Do your deer leave the area for a while?

[marky.mark]

I’m hoping this is a common thing for all of you. I have my new area I’m hunting this season and has deer showing up almost daily to my mineral rock. For the last month they haven’t been on camera at all though. I know they aren’t gone because maybe 200 yards away they are all at the food plot I built for dad. My question is, will they start coming through the area again, will others come back around? Did I ruin my spot? I only go in there maybe 1 time a week. Once the colder weather comes around should I expect the patterns to change again and start seeing more action again?

Do any of you notice these patterns sometimes?

[Jeff Kavanagh]

That is a very broad question, but yes, deer can change what they are doing for a variety of reasons. Overall though if you have a productive area and you don't mess things up by intruding too much it will always hold deer. Micromanaging won't work. That's why it's called hunting.

[cantgetright]

I find the deer hit my mineral plots in phases. Hit it hard in spring and for a week or two at a time through the summer. They use it regularly for the first month of bow season but not much while the rut is on around the first week of November. They will come to it all winter as well.

[marky.mark]

Cantgetitright....I think that’s what I was looking for. They hit hard all late spring up until literally August 1. Then have been at the other end of the farm at a little food plot I built. I know it’s the same deer cause of the antlers and marking on a couple of them. This makes sense to me now. They probably are just looking for different nutrients at this time. I’ll start feeding them corn shortly. This seems to keep them around all fall.

[marky.mark]

Cantgetitright....I think that’s what I was looking for. They hit hard all late spring up until literally August 1. Then have been at the other end of the farm at a little food plot I built. I know it’s the same deer cause of the antlers and marking on a couple of them. This makes sense to me now. They probably are just looking for different nutrients at this time. I’ll start feeding them corn shortly. This seems to keep them around all fall.

[FishHog]

Agreed they go after the nutrition they need and that changes with what Mother Nature is providing.

Once a week into the area might be too much as well. Depending on what they are used too and how many people are in the area. Some guys will only hit a spot 3 times a year before they think it’s too much. But other spots they might tolerate daily presence. But why do you need to go in that often? Less often won’t hurt

[Sam Menard]

Deer don’t have exclusive territories, but live on home ranges that they share with other deer. A typical home range can be a couple of square miles in area. Usually a buck’s home range is larger than that of a doe. Within their home range, they will have a core area that they spend most of their time. Core areas can be a quarter the size (or less) of their home range. Unfortunately, a deer's home range can overlap property boundaries, which means that your neighbour might shoot that buck that you’ve been fattening up all year.

A deer’s nutritional requirements change frequently throughout the year. Most of us enjoy pizza, but couldn’t eat it every day. In fact, at some point you would crave a change that might include fruit and vegetables. This is a simple example, but you get my drift. This seasonal dietary change may cause a deer to move to another area within their home range. A deer may spend the summer near a grain field, but will move to a cedar bush in the fall.

In the summer, deer may also relocate closer to water sources if it’s been too hot.

During the growing season, a deer’s objective is to pack on the pounds to recover from last winter, grow older, and to store fat for the coming winter. Not all forage is created equal so they vary their diets to ensure that they get what they need.

[MikePal]

Unfortunately, a deer's home range can overlap property boundaries, which means that your neighbour might shoot that buck that you’ve been fattening up all year.

Very good synopsis Sam..some guys forget that wildlife move with the seasons, others plant food pots to try and keep deer in an area that they would normally move away from in the fall. Doesn't usually work...especially if we have and early winter.

My farm and the surround 3-4 km is a static area for does...seen year round. It's a mix of cedar, hardwoods and a creek that is surround by agricultural fields (soy/corn) .

I rarely see bucks until the fall when they start to move into the area for the rut. I've had a few guys comment that the buck on the poll at camp is one they have been watching 5 miles a way all summer.

[rippin_355]

Your deer?!

Sent from my SM-G925W8 using Tapatalk