Spring Deer Patterns
 

Up here in N. WI, deer seem to be on the move. Seeing large (for us anyway) groups of 8 or more together. I am guessing they are about to disperse to summer habitats.

What are you seeing right now in early April?

I'm seeing Does showing up in there habitual/traditional birthing areas. And a few two year old Bucks that are still hanging out with Mom.

A good time to thin out the Predator population. Yotes are soon to have litters and they will be hunting 24/7.

Deer are moving now because they are hungry, at least here in PA after our winter. Spring is the worst time of the year for deer, they have used the fat reserve and browsed most of what they can reach so not that tree and shrub buds are poping and some green is begining to show on the ground they are looking for food. Many of the doe are carrying fawns and need nurishment before they give birth in late May and June.

Yep, up here in MI it's not uncommon by now to see a lot of them out almost all day eating in the fields that are starting to green up so they can start replacing the fat reserves they exhausted over the long winter.

We had a really mild winter here, forage wasn't really an issue. The grass was green most all winter. Seems like a lot of things are happening earlier, from the Apple tress blooming to the migratory birds returning.

I forgot you guys had a really bad winter.

I'm actually worrying a lot more about the turkeys than the deer, especially up north at my cabin 180 miles from here.

Saw 25 on the morning walk with the pup yesterday, Last evening we had 18 in the front yard. they seem very fat, well DA they will have fawns soon, but the snow here didn't get all that deep this past winter and when we did get it it was late January. They worked the corn field over real well and were pawing up the green grass in the front yard too.
They are starting to shed but that has slowed down from what early March was as the temps have seemed to stabilize at the mid 40F to low 50F range.
I saw 19 this morning on our walk and they are allowing me to get with in 10 feet or so of them and then they just walk off, Not far as they are still are working the left over acorns from last falls bumper crop.

:D Al

Alley, pretty soon you will have them hopping into the back of your truck ready to go for a ride to the butcher shop!

I do my own butchering so all they need to do is walk in the door.

:D Al

I'm seeing groups of 4-5 deer (doe and buck) lurking around and eating up some corn that I have out for them. There are a couple different groups roaming the area. Im in the Southern Indiana area