Why do deer follow this route?
11-02-2016, 11:23 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 14
Why do deer follow this route?
The farm where I hunt has a manmade pond, maybe a third of an acre, hidden in the woods but closely bordered on two sides by agricultural fields. The pond was made in a three-sided natural valley, with an earthen dam at the low end.
Animals of all kinds, including many deer, travel the length of the dam, even though there appears to be little evidence of them drinking from the pond (i.e., tracks continue straight across the top without ever going down to the water.)
Has anyone else noticed this sort of behavior, and if so, are there any specific ways to hunt this particular type of travel path more effectively?
Animals of all kinds, including many deer, travel the length of the dam, even though there appears to be little evidence of them drinking from the pond (i.e., tracks continue straight across the top without ever going down to the water.)
Has anyone else noticed this sort of behavior, and if so, are there any specific ways to hunt this particular type of travel path more effectively?
11-02-2016, 12:30 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,834
Deer are like humans. They are lazy!!!! If you have a choice of walking thru a briar patch and then Russian Autumn Olive or across an open field, which way are you going to go to get to the same point of interest? Deer are the same way. They will travel that pond dam to get between 2 points because it has the path of least resistance and still afford them cover if needed in just a few bounces. Put a stand near each end and watch the wind and you will have a pinch point for times to come.
11-03-2016, 02:04 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
Lazy in the sense they follow the path of least resistance. It is a funnel of sorts so you would hunt it in the same manner you would any funnel.
They also eat till full then go some place to bed and chew their cuds too.
Al
They also eat till full then go some place to bed and chew their cuds too.
Al
11-06-2016, 06:10 PM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
Seems to me that you should set-up on one side or the other of the path they travel to cross the dam.
I would rather hunt the side they enter from, as they will be very cautious approaching that opening (time for you to put the cross hairs on them); as opposed to getting to the other side when they want to get into cover ASAP.
BTW - They probably get their drink upstream in the cover.
I would rather hunt the side they enter from, as they will be very cautious approaching that opening (time for you to put the cross hairs on them); as opposed to getting to the other side when they want to get into cover ASAP.
BTW - They probably get their drink upstream in the cover.
11-07-2016, 08:24 AM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 14
Good thoughts everyone, I appreciate it.
There's really no "upstream" in this case since the pond is just in a watershed - no creek in or out except perhaps for a few hours after very heavy rain. But I do know which way they usually come in across the dam, so great tip to set up overlooking that!
There's really no "upstream" in this case since the pond is just in a watershed - no creek in or out except perhaps for a few hours after very heavy rain. But I do know which way they usually come in across the dam, so great tip to set up overlooking that!
