. The use of digital scopes is pushing the deer to come out later and later. We have noticed a change in the deer movement pattern over the past few years.
I have cameras out and even places not heavily shot the deer are coming out later and going back into cover before light.
Is it the use of digital scopes? The weather ? Or in some places more foot fall of general public walking footpaths? Something is changing the movements.
You missed out other factors (
you have to put in a disclaimer these days or the usual row kicks off) with people "wanting to harvest natural food for their family" "booking a couple of stalks a year with a guide" "wanted fallow buck traveling to x place for 3 days"
these are just a few, then add estates/outfitters who take clients to shoot a medal head so 2 stalks a day AM/PM, "managers"
leaving " good bucks/stags a couple more years to make a "better gene pool"
Acorn seasons come and go also 1000's of acres planted as "wild bird cover" well guess what deer like it too so.
Deer live in urban areas as we keep building on their ground, they are safe in those places just watch the HAD despatch video posted.
Game dealers take deer, so if you "fiddle" with the gene pool and leave them in the field to mature they can't process them,
trust me dealers don't care what it had on it's neck they want it to be of a standard to take in and process.
The overall factor is every one has a JOB which they need as it pays bill keeps the family fed warm sent off on holiday and so on, also their time is limited in freezer space a processing area chiller room worry what the neighbours might think
Lots of people have it as a hobby ( I do) so don't blame Acorns or Digital scopes lol
basc.org.uk
