Deer are moving at night!

coastga

Senior Member
I went Saturday and Monday and deer were moving about thirty minutes before day light. This morning I was in the stand around 6:20am and deer were moving within 10 yards of my stand. Just before daybreak the movement stoped and I was in the stand until almost noon. When I got down from my stand I walked to where I heard the deer moving before daylight and to my surprise their layed a doe within twenty five yards of my stand. She would not get up while I used my bleet call nor did I scare her up when I climbed down the tree in my Summit Viper. It took me almost walking on top of her before she got up. Currently these deer are moving at night and staying on the bed during daylight hours.

I can't wait until this full moon week is over!
 

huntnnut

GONetwork Member
Good info Coastie!

Which brings to mind a question I've had for some time now.

Anyone know how long deer particulary bucks typically will remain bedded w/o feeding, is it 2, 3, 4 or 5 hours hours or most all day? I know it appears that they will pretty much remain bedded all day.
 

Junebug

Senior Member
You reckon it's from the heat, mosquitos, moon, or plentiful acorns...or all, or neither, or something else?

I hate it when they do that.
 

Woody

Founder - Gone but not forgotten.
Nut,

Deer under pressure can feed in a matter of 15 minutes -- or they can leisurely pick around for an hour.

Either way -- the food has to be brought back up and rechewed (cud) and then it enters a different stomach compartment. -- This can be a one to two hour task and is usually performed while bedded. -- After chewing their cud they will usually stay there for a while. --- Although Sun position will make a deer get up and change location in order to cool or warm.

I would say Deer take in food twice during any 12 hour period. -- Day or night.
 

huntnnut

GONetwork Member
Woody, I believe it. That's only 30 minutes or up to two hours in a twelve hour period. That just proves that they are bedded down for the better part of the day. That is of course if nothing bumps them up out of their bed.

I guess that would make those feeding charts invaluable if they were really, really accurate.

No wonder those bigguns are so hard to kill, when they can lay in their bed from sun up till sun down w/o having to move to feed.
 

Woody

Founder - Gone but not forgotten.
There will be a time he is vulnerable.

When the rut begins winding down and Does are no longer coming to him at his bedding site.

He will get up about one hour before dark and begin blowing and running at the same time. (wanting attention?) :D -------- This will give his bedding location away. --- next day, plan to be there and sit all day if needed.

That little mistake has caused quite a few good bucks to expire. -- I've got one in mind for this technique. -- He's unkillable otherwise. :banginghe
 

huntnnut

GONetwork Member
Woody, good luck with that big guy! I've got one I need to do the same with or at least something similar.

I have a good idea where a gooduns bedding and the trail he's been running upwind of where I've been hunting. I may have to set up in a ground blind to hunt him, though if that's what it takes so be it... :bounce:

He's got a trail in some real thick 10'-12' pines downwind (normally) of a couple of food plots and also downwind of a couple of hardwood draws that he runs primarily at night right now. There is also a couple of small hardwood patches that I believe he is feeding in during the day thats secluded in the thick pines. I'm hoping to set up on his trail that links the bedding area to the isolated hardwood patches and hopefully bust him there. Its either that or wait till the rut is on and hope I get lucky... :D
 
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Tom Borck

Banned
Don't tell the doe and yearlings I saw yesterday afternoon. ::huh: Did see a small buck in my driveway after hunting! Ran across the driveway, across the front yard and through the neighbors yard. Jake, my choc. lab was right behind, although he stopped chasing when I pulled in the garage. He would much rather be with me than chase a deer. :)
 

Echo

Gone But Not Forgotten
Woody,I've heard that blowing and running rutting activity you described many times.Just like you said it's usually a late afternoon event well into November and it definitely will get the heart beating once you're able to recognize it for what is and not just a spooked deer running thru the woods.;)

I had 3 slickheads crunching acorns around my stand at 6:00 pm yesterday.With a little luck and scouting you can still have a good hunt during the big moon.

Echo
 

AgE

Senior Member
I would agree that deer movement has changed significantly during the past week. From the beginning of bow season until October 17, I saw over 200 deer from the stand in 14 trips to the woods. That's roughly 14 deer per hunt. Since October 17, I've made three trips to the stand and saw a total of three deer. Maybe I used up all of my luck too early? ::huh:

Maybe things will have changed when I get back from Colorado on the 6th.

AgE
 

Randy

Senior Member
Deer always move at night. They are suppose to their eyes are made for that. They are not daytime animals. God did not design them that way. Yes they move during certain parts of the year during the day more than others but they are by nature nightime creatures. You guys seem surprised! I guess I do not understand this thread? ::huh:
 

AgE

Senior Member
Randy,
I don't think anyone ever said they didn't move at night, just an observation that they seem to be moving more at night right now than in the day time. Wouldn't you agree that timing of deer movement changes, or shifts, throughout the season/year, causing them to move more at night than during daylight hours during some periods?

AgE
 

huntnnut

GONetwork Member
Randy, whitetails are not considered true nocturnal animals. They are considered to be crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) to nocturnal. The reason they appear to go totally nocturnal is usually because of excessive hunting pressure.
 

Randy

Senior Member
Well actually I don't know all these big scientific words but I have always considered deer to be mostly noctournal animals. I watch them in my yard year round and year round they are mostly noctournal. They may become even more so with pressure but I really think they are mostly noctournal. But there is that time of the year which will begin next week after the hunter's full moon when they will be running at all times looking to mate. Isn't it amazing what THAT will make you do??????????
 

huntnnut

GONetwork Member
Randy, I always thought the same thing until JB informed me otherwise a good while back... ;)

I hear ya on the mating, though I will spare everyone on the details on all of the crazy things I've done in the past... :bounce:
 
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