Whitetail Instinct Volume 1:Issue 2
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Transcript of Whitetail Instinct Volume 1:Issue 2
Pursuit The
Deer Population Characteristics
Protect Our
Public Lands North American Model of Conservation
Common Thread
Deer Vision Age Structure Turkey “The Wildlife Can’t Speak For Themselves, So Hunters Must”
Hunters
Wildlife Management Area Pressure Dippin’
“Deer, Simply Put, Are Color Blind.” Strips @whitetailinstinct
Rods & Cones Continue
“We Call Them Trophy Hunters For A Reason.”
Dawn and Dusk What Is Soil
pH? Trail Camera Survey
“So, How Do We Get Through The Off-Season?” Full Inventory Of Bucks
Moon
2
Brought to You By...
Your online source for whitetail habitat management and
quality deer hunting information.
Flip to the end of the magazine to see a special
announcement from Whitetail Instinct
3
In This Issue March 2016
Volume 1, Issue 2
Protecting Our Public Lands
As, hunters, we all need to step up and protect our
public lands, or they might just disappear.
Rethink Your Deer Season
Did your season not go as planned? It might be time
for you to rethink how you approach deer season.
Time To Take An Inventory
Spring is a great time to run a trail camera survey on
your property. In Part 1 of this article we tell you
how.
Turkey Dippin’ Strips
A great, easy recipe for all those whitetail hunters
who also hunt those tough gobblers.
What Does A Deer See?
This article is for those of you who have ever
wondered how a deer can see you from so far away
or pick you out in your tree stand.
Hard Earned Bucks
Trophy bucks don’t come easy, especially on public
land. But with hard work it can be done.
The Moons Effect
Does the moon actually have an effect on when an
dhow much deer move. We find out in this article.
4
5
6
9
10
13
16
18
22
What is Soil pH?
Soil pH has a great
effect on you food plots
overall success.
Spring Break
We give some tips to
help you get over those
off-season blues.
4
Editors Thoughts
As hunters we need to protect our public lands.
Chance Vorderstrasse
A s the years have gone by I have
realized that not everybody is exactly
like me. Who would have guessed?
Just like we all live the way we want,
we all hunt the way we want. Some
choose to drive deer, yet others use
tree stands. You can use 100 decoys
or you can use six. Rifle or bow, 12
gauge or 20 gauge? The differences
are many and the reasons why are
even more abundant. Through it all
one thing remains constant. A
common thread that weaves the
fibers of our differences into a blaze
orange coat we all share. Hunting
has evolved throughout its long
history and with it so have hunters.
The North American Model of
Conservation may be the greatest
thing ever invented. The best part,
that the wildlife and land belongs to
everyone. Yes, it actually says that.
“Whilst the fundamental principles
upon which the common property in
game rests have undergone no
change, the development of free
institutions has lead [sic] to the
recognition of the fact that the power
or control lodged in the State,
resulting from the common
ownership, is to be exercised, like all
other powers of government, as a
trust for the benefit of all people, and
not as a prerogative for the
advantage of the government, as
distinct from the people, or for the
benefit of private individuals as
distinguished from the public” (161
U.S. 519, 1896). Wildlife is for all of
us, period. End of story.
Stop and think about how lucky you are as a sportsman or sportswoman to live in a country that values wildlife and conservation. Not only does it benefit hunters, but it benefits everybody. And it should stay that way. In light of recent events at Malheur Wildlife Refuge and other groups wanting to put public lands up for sale to the highest bidder, it is time that hunters come together. We are all different, there is no denying that. However, we all have one thing in common. A love for wildlife and conservation. It is that thread that binds us all together. If we don’t all come together to ensure that OUR public lands stay OUR public lands, you can bet that someone with a pocket full of cash will step in to take it for themselves. I encourage every hunter to become involved in not only this issue, but all conservation
related issues. I also invite you to visit www.sportsmanaccess.org. I am in no way connected with this organization and gain nothing from telling you to visit their website, only to help ensure future generations have access to public land. While on the website, sign the petition. By signing the petition and filling out some basic information you send a letter via email to your local senator saying you want to keep public lands public. As hunters we are all in this together. The wildlife can’t speak for themselves, so hunters must.
Chance Vorderstrasse
5
Editors Thoughts
Rethink Your Deer Season
The early season anticipation is over.
The rut has run its course. The last
ditch efforts of the late season have
taken place. Deer season is over.
But as deer season ends another one
begins. Starting at about this time
every year is the season of “dreams”.
Dreams about what was and what’s
to come.
A dream can be defined as the
pursuit of an unknown outcome,
working towards something that
may or may not occur.
For most that work starts now: shed
hunting, planning food plot
locations, scouting, finding new
stand sites. All of these things are
done in the pursuit of an unknown
outcome, the pursuit of a dream.
There is no guarantee that a buck
will walk in front of your stand.
There is no guarantee that you will
still have that lease next year, that a
big buck will stay on your property,
or that the food plot you planted will
grow. But what can be guaranteed,
is the pursuit of that dream.
This season’s pursuit was not what I
had hoped for. The arrow never left
my bow, the bullet never left my
gun. There was no sightings of huge
bucks, doe sightings were hard to
come by, and in the end I didn’t
leave the woods with a deer in the
back of the truck. It was not what I
had dreamed of. I kept asking
myself , “How am I going to become
the deer hunter I want to become if
this is how my seasons are going to
go.” I realized this offseason that I
had a choice to make. I could either
dream about what could have been
and what might be in the future or I
could continue the pursuit.
This season made me understand
that the obstacles in my way weren’t
going to move just because I had a
dream. I would have to keep
working at it. The fear wasn’t going
to go away, the doubt wasn’t
leaving, and the disappointments
still happened.
It may have been disappointing this
year having to lease a piece of
ground to hunt on, having to move
stands multiple times on public land
because of hunting pressure, or
having put in hundreds of man hours
creating the perfect habitat and food
plots and still only having does walk
in front of your stand. But my advice
to you is, keep working. Keep
pushing forward, make habitat
improvements, shoot your bow a
few more times, learn all you can
learn. Change your attitude on what
you think your dream is. Change it
from one you think about every now
and then as you wait for opening
day, to one you live every day. So
one day, when you sign the papers
to your own piece of ground, hang
that record book deer on the wall, or
have your own show, you can look
back and be thankful you kept on
pursuing your dream.
I don’t know what your hunting
dream is. Maybe it is to own your
own land, to go on a hunt of a life
time, or to tag a Boone and Crocket
buck. Whatever it is, it deserves to
be pursued because in the end it is
not the goal that makes you who you
are, it’s the pursuit of it.
Brody Vorderstrasse
Co-founder: Whitetail Instinct
Brody Vorderstrasse
7
Survey Trail Camera
Part 1 of our series on conducting a trail camera survey on your property.
While scouting a new piece of public
ground, a Whitetail Instinct team
member and myself were finally able
to enter a piece of the property that
we hadn’t scouted before and it was
an area that we really wanted to get
into while hunting the fall before.
Because of a fear of doing more
harm than good during the season
we had waited for our post-season
scouting trip to enter this area of the
property. It turned out to be all we
had hoped it would be.
8
A thick nasty bedding area adjacent to a larger river. There had
to be deer using this during the fall. As we finished up the day,
we had found trails full of deer tracks, multiple scrapes, and
multiple rubs. We knew come June we were going to have to
risk it and put trail cameras out on this piece of public ground.
Next June finally rolled around and a trail camera was put out.
After viewing the pictures we were excited to see several good
deer. The decision was made to take the camera back and leave
it for another month. Getting the camera back for a second
time, we were excited to see what deer were on the camera
again. After putting the memory card in the computer, we were
not as excited to see that we had no pictures. It wasn’t because
no deer had walked by, because I am sure they had. It was
because the memory card somehow got locked. The
disappointment was horrible. It is funny now, but when it
happened, funny was the farthest thing from our minds.
Hunters and managers love trail cameras because they get to
see what deer are using their property and are also able to track
those deer over several years. For most, it is like Christmas
morning when we get to pull cards from our trail cameras.
Keeping an inventory of bucks using your property is fun, but
trail cameras can be used for something a little more important,
estimating deer population characteristics.
This might not sound like fun to some, but I assure you it is not
as bad as it sounds. Essentially it means using your trail camera
to see how many deer are using your property. This is extremely
important and for deer managers it’s invaluable knowledge. You
don’t have to be a biologist to do a trail camera survey, the math
is pretty simple and it can really help you improve your property.
Population Characteristics
There are many characteristics of a deer populations, these
characteristics can help you or a biologist make
recommendations about harvest rates, habitat changes, and
much more. The first thing a trail camera survey can tell you is
buck to doe ratio. We mentioned this in the second part of our
October web series and also in the last issue of the Whitetail
Instinct Magazine when we talked about how many does you
should harvest. This is simply the number of adult does to adult
bucks in the population. Deer populations that lean heavily
towards does means you are harvesting way too many bucks.
Your property would benefit from an increased doe harvest.
Ratios between 3 does to 1 buck and a 1 to 1 ratio are all
considered acceptable based on what your management goals
are.
Age structure of the deer population on your property can also
be determined by a trail camera survey. This relates to how
many deer are in each age class. If like most, you are concerned
with growing larger deer, what you should be concerned with is
the age structure of your property. An even age structure is
considered very important and should be a goal of all property
owners. This means letting young bucks grow old and harvesting
older age class deer. For most this is what you are already
aiming to do. Conducting a trail camera survey allows you to see
where you actually stand when it comes to those goals.
Setting Up The Survey
To wrap up this article we tell you how to set up and start your
trail camera survey. As this article will be published in March
you will be able to conduct your survey in a few months.
Typically, surveys are conducted in August so that individual
bucks can be differentiated. Then in the June issue of the
magazine we will tell you how to interpret the data and do the
math that is required to get your results.
The first thing to realize with trail camera surveys is that their
accuracy increases as camera density and length of survey
increases. For the best trail camera survey it is recommended
by the Mississippi State Deer Lab that you conduct your trail
camera surveys in an area that will not have acorns competing
with your bait pile and with a camera density of 1 camera every
100 acres for a length of 10-14 days. Remember to review state
laws for baiting. It may help to obtain an aerial photo to
determine where to place trail cameras. For the best results
place cameras in areas where deer frequent so you can get a
maximum number of photos. Once you have a site chosen, clear
away vegetation and tree limbs from the area. This ensures a
clear picture. Always try to point the camera north and also
include a sign with each station’s number that can be seen in the
photos. Record this number on your aerial map.
Prebaiting each station is also recommended. You should do
this for 4-6 days before you start the survey. Prebait by
spreading around 20 pounds of shelled corn at each camera site.
Program the cameras with time and date and set them to take
pictures every 5 minutes. Place the camera at a distance from
the bait pile recommended by the manufacturer.
Make sure to check your cameras and bait piles every other day.
When you pick up memory cards, download pictures to a folder
specific for each camera site. Change out memory cards and
batteries if necessary.
Continue to monitor your cameras for the next two weeks. Soon
you will be able to calculate the results of your survey. The
results will help your produce healthier deer and manage your
property more effectively. Remember to check back for the next
issue of Whitetail Instinct Magazine for the conclusion of
conducting your own trail camera survey.
9
Deer Camp
Bedding Recipes
Something for
the turkey
hunters!
INGREDIENTS Turkey Breast (Cut into 1/2 thick strips) 1/2 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper Cooking/Frying Oil
1 Cup Buttermilk 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
2 Cups of Flower 1/2 Tablespoon Black Pepper
1) Cut your turkey into 1/2 inch thick strips.
2) Add enough buttermilk to submerge strips
We found it took more than 1/2 cup. Make sure you have plenty of buttermilk.
3) Put a few turkey strips into the buttermilk.
4) Take flower, pepper, and onion powder into bowl.
We found it takes a lot of seasoning to be able to notice it. Don’t be afraid to add a lot. And you can use almost anything
you want.
5) Take strip out of buttermilk and into seasonings and flower. Cover turkey strip.
6) Shake off excess flour.
7) Next pour cooking oil into frying pan and heat.
8) Once oil is hot insert turkey strips.
9) Cook until outside is golden brown and crunchy.
(Always make sure meat is thoroughly cooked)
10) Continue until all strips are cooked.
This recipe taken from Midwest Whitetail May 25, 2015 Off-Season Main Show
10
Whitetail What Is Inside
The Color Spectrum
Predator VS Prey
“The retina in a deer’s eye contains two types of
specialized, light sensitive cells called rods and
cones. One main difference between the eyes of
deer and humans can be seen when we compare
the number of rods and cones.”
“Deer are, simply put, color blind. This means deer can
distinguish blue from red, but not green from red, or
orange from red. The color deer see best is blue and they
can also see yellows and UV light. “
“Almost everyone knows that prey animals, like
deer, have their eyes positioned on the side of
their heads. This allows them to have a 300 de-
gree field of view, compared to about 120 degrees
for humans. “
11
The past 15 to 20 years have seen a dramatic increase in
the amount of technology being used to help hunters.
Optics, scent elimination products, and weapons have all
undergone their own revolutions. All for the purpose of
tilting the advantage in favor of the hunter. But are
these products actually helping us in the field or just
giving us a false sense of security.
The most obvious product revolution in hunting is the
camo clothing that we wear. The detail and realism of
today’s camouflage makes it seem like you will be
invisible when you enter the woods, but is it really any
better than the surplus army camo hunters used to wear.
In the next few paragraphs we will take a look at a
whitetails vision and try to understand what a deer sees.
How a Whitetail’s Eye Differs From Ours
So what makes a whitetail’s eye different from a
humans? Well, it all starts with what’s inside the eye.
The retina in a deer’s eye contains two types of
specialized, light sensitive cells called rods and cones.
The rods are more sensitive to light, therefore, they help
with nighttime vision, but the down side is that they
don’t see color. The cones are less sensitive to light, but
allows them to see colors. One main difference between
the eyes of deer and humans can be seen when we
compare the number of rods and cones. Deer have more
rods, but a lower number of cones. This means that
there nighttime vision is better than ours, but they have
worse daylight and color vision. Studies have found that
deer possess only two types of cones rather than the
three that humans have. So what is the significance of
lacking a certain type of cone? It affects what colors a
deer can see.
A Whitetail’s Color Spectrum
Humans have three types of cones. One that is sensitive
to short, medium, and long wavelengths. This allows us
to see blues, greens, and reds. Deer, however, lack the
red cone. Deer are, simply put, color blind. This means
deer can distinguish blue from red, but not green from
red, or orange from red. Although it may seem like
humans have an advantage when it comes to sight, deer
can see wavelengths of light that hunters can’t. Deer
sense colors better towards the violet end of the
12
spectrum, which allows them to see blues and ultraviolet
better than humans can. In conclusion, shades of reds and
greens appear to deer as different shades of gray. The
color deer see best is blue and they can also see yellows
and UV light.
Deer and UV Light
The theory is that UV brighteners in clothing and
detergents make a hunter stand out more to a deer.
Humans can’t see UV light because we possess a UV filter
that helps protect our eyes. Deer do not have this UV
filter. This allows them to see UV light, but it still makes it
hard for deer to see fine detail. Since they lack this filter,
it would be highly likely that deer see UV light better than
we do. To what degree we stand out is still fairly
unknown. It is theorized that deer might see a slight blue
tint in our clothes when they look at us.
Predator versus Prey
Almost everyone knows that prey animals, like deer, have
their eyes positioned on the side of their heads. This
allows them to have a 300 degree field of view, compared
to about 120 degrees for humans. An increased field of
view is not the only advantage a deer has because of the
position of their eyes.
The wide position of the eye creates the need for a pupil
that is more rectangular and horizontal than a humans is.
This allows more light to filter in, helping with low light
conditions. There is also something called a tapetum
lucidum. This is a reflective layer that gives deer “eye
shine”. It also reflects light back over the rods and cones
again, giving deer a second chance at using light they
didn’t use the first time. Essentially, they are using the
same light twice.
Another advantage to having a more horizontal pupil is
that it gives deer greater detail along a horizontal swath in
the middle of their field of vision. This means that an
object a deer is looking at straight on is equally in focus as
something out to the side. Our view is different from deer
because we have a fairly small area of focus that we move
around very quickly. This allows us to see things in great
focus as long as we are centered on it, otherwise our
peripheral vision is very blurry. While the pupil may give
the deer a wide range of vision, it is limited in both depth
perception and height. Deer can only see what’s at a
horizontal level in the middle of their view. So objects up
high and down low are out of focus for deer, which might
be one reason why tree stands are so effective for hunter
concealment. Their depth perception is also limited to
that same horizontal view. They only have depth
perception for a 60-degree area where their vision
overlaps in the front of them. So a deer can’t tell how far
away you are unless their nose is pointed in your
direction.
A deer’s eyes also have the ability to rotate
independently. This is called cyclovergence and it is done
to maintain the pupil’s alignment with the horizon. This
allows the deer to keep its pupils horizontal and maintain
a panoramic view of its surroundings when it is eating.
What Does This Mean For Hunters
So how does this affect you as a hunter? First, avoid
wearing the color blue. This shouldn’t be too hard as
many of us don’t enter the woods unless we are covered
in camo. It becomes a little trickier when you look at
which camo you should wear. Wearing camo with a lot of
white in it is a bad thing because white colors will reflect
all wavelengths, including the ones deer can see. Also, all
the detail that the human eye can pick up in the camo that
we wear may actually make you stick out more to the
deer. A camo pattern that has many subtle shades of
greens and browns (to create depth) will just look like one
color because deer can’t differentiate between the
different colors and details like we can.
In the end camo is made to be attractive to us, but that
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t where it. One important
thing that camo does, is to break up your pattern. A
deer’s vision in daylight hours is very average. So having a
pattern that breaks up your outline and blends into the
surroundings is very important to staying hidden.
Ultimately a deer’s vision is based off movement. It
determines its threats by being familiar with its
surroundings and picking out new things and determining
if an object is moving or stationary. So limiting your
movements is the best thing you can do to remain hidden.
Personally, I like wearing camo. It is kind of like the
saying “If you look good. You play good.” If you are
comfortable and confident when you are in the stand you
will perform better when the moment of truth arrives.
13
Public Land Hunting Blue Collar Bucks
Hunting has always been a blue collar sport.
In recent years hunting has evolved into a
money game, often pricing average hunters
out of the equation. Property owners now
value hunting land and the deer that call
that land home more than they have in the
past. Lease prices have doubled, even
tripled and hunters are having trouble
finding quality land to hunt. Public land is
often laughed at in many hunting camps
and many refuse to hunt it. This is a huge
mistake. Through habitat stamps and
license fees, you have paid for this land.
You might as well use it. As long as you
follow the rules, no one can deny you
access and you will always have a place to
hunt. Those of you who turn your nose up
at public land whitetail hunting, pay
attention to the next few paragraphs. That
is, if you are still reading.
14
No Quality Habitat
Many say that the numerous public
lands available to hunt do not contain
the quality habitat necessary to hold
deer. If you know anything about deer
hunting, you should know that a buck
doesn’t care what the habitat looks
like. If it has food, cover, and water,
he will be there. Finding good public
land that meets those requirements
requires research. A good place to
start are aerial maps. Google Maps or
any other online mapping services are
great tools and are often provided for
free. These maps are simple to use
and give you a good idea of the type
of habitat and terrain found on a piece
of public land. While aerial maps can
give you a good start, nothing beats
putting boots on the ground. There is
nothing like seeing a property in
person. Many terrain features and
subtle habitat changes can’t be seen
from online maps. If there is a way to
view the property in person, it should
always be done. What a property
looks like in a picture may not even be
close to what it looks like in person. A
property that may look to have only a
few stand locations may actually have
many. A property with what looks like
minimal cover may actually have
abundant cover. February is a great
time to scout public land. You won’t
disturb any other hunters and any
deer you run into will have long for-
gotten the encounter by opening day.
Look for pinch points, oak trees and
other food sources, as well as possible
stand locations. It takes some
walking, but it will be well worth it in
the fall. When looking at public land
maps or scouting in person, you
should also look for water. Most
public lands in the Midwest are
located near a river or water source.
Ask any hunter an ideal place for a
hunting property and along the Re-
publican River in Nebraska or the
Missouri River in Nebraska, Iowa,
South Dakota or Missouri will probably
be one of their top choices. These
rivers provide fertile soil and the
moisture necessary to grow quality
food and provide adequate cover.
There is plenty of public land along
both of these rivers and others that
provide quality hunting. Finding good
public land is not as impossible as
some make it out to be, it just takes a
little work.
Pressure
Probably the most common reason
hunters choose not to hunt public land
is pressure. I can say for a fact that
public land, at least in the Midwest, is
not as crowded as everybody says. It
may be a different story in places like
Wisconsin and Michigan where hunter
densities are high. Again, it comes
down to research and getting boots on
the ground. Some areas may be hunt-
ed more than others. In that case, you
can stay and accept the challenge that
comes with hunting pressured deer or
move to a different property. From
personal experience I have seen a
WMA that had 8 people hunting a 200
acre area and no more than 3 were
ever hunting at the same time. Again I
wouldn’t call 8 people on 200 acres
overly crowded, but to each his own.
So if that is too crowded for you, not 5
miles to the west on an even better
WMA, I hunted all season and saw
only three other bow hunters. Yep,
that’s right. We had 250 acres of
public land all to ourselves. That is
more land than most hunters will ever
be able to afford. There was not a
single Saturday morning from October
through December that we saw
another hunter. Crowded, I don’t
think so. Of course, when you don’t
control who hunts a piece of property
it can be frustrating. Not everybody
hunts the same as you, practices good
scent control or uses smart hunting
tactics. You may even encounter duck
or pheasant hunters. But I am sure
each of you has dealt with an unruly
neighbor on a piece of adjacent pri-
vate hunting property. We will never
be able to get away from those who
choose to hunt in the, let us just say,
untraditional ways. You will
encounter it on private land just as
much as you do on public land. Each
15
“If you enjoy a challenge, public
land whitetails are exactly that.”
state is different, but you can find a
public land hot spot with little
pressure.
No Deer
Finally, trophy hunters say there are
no deer, or no big deer, on public
land. We call them trophy hunters for
a reason. They only shoot huge deer
and listening to them about public
land is a huge mistake. To a degree I
agree with them. The next world
record will probably not be taken on
public land. But, I have seen some
giant deer taken on public land. If you
are like the trophy hunters and only
18 points and 200 inches will do, then
public land is not for you. If you want
a solid 4x4, 5x5 or bigger, then public
land will suit you just fine. I saw deer
nearly every trip this past fall, and I
am sure this is the case on many other
public lands across the Midwest. You
have to be willing to put in the time
and effort to scout and find quality
stand locations. Getting out of the
truck and walking 200 yards to a ran-
dom tree and hoping a deer walks by
will not cut it. I have said it through-
out this article, but I will say it again.
This type of hunting takes work.
Those that are complaining about not
seeing deer are not working hard
enough. For those who complain
about not seeing huge deer, you need
to take a step back and think about
the reason you started hunting in the
first place. The reason you loved
hunting so much as a child. That rea-
son is different for everybody, but I
bet you it has little to do with how
many inches your buck scored. I am
an outdoorsman, not just a hunter. If I
only enjoyed killing deer, the passion I
have for whitetails would have been
gone long ago and I am sure many of
you feel the same way. There are
plenty of quality deer and meat for
the freezer on public land.
Conclusion
I am not going to lie, it is not easy. It
takes hard work to kill deer on public
land. You have to always be willing to
learn and let every deer encounter
teach you something. I would love
one thousand acres to myself, but if I
am honest, the challenges faced on
public land increase the enjoyment.
Hunting public land is a huge decision
and it does take some time to learn
the differences between public and
private land whitetail hunting. It takes
a blue collar work ethic and hard work
to take a buck on public land and it is
not for everyone. If you enjoy a
challenge, public land whitetails are
exactly that. A trophy is a trophy if
the hunter believes it is. If you are
lucky enough to take a deer on public
land and others think your trophy
deer is otherwise, tell them thanks for
buying their permits because it is
paying for some great hunting land.
Follow Us on Instagram @whitetailinstinct
16
The Moon and Deer Movement
If you are like me, you may spend most of the offseason
searching through magazines and webpages for information on
the newest whitetail hunting strategies. One topic that always
seems to show up is the moon. In the last publication we
tackled the topic of how the moon may affect the timing of
the rut. In this issue we will look at how the moon affects
deer movement.
Circadian or Nocturnal?
So what does the biology of a deer suggest about
their movement patterns? The structures and
function of their eyes that we addressed earlier
in this issues suggest that they are nocturnal,
but the fact that deer are ruminants suggests
otherwise. A deer’s eyes are specifically
adapted to seeing in low light conditions,
so like we all know, they are going to
restrict most of their movement to the
last few minutes before sunrise and
sunset. The ruminant component
of their biology, however, may
indicate that they are more
circadian because of the
digestion process.
A study by QDMA sheds
some light on how deer
sleep. They state that
deer sleep in short
periods that are
followed by alert
phases, flowing
in a repeating
cycle. This
sleeping
style
17
Moon and Deer Movement also suggests that deer are more active throughout the
entire night, because like us they don’t need significant
amounts of sleep for their bodies to recover.
Which Phase is Better?
A study by Texas Tech University in 1985 found that deer
activity was more prominent during dawn and dusk when
the moon phase was ¼ to ¾. The full moon and moonless
phases lessened this activity. So why are some phases
more successful than others? It may have to do with
comfort level. The quarter moon phases produce less
light during the night then the full moon phase. This
means that deer are going to feel safer in the low light
conditions. Thus, when there is a full moon, the
increased moon shine will cause the deer to feel less safe
out in the open. The assumption for moonless nights is
that the darkness makes it harder for deer to see at night.
So they concentrate their movements during the day.
Hunters Advantage?
The following paragraph is the suggested theory deer
hunters should follow if they are hunting based
on moon phases.
If there is a full moon the suggestion is to hunt
midday. Deer movement will be less overall, with
less movement during dawn and dusk.
On moonless nights, the lack of light during the night
means the best time to hunt will also be during
the day.
On the days where there is a quarter moon, the best
time to hunt is the typical low light times of dawn
and dusk.
Conclusion
Just like my thoughts on how the moon phase affects the
rut, I think that a lot of other factors affect deer
movement on your property. Obviously, a common one
is food. The number, closeness, type, and size of the food
sources on your property are going to affect when deer
move. If the food sources are farther away and the deer
are bedding on your property they may have to move
earlier to get to those foods sources. If you have a
significant source of mast crops on your property like
acorns, the deer on your property may hold up in those
areas before moving to the agricultural fields later in the
night. If the size of your food plots are small, it may also
affect when deer move. Early on in the season deer may
come to your food sources on a regular basis very early
because the food plots act as a staging area. But once
they eat through your food plot, it may no longer act as
an early staging area.
I also think the main component of deer movement is
comfort. A deer isn’t going to move anywhere or at any
time, if it doesn’t feel safe. Pressure can totally change
when deer move on your property. If there is enough
pressure the deer may move strictly at night, not because
they want to, but because it is the safest. If you are
hunting pressured deer on public land or have very active
neighbors, hunting the moon phases may not work to
well.
As we all know, deer are going to move the most during
the low light times of dawn and dusk. There isn’t much
that is going to change the fact that deer move during
this time. If a whitetails world remains constant, so will
there movement. This, however, rarely happens as
pressure, habitat, and weather are always changing. So,
ultimately, we return to the fact that hunting at dawn and
dusk is the best time to be in the woods. For me, I am
going to be in the woods whenever I can because I
believe that other factors like hunting pressure and
weather affect movement more.
19
The Dirt On Dirt
Now is the time of year when
the off season preparation
starts to get underway. One
major tool many land mangers
use is a soil survey. Soil
surveys can give you valuable
information about the soil on
your property.
20
One thing most hunters see in their report
when they get there soil surveys back is
that their soil pH is low. This publication’s
Dirt on Dirt takes a look at what exactly
soil pH is and why it can be detrimental to
your habitat management goals.
The soil pH is a measure of how acidic your
soil is. The pH of your soil will affect the
growth of plants on your property and the
microorganisms in the soil that help the
plants grow. As most know, a low pH
value means the soil is acidic and a high pH
means the soil is basic. Both of which can
be a bad thing for your soil. The pH of a
soil a soil affects the availability of
nutrients that plants need to grow. The
graph below shows the important
nutrients involved in plant growth and
how soil pH affects their availability in the
soil. The most effective pH for a soil is
right in the middle between 6 and 7.
Figure 1 shows the common classes of soil
pH. The pH also affects the activity of
microorganisms that help make nutrients
available for the plants to use. A bad pH
can also make some pesticides ineffective.
So how does a soil become acidic? It can
be grouped into four main categories. The
first one is the direct addition of acidic H+.
Most of this occurs naturally because of
the growth of plant roots or when
ammonium fertilizers are added to the
soil. The second practice is the creation of
carbon dioxide. This occurs when
microorganisms break down dead plant
material or when rain passes through the
soil. The third practice is the removal of
basic cations from the soil through
leaching. The final practice is the addition
and decomposition of organic materials,
again a process that happens naturally. As
one can see most of the processes that
create an acidic soil happen natural, which
is why it is important to continuously
monitor your soil pH.
How To Fix An Acidic Or Basic Soil
The best thing to do to fix an acidic soil is
apply lime. Lime is very effective in
neutralizing an acidic soil. The reaction
works better when the soil temperature is
warm and when there is a lot of moisture
in the soil. Your local soil testing
laboratories will be able to tell you how
much lime should be added to your soil
based on the clay content and organic
matter present. Fixing a basic soil,
however, is a lot harder. Some soils can
be fixed with an application of acidic
organic materials or by using a source of
sulfur, but that can get very expensive.
Adding gypsum and then allowing it to be
leached through the soil with irrigation
water is also a common practice, but can
cause some concern about downstream
runoff. It is better for a land owner in this
situation to find plants that are more
Figure 1
Extremely Acidic 3.5-4.4
Very Strongly Acidic 4.5-5.0
Strongly Acidic 5.1-5.5
Moderately Acidic 5.6-6.0
Slightly Acidic 6.1-6.5
Neutral 6.6-7.3
Slightly Alkaline 7.4-7.8
Moderately Alkaline 7.9-8.4
Highly Alkaline 8.5-9.0
Graph
22
NOW THAT DEER SEASON IS OVER, HERE ARE 3 IDEAS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE START OF A LONG OFF
I could feel it. Without a doubt it was there. Riding the breeze and floating
through the leaves. Something had changed. I couldn’t quite figure out what it
was, but something had definitely changed. Was it just my anticipation, my
wanting so hard for the best three months of the year? There is no way to
explain the way a whitetail hunter feels when October finally rolls around. May is
nice and June is just fine, but when you are finally able to flip the calendar to
October, hope begins to build and big buck dreams await. The problem is getting
to October. Whitetails consume our minds. We analyze over every detail. Did
we put our tree stand in the right spot? Are the deer still feeding in the same
field? Have we done everything we need to do? Every year is more special than
the last. High hopes met more often than not with just more disappointment.
Despite all the heartbreaks and missed shots, opening day couldn
away. The wait almost unbearable, as it seems to get longer and longer each
passing year.
There was nothing different about the day. It was only slightly colder and the
wind had actually slowed. But yet I could feel it in the air. I
it. It
like if I closed my eyes maybe, just maybe, when I opened them it would be deer
season. But I didn
season. It would only make the next months even more unbearable than they
23
NOW THAT DEER SEASON IS OVER, HERE ARE 3 IDEAS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE START OF A LONG OFF-SEASON.
t quite figure out what it
explain the way a whitetail hunter feels when October finally rolls around. May is
October, hope begins to build and big buck dreams await. The problem is getting
field? Have we done everything we need to do? Every year is more special than
the last. High hopes met more often than not with just more disappointment.
Despite all the heartbreaks and missed shots, opening day couldn’t be farther
away. The wait almost unbearable, as it seems to get longer and longer each
passing year.
There was nothing different about the day. It was only slightly colder and the
wind had actually slowed. But yet I could feel it in the air. I’m sure I could smell
it. It’s only early March but I can definitely feel it. The first day in months I felt
like if I closed my eyes maybe, just maybe, when I opened them it would be deer
season. But I didn’t dare close my eyes. Because I knew darn well it wasn’t deer
season. It would only make the next months even more unbearable than they
24
already would be. Who was I kidding?
There was a chill in the March air, but
not like November. The sunset was
perfect, but not like the partly cloudy
orange, red sunset of October.
I guess I am obsessed. You would
have to be to think March felt like
November. But whitetails have a way
of doing that to a person. The
constant planning and thought. The
worry when a buck suddenly
disappears from trail camera photos.
The long nights trying to sleep, but all
you can think about is the “what if”.
What if it actually all comes together?
Isn’t that what we do this for? The
one time it all falls into place.
So, how do we get through the off-
season? An off-season that has only
just begun. Here are a few reasons to
get off the couch this spring and get in
touch with deer season once again.
Scouting
The early part of the off-season
between February and March is a
great time to get out in the woods and
to either look at a new property or
scout your old property again. When
scouting a new property it helps to
look at aerial maps first, to help you
pinpoint a small area to scout on foot
once you get there. This helps you to
be more efficient when scouting and
saves you time. Some of the main
signs to look for are rubs and deer
travel routes. Rub lines are easy to
find this time of the year and are a
great indicator of where bucks were
traveling last year during the rut. You
can bet that bucks will be traveling the
same routes again this year. Also look
for where deer are traveling on your
property. Travel routes, like rubs are
easy to see this time of the year and
can help you by letting you know how
deer are using your property and what
direction of travel the deer are using.
This will let you know where to hang
stands and where to plant food plots.
Early spring is a great time to get out
in the woods and scout. I often find
that after a good scouting session, I
can’t wait for deer season because I
have learned so much information
that I can’t wait to use. The bonus
shed antler is always great too.
Hinge Cutting
Another great early spring activity is
hinge cutting. This is a great way to
make your property more attractive to
deer. Hinge cutting involves cutting
partially through a small diameter
tree, then pushing the tree over so
that part of the tree is still connected
to the base. This allows the tree to
survive for a limited amount of time,
while providing food and cover. You
can use hinge cuts in many ways. The
first is for screens. If you have access
routes that require you to walk near
where deer may see you, you can use
hinge cuts to create a visual block for
the deer. You can also create screens
along the outside of your food plots.
This makes deer feel more secure
while eating in your field and may
entice them to enter the field earlier
in the evening. You can also hinge cut
trees to create more bedding cover.
Hinge cut trees at about the height of
a little higher than your waist to create
quality bedding cover. You can do this
to enhance current bedding areas or
to create new bedding areas that
make you a more efficient hunter, by
making deer bed where you want
them to. Also, while you have your
chain saw you can selectively cut a few
old, or nonproductive trees to allow
more light to the forest floor. This will
then create a rush of new growth in
late spring that makes great browse
and increases fawning cover.
Food Plots
Now is the time to start planning and
planting those food plots. Take
another look at your aerial maps and
start to plan what crops are going to
go where. Also, take a look at what
worked well last year and what didn’t
and adjust your plan. Make note of
how the deer were using your
property last hunting season. Where
can you plant a food plot that will
increase the deer movement through
your property? Once you have found
that spot, if it is an open area, what do
you need to do to prepare for
planting? Do you need to disk, spray
herbicide, control burn or a little of all
three? If this area is located in an area
with trees, do you need to remove any
trees or is it open enough already? If
trees need removed, now is a great
time to do that.
As you know it’s an addiction. I don’t
have to tell you that. You can feel it
too. Whitetails have a power over us
we will never be able to shake. Bucks
will eventually shed their velvet and
the leaves will change color. The
temperature change will no longer be
only in our imagination. The off-
season can’t last forever. It will
eventually yield to fall. Get ready,
because whitetail season will be here
before you know it.