It was a bust! I saw the same 2 fawns and doe in the same area, got to within less than 20 feet of the fawn and it knew something wasn't right, but didn't panic and went about it's business. Then mom stepped out and saw a blob sitting in the middle of the trail, realized it wasn't there before and panicked. I found some sign that will help me next year as I made my way down next to an older cut, but didn't find any more deer.
2 things I've found in the area have led me to believe the deer are even more pressured than I thought; I came out of the woods to find 2 fresh dog piles across the road from my truck, as well as quite a few spots where the dogs were digging around in the dirt, and I've found multiple sets of cat tracks, as well as one set that was quickly following a very large set of deer tracks where the deer seemed to be in a big hurry heading down the mountain.
I have lots of mental notes in case I intend to hunt the area again next year, but a friend has decided to get into hunting and we plan on going next year. My plan is to go over topo maps and find a low pressure valley or two in a wilderness area, extensively scout from as early as possible to make sure there's an established herd and mature bucks, pattern their daily routines and make sure they stay the same, pack in and hide supplies so we can sneak in more quietly when it counts, then come out with a nice buck or two next year
