DEER AND THEIR CORE AREAS

We all have roads around where we live that we know very well. We know them
so well in fact, that on a dark night we are applying the brakes to our
vehicle long before we see the curve in the outer-most reaches of our high
beams. We may accelerate coming out of a curve because we know that in
front of us lies a long straight stretch of road. And we might put our
blinker on going up a hill, knowing that our blind turn is just over the
crest. With the recent deluge of rain we have experienced here in the
northeast this fall, many outlying roads are flooding even with a moderate
amount of rain. But almost without thinking about it, we are quickly able
to plot out an alternative route to our destination when we happen upon a
closed road.
We have become so familiar with our surroundings that our actions become
almost second nature to us.

MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE

Deer are masters of their environment. While we may think we know the area
around our homes pretty well, it is literally a matter of life and death
for the whitetail to know their core areas intimately. Not only must they
know their homes very well, it must come fully furnished.

MY HOUSE IS A VERY VERY VERY FINE HOUSE

Deer must have three things in their core area in order for it to hold
them.
· Security. They want secure bedding areas and accessible escape routes
that can get them out of danger and the area quickly.
· Cover. Bucks especially want to have as much between them and prying
eyes as possible. This will include hedgerows that connect two larger
tracts of woods, depressions that allow covert movement, and thick
nasty areas where they can go to hide out.
· Food and water sources. Food sources may include agricultural crops,
meadows, and seasonal acorns. In the fall and winter, deer are
opportune eaters and will consume whatever browse they can find.

FIND THE DOES

While bucks will and do leave their core areas during the rut to search for
receptive does, if there is enough security, cover, and food sources, the
does will be in abundance within that bucks area of operation. Find the
does and you find the bucks…especially during the rut.

CONCLUSION

It may seem that the deer disappear off the face of the earth once the
hunting season has been going for a couple days. The truth is that it takes
a LOT to force a deer to leave its core area. They know their environment
so well, that they simply slink away without you seeing them and hole up
until the pressure lessens.
Think about it…if you knew you were being hunted by some bully who was
watching the roads you normally travel and the restaurants you normally eat
at, wouldn’t YOU find alternative roads and diners? Wouldn’t YOU find a
nice little hidey-hole to escape to when the bully got too close for
comfort? You bet you would…and so does that buck.

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If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com