amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Keep an eye out for more species and how to hunt them here on the Hunting blog._ It's a wonder there are any mule deer left alive. September 17, 2020   |  Timber 2 Table Articles, May 22, 2019   |  Brow Tines and Backstrap. Trail cams or game cameras are an excellent hobby and tool to observe mule deer habits. Hunters are forever talking about whether eyesight, hearing or smelling is the whitetail’s greatest defense mechanism. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; This allows them to see below and smell their intruder before it sees them. Though senses help a deer avoid danger, it’s a whitetail’s ability to bed properly that allows them to utilize their senses, so they can keep from getting killed. My experience is that mule deer are nocturnal most of the year, winter excepted. Males grow forked antlers that have 8 to 10 points and spread as much as 4 feet (1.2 m). When a doe is in estrous she knows she’s a marked gal so she tries to bed in the thickest cover possible, limiting her movement to only emergency situations. No, this is not a dead deer, but rather a fully stretched out buck taking a snooze. The flip side of this is when hunters start hitting the woods. By observing movements of individual deer over time, researchers determined mule deer use the same route year after year. Click here for more deer hunting stories and how-to's. I was able to get within fifteen yards before he came to life and jumped up. This is a very important variable that people often overlook. The more they bed, the greater their chance of survival. Watch Their Back Trail How cautious bucks are varies from buck to buck. After a few minutes his head began to bob. Alsheimer was born and raised on a farm and has devoted his life to photography, writing and lecturing about the wonders of God’s creation. So, where they bed allows them to take advantage of their incredible nose. Many times I’ve seen deer spend up to an hour just licking their legs and body. Watching deer from a distance and seeing where they like to bed will teach you a lot about an area. After watching him for about thirty minutes I tried to sneak up on the buck. Once they find a good bedding area, they'll often sleep in the same spot repeatedly. Deer also tend to be creatures of habit. In order to conserve energy during freezing winter days, a whitetail will spend more of the day bedded down. (2003) found a mean shrub cover of 37.3% for mule deer in west-central Texas and suggested that managers maintain a lower percent woody cover and encourage native forb growth to enhance mule deer populations. The deer you can find during the summer months are typically in the same area during the hunt. Mule Deer Hunting in Wyoming. They get up to relieve themselves. Does also look to bed near food sources. As a result, bucks bed and move only when the doe moves. Maybe bucks are restless and hungry by the afternoon and are more apt to throw caution to the wind. For other hunts, please visit our home page. In addition, deer are able to sense when a storm is coming. Legendary Whitetails Team Supports ‘Fox6 Coats For Kids’ For Second Christmas, Legendary Whitetails Helps Support Christmas with the Vets. Although no deer movement can begin without recognizing food based doe family group bedding opportunities, no deer movement can end without established buck bedding opportunities. They have a sense of smell that is 1000 times the accuracy of the human sense of smell. I will spend my time focusing on the feeding and bedding areas. when do they go to water? They like to bed down in locations that allow them to take advantage of thermals and prevailing winds. Deer defiantly have certain spots they like to bed. Everything changes once those mature deer catch wind (pun intended) of hunters. Once the rut is over and winter arrives, a whitetail’s bedding behavior moves into high gear. These deer have large ears, which look very much like those of a mule. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Every whitetail has a different personality. Mule deer have very good night vision and can detect the movement of predators as far away as 600 meters. There’s Another Hunter in Your Stand. Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, are found throughout Utah in many types of habitats, including neighborhoods and backyards.The animal gets its name from its mule-like ears. Whether you need to know how to test the soil in your food plot, tighten the groups from your crossbow, or scope out the latest on that big buck you saw online, you've landed around the right campfire. 5 and 6 above. For example, they may live up high during the summer and early fall but by mid-October that country usually has lots of snow and the bucks can’t live in it for long, so they have to drop to secondary ridges or maybe even lower if … It takes lots of patience and lots of practice to find a deer … The feeding habits of mule deer are highly season-al. From mid-December through March in the North, most whitetails bed over 85% of the time, with the majority of daylight activity occurring just before sunset. The buck then stretched his entire body on the ground, like he was dead. His specialty – both as a writer and photographer – is the white-tailed deer. With this in mind it’s important for hunters and deer/land managers to realize the role a deer’s bedding habits can play when it comes to land development, food source layout and hunting opportunities. You may also call us anytime at 307-266-4229 or request a free brochure. Mule deer are extremely popular game animals in Utah. 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