California deer and bear interactions?

[htlt_surfboards]

Ive got a question about deer and bears in general but specifically the Southern California area. I have a spot that I hunt regularly that always has deer in it. I would describe the area as coastal chaparral, with peaks in the 3-6k foot range. Depending on the time of the year I have often seen bears in the area as well but they seem to come and go depending on what food is around (choke cherries, or acorns).

My hunting partner and I had planned on going to this spot for our opening hunt of the year (next weekend). He went out this past weekend for a quick scouting mission just to see what bucks were around but instead he saw almost no deer and 5 different bears over 3 days (bear season doesn’t open for another month so hunting them is out of the question right now). Last year while hunting there I did see one bear in the area but he seemed to have no effect on the deer.

My question is, with so many bears in the area this year and my partner not being able to turn up deer, are the bears having an effect on where the deer are or could it be related to something else? If they are effecting the deer how far do you think they would go? Completely out of the country or maybe just a mile or so away? Did they just change their habits and are more nocturnal so he didn’t see them? Just looking for any insights into how the bears could be effecting the deer patterns and tips on how i should adjust. I have attached a photo from last year of the area so you can get an idea of the country i am hunting. Thanks

 

[Bubblehide]

Bears eat more fawns (during the fawning/birth season) than all other predators combined (their nose guides them), otherwise, they are likely to have little effect on the deer. The deer are highly likely to be on north and north east facing slopes. The bears will be where the food is. Typically, there is a big overlap in the areas used by deer and bears. But, you are highly likely not seeing deer because they are primarily nocturnal during summer months. Daytime activity requires more water, which means more exposure to predators, and escape heats the body, rmdrainibg both food/energy and water reserves, requiring replenishment of both. Simply put, the deer are in their summer range, and primarily nocturnal. .