deer behavior

When it comes to scouting, the fundamentals of reading deer sign is often times not talked about. The first thing when it comes to reading deer sign that I think is key is simply understanding deer trails. I look for areas that deer trails intersect because if you come back to hunt that area in...

Deer scents in the hunting woods is the original social media. Both the does and the bucks leave different messages through scent emissions that trigger the behavior of both sexes. It’s these sent trails that can lead a hunter to success if used correctly. Great care needs to be taken when deciding what scent to...

Scrapes are a great way for whitetail bucks to communicate. An important part of a scrape is the “licking branch”. Bucks rub their forehead, preorbital and nasal glands on the licking branch, and then paw at the ground and urinate in it. This allows a buck to disperse sent in his area and establish dominance....

A deer’s sense of smell is much better than humans. Whitetails have thousands of sensitive receptors in their nostrils allowing them to sort out six smells at once. A whitetail deer has six to eight cubic inches of nasal surface, while humans only have about one-and-a-half cubic inches. Deer use their sense of smell to...

Water is a crucial part of a whitetail deer’s life. Deer need to drink several times a day, and on average a deer will consume 3-5 quarts of water per day. The hotter the temperature, the more water a deer needs. Deer like to visit a water source on their way to food in the...

Deer Bedding 101: Deer spend a majority of their time bedded. The exact amount of time varies seasonally. Deer spend more time bedded during the day and move more during dawn/dusk/at night. Deer bed where they feel most secure – in places such as CRP with thick cover & food sources. Deer will often change...

Understanding Late Season Behavior After the rut, deer change how they act. Snowfall and colder temperatures trigger them to prepare for winter. Deer will bed much of the day, and will travel long distances for the best food sources, such as corn, wheat or standing beans. When temperatures are colder than average, deer will move...

Buck Behavior During October: Understanding buck behavior during October will surely improve your hunt! During the beginning of October, bucks are on a food to bed pattern. They prefer green food sources and haven’t full shifted to their fall behavior yet. In the middle two weeks of October, bucks spend less time on their feet...

Ramp to the Rut: Hunting 101 – understand the ramp to the rut! As whitetail bucks grow antlers and increase bodyweight, antlers are soft and testosterone levels low. As the season changes, so does behavior. With hardened antlers, testosterone levels rise and steadily increase until does are ready to breed, entering the peak of their...

Early Season Deer Behaviors: Get familiar with early season deer behaviors! During early fall, whitetails are on a bed to food pattern – they feed in the morning and bed during the day. Towards dusk, they start feeding again. Deer prefer green food sources such as beans, alfalfa and clover. They also love water sources....