A Shift In Deer Behavior

[msbadger]

Well. Mark Anthony....I just read your piece on another forum....quite interesting and well written ...a very familiar subject ..kudos [;)]

[Marc Anthony]

Wow, word travels fast!

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Ifishandhunt]

You have my attention... I am curious, can you provide a link to the forum Ms B is eluding too?

[Marc Anthony]

ORIGINAL: Ifishandhunt

You have my attention... I am curious, can you provide a link to the forum Ms B is eluding too?

Glad to, here you go: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/ind ... _behavior/

[Ifishandhunt]

Marc... you are spot on! My buddy and I were talking about this very topic last night as we ate (too much) and watched the game. He produces hunting videos and has been busy with his partners and noticed changes this year too. I hunt a small private 80 acre parcel of land with 2 other guys. At first I thought I was seeing less deer in general, and to an extent I believe it's true, but the place I hunt had me confused and bewildered. I was STUCK in the mindset that I would see the deer in their normal routine as I have over the years on this property and it wasn't happening but I kept up my normal routine thinking things would be as they always were. I think I read something on D&DH that woke me up and broke my stubborn streak - it boiled down to insanity: continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different outcome. I reallized it was me that was insane (temporarily[:D]) so I finally changed. I ended up seeing more deer too... I reallized they repatterned their entry and exits from this property (the property is a pass through as they go from bedding to eating) ---on the totally opposite side of the property than I was hunting. I finally figured it out by scouting it mid-season.

So ultimately this year I have noticed a change in pattern altogether from what I have seen the past couple years on this property. You may indeed be correct in your statement that the deer had ME patterned or at least they did the first half of our season. It took me that long to figure out! So I ended up abandoning two stands that were my favorite and most productive... because this year I never saw deer near them except during the rut and by then I had already shot my buck (one buck rule in Ohio) so I could only admire them as they were running around looking for love. It was shortly after that I stopped seeing the deer and had to find a new spot.

Something I figured out this past month too: once I had their pattern figured out, they changed again but this time through observation I believe it was food sources that had them changed. Their morning activity became their evening activity and vice versa. What I mean by that is normally I would see them early in the morning coming from the east and walking westward to the next property that is heavily wooded. From what I could tell, they were coming back from feeding in cornfields and going into the woods to bed. They would come back out at dusk from the west and head back to the fields to eat. Well, this past month, I noticed in the morning they were entering the property from the west (the woods) and going eastward toward the corn field but most likely into some think uncut fields and brush that was near the corn fields (now buried in snow) to bed. I don't know about you, but to me this stuff is interesting and exciting! I am constantly learning new things as I become more acquainted with the animal I hunt.

I am probably rambling on, but suffice to say, I agree with you.

[Powell1120]

Fantastic article. There is bound to be success for those who take this article seriously. I know it hits home for me to an extent. I always try to make some changes to my stands every year but I always have my favorite ones that produced last year but don't do as well in years to follow. Nice insight Marc.

[SHKYBoonie]

Great read Marc! I have always tried to live by the rule of, never over stay your welcome. By this I mean, I try not to go to any one stand more than a couple of times in a row and never come and go the same way twice to that stand. With that said, some stand locations do not offer that liberty. I have had to fight myself sometimes to keep from going to a stand over and over because there is so much sign around it. This year my favorite stand did not produce one sighting of a deer. I found the deer after a few investigating stand hours and they were in places I had not really witnessed deer before. Not that they hadn't been there before, but I never had the need to look for them there. I think the biggest thing I took from your article is, be flexible and willing to change as the deer do to you. That's good advise!

[pickleguy]

Awesome article, too many people that watch all the hunting shows think that is the norm when in reality it is a rarity. I actually feel sorry for anyone young or old that harvests a trophy on there first or second trip afield. It gives them a false hope as to what deer hunting is really about. I wish tv shows would show some of the things that were mentioned in the article, but that would make for a realistic boring show.

[SwampLife]

yes. Your article was intended toward the midwest but it is soooooo applicable to any heavy pressured herd.

nice.

[bowman12]

Great read, great points! I truly think that deer have patterned our tower stands, one for sure, and in years previous it's been our best stand to harvest mature bucks.