Guys, a buddy of mine bought 80 acres behind me that he is eventually going to develop. I have been hunting it till he starts his project. I never thought it was a great deer piece so I really
only used it for other hunting/trapping. Its urban but a lot of connecting wood lots and land. My son was jogging back there 2 weeks ago and saw a pretty good track. So we started glassing the
fields in the evenings (about 70% of it is overgrown field). The first night we saw about 12 deer, 7 bucks but we couldn't really see how good they were. Two evenings later my son went over
and saw 11 bucks, we think there are two shooters in the group but need to get a better look so we set up cameras. Anyhow, the past 4 evenings we have seen one or two deer and maybe one small
buck. WTH happened? I was trying to get down a summer pattern and that was short lived? Any ideas?

Bass. Don't get too excited. When they shed their velvet in a month, some of those bucks will disperse.
Always neat to see " the boys of summer" though.

Another food source pop up or become ready?

I have found the deer in my are were spending a lot of time in August feeding on nettles and a plant I think is called snap dragons it has small orange flowers . They were feeding on these in wet drainage areas. I usually move my cameras to those areas in the beginning of August and then to the mast crops later. No fields in my area all mountains.

Maybe they needed water and had to move.

I told my son that someone may have started feeding them elsewhere? There is a good sized pond within eye site for water and is in the neighbors field next to
this one. I know they will break up but I was sure hoping to keep them there in their bachelor group for the first week or two of season? Just can't figure out why it
was so short lived?

Deer Move around.. small acreage they will move through and be back.. Probably back on a Neighboring farm for awhile and float around on their patterns.
Also Diet will move them to what they prefer.

Put up some cameras. If the girls live there the boys will come back during the rut.

They could know you were there and altered their pattern.

The cameras being put out seem to be the turning point so that is probable

Last week or so the acorns have been dropping like crazy around here. Driveway is full of acorns.
Yesterday I came home about 11am and had several deer in my driveway sucking up acorns.

Not sure if this might be the case in your area. Might have left to feed on any acorns that are falling
in your area.

It’s awfully early to see so many acorns on the ground but they’re there.

Stress dropped? Way too early for em to mature.

Your scent spooked them. They will be back. Stay out for a while.

We glass from probably 300 yards away but yes putting up 2 cameras could have spooked them. Never had that issue with putting up and checking cameras in the big
woods but small urban plot must be different.

I'll add another observation I've had lately is that the deer have been abnormally active in the afternoon here lately.

They're arrival timing may have altered slightly for a day or two from the evenings you saw them due to moon phase, the weather, a disturbance, etc. Keep watching...they'll be back.

Also, as bucksandbears said, by Labor Day or shortly after the velvet comes off and patterns will change just as you are hanging your stand.......lol

Good luck!

Yeah I was thinking they might have worms when I was reading that. Drop them in some water and see if they lloat.

probably solar storms messing with their medula oblongatas

here's the summer pattern around here
May through September - Deer everywhere
first saturday in October - deer dissappear

Corn, they can smell it a long ways away.

Sometimes these hot, dry spells cause acorns and other trees to drop early this time of year.