How many deer on average do you see per hunting day?

[OleRedbeard]

Thought this would be a interesting thread.
So many variables can be tossed in here to muddy it up but to keep it somewhat clear generally how many animals do you expect to see on a given hunt in your area on a average day afield. I've hunted quite a few different states for whitetail and it's amazing the differences on how these numbers change per region.

In the Appalachian Mountains here on Virginia public land an average day would be maybe 0 to 3
A good day would be 4 to 5
Many days however it's 0
In the valleys on private though you can see quite a few more but that's the generally the norm everywhere.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Iowa. Mean and median would be significantly different for me. Median is 2. About 80% of the time I'll see at least one deer. Mean is between 3-4 because some days, especially in the dead of winter, groups of 10-40 may be seen. Over half my hunt days are just a 2-3 hour sit in either the AM or PM.

 

[Blackcats06]

In Arizona, Coues whitetail south of phoenix I'll see over 20 deer a day glassing. Mule deer hunting in the northern units I struggle to find a group a day, so about 5 deer a day.

 

[ClearCreek]

On the way to and back from the area I hunt and at the area I hunt I often see in excess of 100 deer total (both mule deer and white-tailed deer). Most or all of these deer are on private property where no hunting is allowed. But, I enjoy seeing those deer none the less.

This is in Wyoming.

ClearCreek

 

[TMRhunttalk]

While I'm in my stand in ND (whitetails) on public land, I've seen probably an average of 4 this year. The previous few years it was an average of 1 or 2. The baiting ban started this year in my area and the deer can now be found where the best habitat is, not where the biggest bait pile is... It's been great. I have renewed interest in bowhunting ND again.

 

[jvanhoy]

Va private land I’ve probably averaged 6 or so for half day hunt. Only one day this season that I didn’t see a deer. Best day was last Friday saw 28 8 or 9 were bucks from daylight till 1130.

 

[Kiwi]

For me in New Zealand, on public land, a bad day is no deer, an ok day 2 deer, a good day 6 deer and a great day 10+. The most I have seen is 30 one day and the worst 5 days seeing no deer!

 

[kenton]

2006: 1.80
2007: 1.50
2008: 1.24
2009: 1.88
2010: 2.29
2011: 1.78
2012: 2.90
2013: 2.30
2014: 2.30
2015: 2.70
2016: 3.93
2017: 4.03
2018: 3.90
2019: 4.83 and counting

 

[np307]

Public land in central NC, depends on whether it's a known spot or not. For a brand new spot, I'm happy to see a deer. For a spot that I know, I'm disappointed if I don't see one. I generally see a couple, but usually no more than that.
Private land is different. The lease that I'm part of isn't great, but I still average seeing 3 or so per sit.

 

[2rocky]

One Unit in Nevada 10 years ago I was seeing 50 + deer a day With over half being bucks of a range of sizes
This Fall It was only 5 a day on average....Same unit...

 

[8andcounting]

While I'm in my stand in ND (whitetails) on public land, I've seen probably an average of 4 this year. The previous few years it was an average of 1 or 2. The baiting ban started this year in my area and the deer can now be found where the best habitat is, not where the biggest bait pile is... It's been great. I have renewed interest in bowhunting ND again.

I wish it would happen statewide. I own great river land but my neighbors put out huge amounts of corn piles and call it hunting . I do not bait and never will . I have planted some soybean food plots

 

[beagle001]

Bow season here in Wisconsin, sitting swamps and fields, the average is probably 3-4. Can have days of 20+ and days of zero. Opening day of rifle, I had over 40 deer sightings, although some where probably repeats.

 

[midwesterncrosshair]

In IL and WI I would average it out to 5 deer for a both morning and evening hunts.

My personal best was this past Saturday of the last weekend of IL shotgun season. I lost count after 23 deer. Bagged a nice doe only because I could get picky LOL

 

[lr123]

So far on my small property in central Indiana I have seen roughly 1.5 per day for the 3 days I have hunted. Keep in mind these aren't all day sits.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

Probably somewhere around the 3 mark on average. During bow season, I had an evening where I saw 5, but also sits with nothing. This year during our rifle season I saw 9 deer opening weekend, then hunted 3 more days after that and only saw 2 more. I'll be out on public land this weekend to try and fill a doe tag, I almost always see 3-4 in the spot I am going, but we will see

 

[8andcounting]

I hunt all fall , archery gun and muzzleloader as I get a landowner tag and I’d say my average sighting per 3-4 hour sit is 25 . This time of year over food plots is higher . Tonight I saw atleast 15 different bucks all under120” we have a ton of corn still on in my area

 

[Doublecluck]

The area I hunted the last two weeks of the season we saw on public land over 100 mule deer per day, 10-20 bucks per day mostly 4x4’s in the 120-140” range. Closer to home 10-20 whitetail/mule deer would be pretty common. Can’t imagine what it was like in the good old days though when cwd and Fwp hadn’t killed em all...

 

[KipCarson]

In NW Louisiana I’ve made 29 hunts this season so far. I’ve seen 39 deer total. 10/39 were seen on one short afternoon hunt, so that leaves a lot of days where I was looking at empty woods. After factoring in time this season Its an avg of .74 deer per 1.5 hours on stand. (Many of my hunts are short 45 minutes sits before work on weekday mornings.)

In contrast I can go hunt a friends property only 2.5 miles away as the crow flies and see 10-25 deer every hunt without fail. It’s amazing what having larger acreage to manage can do for you.

 

[mdhunter]

East coast private land hunting probably 10 as an average. It’s definitely gone up thru the years with it being sometimes 20 or more.

With every doe now seemingly having two yearlings, the numbers you see can go up quick.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

1 small herd a day,total Deer=1.One Deer is a small herd...right?Ha!,Ha!