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Choosing Stand SitesAn understanding of deer behavior and travel patterns can help you choosea hunting site. Because deer feed primarily during low light conditions theyhave two primary rest periods, late at night and during mid-day. Generally theyleave their daytime bedding areas in heavy cover late in the afternoon and movetoward night time food sources. They intermittently feed, travel and restduring the night before returning to their daytime bedding areas. Because the amount of light is a Security Factor, deer in forested areas(where there is shade) get up and begin to feed and move a couple of hoursbefore sundown. As the amount of light becomes less they move into more openareas of low brush or sparse forest and feed, moving toward open fields andmeadows. Shortly before sundown they move into the shadows at the edges of tallgrass and swamps before going into open meadows or agricultural fields wherethey feel secure and feed during darkness. In the early morning this pattern is reversed. As the sky begins tobrighten the deer move from the open areas back into tall grass fields, then tobrushy areas just before daylight and into heavy cover or woods again once thesun is up. Bucks are generally more wary than does and move about a half hourlater in the evening and head back to their beds about a half hour earlier inthe morning. Evening Stands If you are hunting late in the afternoon, when the deer are just gettingout of their beds in heavy cover, setup along travel lanes leading from thebedding areas to daytime food sources; near small openings in woods, fallenmast sites, swamp or creek edges near heavy cover. Close to sundown hunt thetransition zones of tall grass, heavy brush, swamps and gullies. trails leadingto staging areas, downwind of open food sources are excellent at sundown,especially for bucks. If you are hunting at or after sundown and the deer are feeding in theopen your stand should be along trails leading to the fields. Bucks move laterthan does and often come into the transition zones after sundown, preferring tostay in cover until sundown when they feel secure. If you don't see bucks inopen feeding areas move farther into the woods along buck travel routes inheavy cover and forested areas. Because the deer move late in the evening youhave plenty of time to get to staging areas and transition zones before theyarrive. Morning Stands In the early morning, when the deer are still feeding in the open, don'thunt from stands near open night food sources unless you are sure there are nodeer near your stand or you can approach it undetected. Because of the darknessyou won't know if there are deer in the area until it's too late and if youspook a deer it will alert all the others in the area. Hunt transition zones,heavy cover where deer feed in search of food, or trails leading to beddingareas. Be at your stand before the deer and ambush them on their return. Before the breeding phase bucks usually return to cover well beforedaylight. Hunt rub routes back to the buck bedroom early in the morning,getting there before the buck. Once the rut begins the bucks may return laterbecause they are either chasing or looking for does. Early in the morning youmay catch the buck along his rub route near transition zones on the way back tothe bedding area. If the buck is not in his bedding area hunt near it fromfirst light until noon. I have seen bucks drag themselves home at 11:00 in themorning. If you previously observed or patterned a buck you know when and wherethe best setup is. If you are interested in more whitetail hunting tips, or more whitetail biologyand behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips atwww.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about whitetails log on to the T.R.'sTips message board. To find out when the rut starts, peaks and ends in yourarea click on Whitetail Rut Dates Chart. This article is an excerpt from the Whitetail Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Productscatalog. T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist,outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck &Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are the 2003 RevisedEdition of the Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2003 Revised Edition of the ElkAddict's Manual; and the 2003 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict'sManual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R.Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com , Web Site:www.TRMichels.com
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