By Brad Fenson

Where’s the Venison?

For many hunters, including me, the past year has been strange, and may go down as the year with no deer. A late spring meant a delayed start for the agricultural community. Forest fires blanketed Alberta with smoke for most of the spring and summer. Excessive rain events caused mid-summer flooding followed by drought. How do these environmental factors affect ungulates?

I spent more time in the field this year than ever before and did not fill a tag. Don’t get me wrong, there were opportunities, but haste and misguided priorities meant a shortage of fresh venison. Remember, if deer hunting were easy, it wouldn’t be as much fun.

If you are feeling beat up after this year’s deer season, here are a few things to consider that will hopefully make you feel better and even lead to more success next year.

Quality of Feed

Many grain and hay crops were poor, with late spring planting, erratic moisture and higher than usual temperature during the growing season. In many regions, crops were stunted and grain production was poor, equating to less feed for ungulates. Instead, deer were feeding in forested and naturally grassed areas. Deer are masters at finding the highest-quality feed with the best protein levels, and this year, it wasn’t in open areas—it was in the bush and near cover. Trail cameras showed deer feeding in places that are normally travel corridors, meaning they never arrived where hunters are used to finding them.

Hunting tip: As I analyzed my own hunting experiences this year, I noticed that most deer signs were in native cover. Pay attention to lush, green sprouts of grass and forage in the bush and pasture areas.

The Right Temperature

The warm fall weather certainly played a role in deer movement and hunter success. At temperatures below zero, deer typically need to scavenge for barley, field peas, alfalfa, and other crops in open fields. These types of high-quality food help deer maintain body condition and generate heat in cold conditions. So when the average daytime temperature is above zero, deer are not forced to feed as often or hit open fields to find quality feed.

Also, the warm temperatures and easy access to hunting areas may have increased hunter participation. There is a correlation between hunter effort and good weather. More people and disturbance in the field can also train deer to stay in areas where they are not disturbed.

Hunting tip: Changing strategies for finding deer in warmer temperatures is imperative. When conditions change and the deer adapt, hunters must also adapt. It may feel like learning to hunt from scratch. Hunting our historical “good spots” produced few sightings or opportunities for many of us. Keep in mind that hunters who live in warmer climates are successful, so changing strategies and looking for deer where we have not in the past can be enlightening.

Moon Phase

The moon doesn’t only affect the tide, it is also impacts wildlife behaviour. Wildlife are most active—feeding, rutting, and travelling—at night during a full moon and less active during legal shooting hours.

Hunting tip: The 2023 season closed with a full moon on November 27, and the week around the event meant challenges hunting deer. Stay informed on moon phases and how it may affect your hunt. Try to plan your hunt well in advance so a full moon won’t interfere.

No Snow, No Tracks

Where are the deer travelling? The ground was dry and frozen, meaning there were few signs to help determine where the deer lived or even walked. To add insult to injury, tracking deer that had been shot was painful without the blanket of white to find blood trails.

Hunting tip: Hunters accustomed to having snow to help decipher deer movement were lost this fall. It may be beneficial to hone your skills on scouting deer. Look for other signs that indicate they may be nearby: food and water sources, rubbed trees, scat, and travel routes.

Change Focus

Hunters in Alberta are blessed with the opportunity of multiple huntable species. Maybe this spring is the time to target snow geese or black bear.

Hunting tip: Targeting other species means building knowledge for future deer hunting outings. The more time you spend in the field, the better equipped you’ll become at finding wildlife under any condition. Consider getting a tag for late-season antlerless elk, rabbits, hares, extended grouse, and upland bird seasons.

More than Venison

Hunting is always more than fresh proteins for the grill or freezer. It is about the overall experience. Some hunting seasons are hard on those looking to procure their wild proteins, and others aren’t. There is lots of anticipation and excitement around hunting events, and post-season blues are real, even for those who used some tags. Positive experiences in the outdoors make us want more.

The sunrises, wildlife encounters, the people we share the experience with, and problem-solving when faced with a new challenge are positives that should be considered success. One of my highlights this fall was an encounter with a great grey owl—an experience I may have missed if my attention was elsewhere.

Not harvesting a deer is not a failure, but part of the hunting education to be successful in the future. It is hunting, not shopping.

If anyone has ideas on how to turn an unused tag into a Christmas ornament, please let me know.

Q&A

Are deer numbers down?

Deer populations have not decreased. Some hunters surmised that deer numbers were down because they didn’t harvest an animal. There is no record of a wildlife disease—including chronic wasting disease (CWD)—outbreak that may have caused drastic mortality within the population.

Is predation a factor, and has it increased?

Predation could be a factor, but there seems to be a stable population of coyotes. Thankfully, there aren’t heavy snow accumulations to help them hunt deer either.