After a mild fall across the Midwest and East (the new normal) whitetails are now in “energy conservation mode” notes Pennsylvania scientist Duane Diefenbach in this Deer-Forest Blog.  At the peak of the rut back in November, bucks moved on average over 2 miles per day. Right now, 2 months later, movement is less than half that; just over a mile at night and only a 1/4-mile in daylight. For bucks, energy expenditure is at rock bottom. No need to prowl for does, and not time yet to grow new antlers. Just hang out, survive and wait for spring. Diefenbach says the winter movement of does (a mile or 2 a day) has not changed much since November. But does do [...]

In the wild, a doe or buck that survives 4 or 5 years has lived a good, long life. Six or 7 years or more is ancient and rare for a wild deer. So I found it fascinating to read a report from Pennsylvania a few years ago that confirmed 2 wild does, which had been captured, ear-tagged and released, had lived to at least 13!  One of those does was documented on a trail camera, and the other was shot by a hunter. That a deer could live 13 years in the wild with all the cars, coyotes and hunting pressure is yet another testament to how amazing whitetails are. As for the pictures here, I shot this fully [...]

It’s November 1 and the seeking phase of the rut is beginning or in full swing in most regions (except the Deep South). Some bucks begin to expand their range, wandering out of their home core areas to take the estrus temperature of does within 1,000 acres or so. Other big boys roam closer to home, especially in broken farmland where feed and cover are prime. If 2 dominant deer cross paths, a hair-raising stare down or a heavyweight fight might break out. Watch for a buck “lip curling,” or sniffing a doe’s urine to check her state of estrus. Bucks keep blazing rubs and pawing scrapes. Around November 5, give or take a few days, the seeking phase launches [...]