deer patterns

[outdooralex]

I own 10 acres down in northern Monroe county that I hunt on. I know the deer population in that area is not that great but there are some nice quality deer. I have a trail camera that I set up on my property to do some scouting for me( modern technology is great). While doing this I have found some interesting things. On my camera I can choose to have printed on the picture the time or the date. I used to print the time but after awhile I figured if the pictures were in daylight it was during shooting time and if it was dark it was to late, so I started printing them with the date. Since doing this from early spring till now I have found an interesting pattern. I will get pictures of deer every day (noted by the day printed on the picture) for about 10 to 14 days straight and then nothing for 5 to 6 days. This has been fairly consistent since April. After developing my pictures this weekend I had pictures of deer every day from August 15th to the 22nd and then nothing until the 28th. I went back to the pictures I have been keeping and found this to be consistent all year. Does this show how few deer there are in that area? I live in Romulus and we have a small deer herd that lives in the metropark. I used to feed them in my back yard and noticed the same thing. They would feed night after night then nothing for about a week. I keep getting pictures of same deer from what I can tell. Another thing I have noticed is that about 80% of the deer are comeing down the runway the same direction. Telling me that they have a different return route from there feeding area. Just thought I would share that with you guys. Has anyone else experienced anything like that in less populated areas?

[Banditto]

outdooralex, I think you did an excellent job of patterning those deer. I think this theory might help you figure out why they pattern on and off. If you aren't that close to agriculture I believe you have a group of nomadic deer that change areas to allow the natural food to grow. One week they eat the browse out of your area, then move to another area to eat there.

There are areas in Romulus that have excellent farms, or near the river. Your property must not be connecting to one of those areas is it?

[outdooralex]

Banditto,
Thats what puzzles me, the area is ALL agriculture. I can see that happening where I live in Romulus, but not on my other property. I have corn across from me and behind me, and soybeans adjacent to my property.

[Oct.1]

I don’t know if there is anything to the Moon chart thing. But the dates you said you didn’t see any movement was Aug. 22 or the first day of the full moon, than into the first week of the full moon. I have heard that deer don’t like to move during a full moon because they can see their shadow and it makes them nervous. I have heard the opposite said also. I don’t know which way if either is correct nor care but it may be a possibility.

[wild bill]

i have noticed the same thing with my cameras. some local deer can bee seen every day while others will have a pattern. i did have one buck that i would get a pic of almost every sixth day. it was also within the same hour each time.2-3 am. he kept this pattern up till the end of oct. his urges probably changed that.

[bountyhunter101]

HEY OUTDOORALEX, Have u gotten any pictures of any bucks?
Just thought i would ask, good luck to u this year.



HUNT HARD HUNT SAFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[outdooralex]

The only picture of any bucks I got this year was of one in mid May. He was a decent 4 pt then so I am sure he is real nice now. I have been kind of disappointed that I haven't gotten any on film since then. Last year from end of October until January I got about 5 different ones on film. One was an 8pt that would probably score very well. He had about 12 to 14 inch brow tines, just a beautiful deer. Another one I got on film was pretty wierd, it had perfect 4pts on one side that came past his ear, then on the other side he had about a 10 inch spike. The 5pt I know made it through the season, I got a picture of him in January and I didn't here of anyone getting the eight point. Maybe when the bucks break out of thier bachelor groups I will start seeing them.