Suppose you hunt public land a lot.

[leftystar]

It seems like its a bumper crop year for acorns. They are every where and there is fresh deer sign every where. But you don't see any deer hunt after hunt and yes you are way back where only a few would be willing to walk in that far. what do you do to improve your chances at seeing deer.

 

[Nitram4891]

Find the bedding and hunt closer to it and watch your wind going in. Deer aren't making it to that feed until after dark if you aren't seeing them.

 

[Thunder Head]

I agree, when there are too many acorns deer don't move as much.

That being said. The rut is fixing to hit the mtns. Id switch to hunting terrain features or actually rut sign. Scrapes and rub lines.

 

[dixiecutter]

Find the bedding and hunt closer to it and watch your wind going in. Deer aren't making it to that feed until after dark if you aren't seeing them.

100%. This and only this. Those deer are roaming all over the place all gobblity gook putting on rump cheese. Find the thicket, play the wind, get in there tight, and catch them concentrated as they're just getting up. One of my hottest deer spots is confirmed useless (the hard way, as you described) they eat there all night long, but at sundown they're still slowly feeding along a quarter mile away.

 

[MikeyD6]

Look for scrapes and rub lines. Then find the thickest nastiest cover you can find in the vicinity and set up on the edge of it.