My family has a 100 acre piece of property in Sawyerville, that we started hunting about 25 years ago. For 20 years it's been a great place to hunt only taking 3-4 dear a year on average. Always saw deer and several nice bucks taken over the years. Even had stands where I would send the new hunters to, because I could pretty much guarantee they would see a deer.
The last 4-5 years things have really slowed down. So far this year has been the worst. Whereas the roads on this place would be covered in tracks, there are none. No tracks in the food plots and the only thing showing up on game cameras are the predators. Anyway, I'm just frustrated at not seeing deer or signs of deer. Do you think the yotes have run them off?

I would bet corn is playing a part in it.

Has the hunting picked up a bunch on neighboring properties?

Sounds like you need some intense, year-round predator control. Are you still seeing turkeys?

Find a trapper -- http://www.atpca.org/

Hunting them is fun and good, but not as effective as year-round trapping as part of a management plan.

No yotes are everywhere. More than likely something has changed. From my experience deer move as bedding areas change. For example a pine plantation holds more deet when it is 0-7yrs old than it does when it is 20 yrs old. Has the bedding area changed? Had someone around you planted pines or clear cut or planted agricultural fields in the last 4-5yrs, that could cause a move by the deer?

I seriously doubt yotes have ran them off. If you've seen a decrease in fawns over the last several years, along with an increase in yotes I'd say they probably have something to do with it, but my first guess would be habitat. Maybe pines growing together have stopped sunlight from reaching the ground on or around your property, or something along those lines?? That is something that you can fix just as quick as it went wrong, or quicker if its YOUR property, or you get permission to create some better habitat. Along with better habitat, comes better fawn recruitment. Look back at some of Gobbler's or BSK's posts and you'll learn a lot about it. I only wish I had 100 acres (or 10,000) to "play" with. I've learned from reading, and being on some friends well managed land. Good luck with it!

Or has the adjoining property had a lot more deer killed last 5-6 years than in previous years.

Neighbors are probably using the bait cover.

There's either a new food source or a new bedding area they go to google earth is a pretty good way of figuring out what's all around you

What has changed habitat wise on the neighboring properties? This plus an increase in yotes on your local fawn recruitment could send your sightings way down.

Pasture land to the north, west, and south. To the east is another property about the same size, it was clearcut last year and they might hunt a couple of times a year. Further east is a hunting club. 1/2 of our property was cut before we started hunting, so there are plenty of thick bedding areas. I don't turkey hunt, but have allowed some friends to go and they have had success, and I've seen a bunch of turkeys. (Not so far this year)

Two clearcuts that are thick now might, indeed, have drawn them away.

They are dead....

That is what happens when they get shot.

Couple that with decreased Recruitment due to increased predators and you have the recipe for low deer densities.

That has been the goal of QDMA and the State for years now. There is no 'secret' about it other than people that thought they could kill a big buck every time they went out if they shot enough does are quitting hunting due to extremely low sightings and success rates.

I will add, though.....many well-meaning people greatly under-estimated fawn predation/over-estimated fawn recruitment.

What do you mean half your property was cut before you started hunting? As in 20 yrs ago, if so that is part of your problem not much bedding area in 20 yr old cutover.

Dead.

Go visit the neigbors. Specifically during the week or when you are not usually around....and try and find out who is hunting around you.

I've got a similar scenario...I've got some "trophy" hunters next to me. I'll let some big ones walk and never see them again. Nobody ever seen them when I ask... they haven't shot nothing. Allegedly...Didn't see one big enough to shoot.

They shoot them. We both know it.

I've seen less deer this season and less sign also but seen plenty tracks I know there around but I've noticed this season on walking in and out I've spooked more deer than any season than in the past but my best stand is 40 minutes from where I park and its only way in and out cause of bluffs but I would guess you have serious baiting issues or other problems around your property google map all around u real good and check out the surrounding lands I use it a lot to check out areas around places I hunt

Buy some trail cameras and corn. Its really the only way to find out an inventory of any kind.

Well, at least there was one there. My daughter just texted me a picture of her first! A small 4 point, but I couldn't be more excited for her!

They hibernate this time of year.

Depending on the hunters around u, it could be the liberal doe season + predators....

There are generally plenty of deer in the area around Moundville, but like anyplace there can be local dynamics that move them from a particular property. I've hunted in places that had a good population but the deer became so nocturnal that it was rare to see one in the daylight. Usually having a totally inaccessible bedding area helps with this, unless the surrounding area is hunted too much.