The fact that the doe chose solitude place to deliver and raise her young ones, can make the hunting easier for the hunter if he can locate them. The doe might leave her place for sometime, but she always comes back to that place as long as it is safe from enemies and there is food. In this article you will read on natural of the deer to help you for better hunting.
Some of the more important facts (from the hunter's viewpoint) which I learned about deer habits may be best stated by presenting a brief sketch of the life of a deer. It is best to use a doe for example because she is the most important unit of the herd. She does the reproducing, is responsible for the training and is the leader of the family group. Her life begins when she leaves the winter yard during her first pregnancy. Before this time, she has been learning the things that she must pass along to future generations and most of her actions have been under the direction or supervision of other deer. At this time she becomes a separate and distinct unit representative of the herd.
When the herd leaves the yard in the spring of the year, each doe leaves the rest of the animals and seeks a place where she can deliver and raise her young without interference. If there are not too many other deer in the region, she will pick a place where she will be alone; otherwise she will pick an area as far removed from other deer as possible. Why a doe with the herd instinct of deer should seek solitude for a portion of her life, is a question which I have not tried to answer. The fact that she does is sufficient for deer hunting purposes.
After finding a satisfactory spot, the doe makes herself familiar with the surrounding country. This area will probably be her home range for the remainder of her life, spending most of her time within the boundaries of this area with short trips to other nearby ranges. Sometimes these excursions away from home are made for no apparent reason and sometimes natural enemies cause her to leave home for a time. She always returns as long as there is food and comparative safety on the home range.
The size of this range varies in different localities, with food and shelter being the determining factors. In my section, this home range seldom extends more than two miles from a central point. Somewhere on this range, the doe bears her young. A single fawn is usual in first pregnancies, although twins are not uncommon. As soon as the fawn is able to follow its mother, they travel the range together. They find or make the trails which they use, select their favorite bedding grounds, become familiar with the food possibilities, find the danger spots, as well as the safe ones, and when the hunting season starts, they are probably more familiar with their home range than the average man is with his home town.
During the rutting season the doe will be visited by a buck. This will probably be the only contact she will have with other deer unless there are other family groups nearby and the ranges overlap. There might be meetings of the two groups while they are occupying the common range. One group will seldom leave its range to follow another group, each usually returning to its own territory.
As soon as snow comes, the fresh vegetation and green type of food becomes scarce, and the deer join other family groups in an area where there is browse and shelter. They then spend the winter in a yard in the company of other deer. Even in the yard, if it is a large one, the herd seems to divide into family groups, mature bucks joining groups of their choice.
Sometimes the deer are much more familiar with their home range than those who are hunting for them. They may settle to some place else but are always around the range of their place where they raise their new ones, which give the advantage for the hunters to locate them. |
