Had not seen any in a while until last night when 5 BIG deer sauntered down the road. They did seem a little more skitish than they had in the past.

Had not seen any in a while until last night when 5 BIG deer sauntered down the road. They did seem a little more skitish than they had in the past.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is rough on deer.

So should we take the re-appearance of the deer as a sign of impending spring weather?

 

Only if the fawn see their shadow!!

Deer in our area don't "yard", this is an occurence for animals that must survive brutal winters. I will venture a guess that they aren't seeing as many do to the EHD, or "Blue Tongue" outbreak this summer. I don't know how severe it was in NKY, but in EKY it killed in my estimate up to 30 percent of the herd.

 

I have hunted deer in many states and found that a deer is a deer and their instincts are the same regardless of the area they call home. IMO, All deer yard in the winter. It is natures way to help them survive after a brutal breeding season and allows them to conserve body fat as food supplies dwindle during the Winter season. It may not be an area that stretches miles deep in the woods of your area but I would be willing to say there is a yarding area in their homerange.

I live inside the city limits and saw deer on a daily basis in my backyard but as Winter approached those deer sightings are not as numerous as they once were. This is what we experience year after year and when Spring approaches the sightings become regular once again. This may or may not be the case in your area. Time will tell.

I'm sure that "Blue Tongue" has decreased numbers in some areas but the other posters stated they were seeing them before the open hunt in their area.

The whitetail is the most adaptable animal in the world. They do relocate to areas where there is food. The times when they are most visible to the general public, besides the rut. Is in the summer after the browse in the woods has become to tough for them. At this time of the year they will find a food source, regardless of where it may be and will not stray far from it.. As far as "yarding" they will do it to some degree here, but nothing like they do in harsher climates.

The whitetail is the most adaptable animal in the world. They do relocate to areas where there is food. The times when they are most visible to the general public, besides the rut. Is in the summer after the browse in the woods has become to tough for them. At this time of the year they will find a food source, regardless of where it may be and will not stray far from it.. As far as "yarding" they will do it to some degree here, but nothing like they do in harsher climates.

 

You are correct in that they are one of the most adaptable animals. One of the reason's we see them near our homes is we have invaded their territory and made it ours. There are very few cities that do not have a local deer population. I also agree that they become more visible during daylight hours during the rut but I am not convinced they move because of summer browse being too tough as you have mentioned. I have watched deer chew on green briar's like they were candy bars.

I also agree with you that they stay close to their food source as this is imo a part of the yarding process. As I stated earlier, "yarding" is mother nature's way to ensure the deer keep their body fat to help them survive the Winter month's and ensures they remain healthy until they drop their fawns in the Spring.

Yes, they will chew on a greenbrier likes it candy...........at the right time of the year. Trust me.... whitetails eat way more browse in the spring and early summer when shoots are tender than they do when things dry out and browse gets tough and hard to digest. Whitetails are like people they eat what tastes good to them. Don't believe me ?? Plant your garden beside a patch of clover or soybeans and see how much deer bother your garden. Point is deer around here have options in late winter and don't have to yard, In years of poor mast they may congregate in areas of food but they do not "yard" like deer in Northern climates

They ripped up my neighbor's Japanese maple the other night. He was none to pleased. I saw some hoof prints in the snow. I'm more worried about stray arrows than I am deer running around.

I know about the deer in Ft. Thomas. I hear one's been hit every once in a while. Robertson County has them to. We have a albino deer that comes out in a field close to our house. Thankfully, the hunters haven't killed it. People have stopped to take pictures of it. I'd like to get a digital camera, so I could post it on here for all to see. The one I had has quit on me.

Yes, they will chew on a greenbrier likes it candy...........at the right time of the year. Trust me.... whitetails eat way more browse in the spring and early summer when shoots are tender than they do when things dry out and browse gets tough and hard to digest. Whitetails are like people they eat what tastes good to them. Don't believe me ?? Plant your garden beside a patch of clover or soybeans and see how much deer bother your garden. Point is deer around here have options in late winter and don't have to yard, In years of poor mast they may congregate in areas of food but they do not "yard" like deer in Northern climates

 

Your comment on deer chewing on browse more in Spring and early Summer is true because their preferred food source isn't available to them during the time frame you mentioned. As the season's change, the acorns begin to ripe along with other mast that deer prefer and they then begin to feed less on browse. Once again as I mentioned previously the time of year dictates their feeding patterns.

I don't claim to know it all as I will be the first to tell you that I learn something new each time I go into the woods but with more than 30 years bow hunting experience I'll stand by what I have posted.

I think it is safe to say we agree to disagree.:thumb: