What do you think?
12-17-2007 | 07:52 PM
#21
Site Buck Guru
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,922
Likes: 0
From: Racine, Wisconsin
RE: What do you think?
A lot of it is the bucks individual personality. Some are naturally nocturnal and some aren't. The slightest amount of preaaure will cause alot that aren't nocturnal to become nocturnal.
12-17-2007 | 08:17 PM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,096
Likes: 0
From: Burke, VA (raised in MD)
RE: What do you think?
My thoughts:
Mature bucks realize the season is opening. They don't have calendars but they strongly associate the increased human traffic/scent in the woods with daytime danger. Mature bucksquickly learnthat night time is the safest and they revert to this routine as the season approaches. The only thing that might bring them out of this nocturnal routine is the rut. Even then, if the pressure is high enough, I believe some bucks revert to a schedule that keeps them in deep cover until late at night (~12AM-4AM).
I believe the old bucks understand that the leaves falling from the trees even makes daytime travel more exposed and dangerous for them.
The events of food location, rut, leaf falling andweather are different for all locations and everyone has to put these pieces together in a different order for all of the hunting literature/advice to make sense. For example, the leaves have only been off the trees here for two weeks but the primary rut was almost 2 months ago. The weather here is moderate thru mid November so I don't believe their light coats have the big impact that might occur in colder climates.
The only remedy I have found for this is to reserve the best stands for rut hunting and try to do all of the early season nannywhacking in peripheral spots.
Mature bucks realize the season is opening. They don't have calendars but they strongly associate the increased human traffic/scent in the woods with daytime danger. Mature bucksquickly learnthat night time is the safest and they revert to this routine as the season approaches. The only thing that might bring them out of this nocturnal routine is the rut. Even then, if the pressure is high enough, I believe some bucks revert to a schedule that keeps them in deep cover until late at night (~12AM-4AM).
I believe the old bucks understand that the leaves falling from the trees even makes daytime travel more exposed and dangerous for them.
The events of food location, rut, leaf falling andweather are different for all locations and everyone has to put these pieces together in a different order for all of the hunting literature/advice to make sense. For example, the leaves have only been off the trees here for two weeks but the primary rut was almost 2 months ago. The weather here is moderate thru mid November so I don't believe their light coats have the big impact that might occur in colder climates.
The only remedy I have found for this is to reserve the best stands for rut hunting and try to do all of the early season nannywhacking in peripheral spots.
12-18-2007 | 04:59 AM
#23
Dominant Buck
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 21,043
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From:
RE: What do you think?
I believe that......even with a brain the size of a small pear......they realize when we're after them.....and they avoid us. If moving at night is the best way to achieve this (avoiding us)....then that's what they'll do.
According to 'Deer and Deer Hunting', they aren't going to avoid us by vacating their home turf.....so the best way to avois us is to avoid occupying the same space at the same time. Since we aren't out there at night......makes sense for them to move at that time.
Wouldn't it be interesting to see what would happen if there were a parks system or something that had people visiting ONLY at night. Do you think the deer would get up and move ONLY during the day.....to avoid people?????
Me, too
.
Deer are "completely" nocturnal (IMO).....because we make them that way.
According to 'Deer and Deer Hunting', they aren't going to avoid us by vacating their home turf.....so the best way to avois us is to avoid occupying the same space at the same time. Since we aren't out there at night......makes sense for them to move at that time.
Wouldn't it be interesting to see what would happen if there were a parks system or something that had people visiting ONLY at night. Do you think the deer would get up and move ONLY during the day.....to avoid people?????
Me, too
.Deer are "completely" nocturnal (IMO).....because we make them that way.
12-18-2007 | 05:58 AM
#25
Dominant Buck
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 21,043
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From:
RE: What do you think?
The whitetail deer is one of THE most adaptable creatures on earth.
They move at night because they think it's imperative to their survival. If their chief predator was hunting them ONLY at night.......what do YOU think they'd do?
They move at night because they think it's imperative to their survival. If their chief predator was hunting them ONLY at night.......what do YOU think they'd do?
