Are you a wildlife enthusiast looking to create a haven for deer year-round? Understanding deer behavior and habitat needs is essential for effective habitat management. In this article, we’ll explore habitat improvement strategies, assessment of existing habitat features, and the impact of age structure on deer herd health. Understanding Deer Behavior and Needs Deer, in …
Yes, deer will eat grapefruit! Some people outside the hunting and agricultural industries are often surprised to learn that deer will eat just about anything. Deer will eat crops, grasses, vegetation, acorns, and nuts. This means that deer can digest a wide range of plant material. So if you have a grapefruit tree in your …
Are whitetail deer migratory or stationary? Let’s uncover the surprising facts about their winter behavior.
I’m excited to share my knowledge and insights with you. Deer, known for their keen senses and lightning-fast reflexes, make a challenging target for bowhunters like us. Factors such as arrow speed, weight, release, and bow sound significantly affect the arrow’s flight/noise and, consequently, influence deer behavior. Together, we’ll explore what causes deer to jump …
You know what they say, you reap what you sow, and when it comes to planting food plots, this couldn’t be truer. Knowing how much seed to plant can feel like a puzzle. The right balance is critical: sow too much, and you’re wasting valuable resources, too little, and your efforts might not bear fruit. …
Ever wondered about the full scoop on the Pittsburgh Deer Management Pilot Program? This innovative initiative sprung from the necessity to address the escalating issue of deer overpopulation in Pittsburgh’s urban parks, especially in Frick and Riverview Parks. The main aim? Maintaining a balanced and healthy deer population is a task that has become increasingly …
Bewilderment often befalls you when you first spot a cryptorchid buck. It’s a rare and unusual whitetail deer, distinguished by its velvet-covered antlers and distinct lack of typical buck behavior. Cryptorchid bucks suffer from cryptorchidism, meaning one or both testes haven’t descended. This affects not just their physical attributes but also their behavior. They don’t …
For experienced bowhunters, understanding deer attraction to certain foods, like blueberries, is critical. Indeed, deer are drawn to these fruits for their sweetness and nutritional value, feeding on both wild and cultivated varieties. Your blueberry garden isn’t automatically a deer target. Deer often prefer other food like grass and weeds, but taking preventative measures is …
Understanding deer movement in fog is critical for experienced bowhunters. Fog does affect deer behavior significantly. In light fog, deer continue their normal activities. However, they typically seek cover in dense fog, awaiting clearer conditions. This shift in behavior offers strategic advantages for seasoned hunters like you. Utilize the fog to mask your approach, achieving …
As the morning chill of hunting season nips at your nose, you’re nestled next to your propane heater, pondering a crucial question: can deer smell this? Experienced hunters have debated this hotly. Some are confident deer can’t detect the scent, while others claim it scares them off. Key factors like wind direction, the strength of …
Imagine you’re out in the wilderness, quietly stalking a deer. You might wonder how far this creature can hear. Deer have an excellent sense of hearing, far better than ours. With their large, swiveling ears, they can catch the faintest sounds from significant distances, an ability they rely on for survival. In this piece, we’ll …
You might not know, but there’s a heated debate about whether the moon’s phases affect deer movement. As a seasoned hunter, you’re accustomed to the patience and strategy involved in the hunt, but have you considered the moon’s role in your pursuits? Some suggest that deer patterns shift with the moon’s phases, while others believe …
As the saying goes, ‘change is the only constant.’ You’ve probably noticed the bucks that once were a regular part of your landscape have suddenly upped and left. Is it something you’ve done, or is it a natural instinct? Many factors could spark this unexpected departure, from competition for dominance and breeding rights to feeling …
Like any avid deer hunter, I spend the bulk of my free time anticipating the season ahead. This often involves daydreaming about various habitat improvement projects and the potential effect that such improvements would have on the area that I hunt. After all, improving the habitat in a given area is a win, win proposition …
Understanding bachelor groups of bucks is crucial in anticipating their movements post-dispersion. These groups exhibit complex social dynamics, with a clear dominance hierarchy shaping their interactions. The strongest, most mature bucks typically assert dominance, influencing the home range of the group and their patterns of movement. Environmental factors, including food sources and potential threats, also …
When a deer gently taps the earth, it’s not practicing its dance moves—communicating with its kin. As you watch this graceful creature, you might wonder why it pounds the ground with such intention. It’s a warning, a signal to other deer that something isn’t quite right. You see, deer are equipped with a natural alert …
As quick as a flash, you spot a deer sprinting across the forest clearing. You might ask yourself how fast that deer’s legs carry it away. Well, you’re in the right place to find out. In your exploration, you’ll learn that a deer, such as the common whitetail, can run as fast as 35 miles …
Most hunters are well aware of the value associated with locating and identifying deer sign. Whether actively hunting or simply scouting, uncovering deer sign is a promising discovery. Scrapes, rubs, and even fresh tracks all serve as valuable sign to any hunter on a scout trip. However, many hunters overlook the value of locating and …
The nocturnal behavior of bucks has long posed a challenge for hunters and conservationists. Do they even exist, and how can we effectively hunt and manage these elusive creatures? Is there such a thing as a 100% nocturnal buck? The answer is no! Some deer are changing activity patterns for several reasons (ex., hunting pressure) …
Through a sophisticated array of sensory abilities, bucks employ various strategies to evade hunting pressure and ensure their survival. Comparable to skilled detectives, bucks possess acute hearing, a strong sense of smell, and excellent peripheral vision, allowing them to detect and sense danger from a distance. Crepuscular by nature, they browse mainly at dawn and …
Bowhunting for deer, whether from a treestand or a ground blind, is undeniably exciting. There is little in life as thrilling as attempting to remain undetected while drawing your bow when a woods-wise buck stands only yards away. However, the flip side is that disheartening misses and instances of less than desirable shot placement occasionally …
Have you ever wondered how to find out where deer are bedding? We are going to answer that question for you! Understanding their preferred bedding areas can set up a game plan to hunt them more effectively. read.. Identifying Deer Droppings & Scat How far do Deer Travel from their Bedding Area According to Whitetail …
In the world of bowhunting, the difference between success and agonizing defeat often comes down to a matter of mere inches. While a well-placed arrow often equates to a quick, efficient kill, a less-than-stellar shot can prove quite troublesome and has a tendency to leave behind a lengthy blood trail. Deer hunting is no exception …
Bowhunting is a popular activity that requires a great deal of skill and knowledge. To hunt ethically and lawfully, bowhunters must identify their target species correctly. Mule deer and white-tailed deer are two common species in North America that bowhunters seek after. Understanding the differences in appearance, behavior, and habitat between these two species can …
Isn’t it wonderful when you finally hit that perfect shot with your crossbow, and the deer drops right where it stands? Unfortunately, that’s not always how things play out in real life. Even fatally wounded deer can sometimes run a considerable distance before they succumb to their injuries. So, how long should I wait after …
Whitetail deer are known for their agility and overall athleticism, allowing them to avoid predators and dodge danger under various conditions. When stressed or scared, deer can run remarkably, covering ground much faster than most predators. Deer also tend to leap relatively tall obstacles, such as fences, with minimal effort. This, in itself, begs an …
With each year, an ever-growing number of hunters are coming to recognize the value of planting food plots. Generally speaking, thoughtfully planted and well-maintained food plots prove highly attractive to the deer in a given area. Additionally, food plots supplement the nutrition of natural browse within the area where they are planted. However, one must …
Many hunters find themselves elated whenever they receive a long-awaited picture of a mature buck on their trail camera. This, of course, is only natural, as a hunter’s mind spins at light speed, contemplating the opportunity of crossing paths with a true monarch whitetail. However, many of these same hunters also wonder if a particular …
As most are well aware, the weather heavily affects deer movement. However, some hunters are still uncertain as to when the best deer movement tends to take place. There are also many folk tales regarding how the weather affects deer movement, complicating matters further and making it hard to discern fact from fiction. Many of …
As a hunter, I know all too-well how keen a whitetail’s sense of smell is. They use this strength to their advantage to detect any danger that may lurk within proximity. Deer use this strength to their advantage when attempting to detect the presence of danger at a distance. The average whitetail deer can detect …