It has been a topic of hot debate over the decades to trace deer activity during day time. So, I collected some facts about it and put pen to paper.
Where do deer go during the day? It’s interesting to know whether deer go anywhere to do some activity or hid somewhere intentionally. There might be other factors that can be responsible for deer movement during day time such as weather.
It’s not really possible to track the exact location of where each deer actually go during the day but we can answer this by tracing few deer with the help of technology devices like fixing the camera to their bodies.
Table of Contents
Techniques of stalking deer
It requires a lot of patience to observe deer activity. Sometimes you may see a herd of deer within a moment but sometimes you may not see even a single deer after spending many hours. The reason is their strong sense of smell. If you are near their habitat and not using scent or artificial smell to hide your body smell then deer will not come out of their safe place. They are very alert in case of danger. Zoologists use technology to trace them. They put camera devices to their bodies and then observe their movement.
Deer are more active during the day
Research has shown that deer are more active during day time throughout the year. They cover more distance in daylight rather than in dark. But if they have to travel in open areas they do travel in the dark due to safety. It happens usually in autumn or when they find a lack of food. During the rainy season or spring, they show more activity in the day time. During rut also they are more active in both day and night.
Peak Activity hours of deer
Graphic description of deer activity shows that some species are more active from 11 to 12 AM like brown brocket deer and then again become active from 4 to 8 PM. This might be a strategy to save them from predators. They show less movement between 10 .00AM to 12.AM. They are also active from 8.00 to 10.00 AM. Two hours break might be for digesting or chewing.
Weather affects deer movement
Deer usually go from one place to another in search of food. But if weather conditions are not favorable, they change their plan. For example, if it rains, they hid and cover their bodies under long thick plantations. In winter, they move around sunny sides to get food and heat. In Summer, they remain close to water sources and their peak movement starts at 8.00 AM. Cloudy skies are good for deer activity. But rain restricts their movement. They also show little movement or activity in windy weather.
Deer hide during the bedding in the day time
When deer get tired or want to sleep in daylight, they usually hid in woods or cover them in thick bushes. Sometimes female deer also helps newly born bucks to hid. For this, it is not easy to trace deer herd in daylight if they are bedding. But the fact is that they don’t sleep much in the day time. During autumn or less rainy season, they move in search of food in open areas. For this type of movement, they prefer night time and then they reach the bedding area in the morning.
Moon and sun affect deer activity
Researchers have shown deer feeding hours increase in the full moon and then also increases when the moon goes beneath the earth’s surface. Similarly when the sun rises deer also start moving for food and when its dawn deer starts returning. So it’s easy to trace deer herd when sunlight starts spreading and its also easy to find deer when sunlight is at its peak.
Deer activity increases in the fall rut
Deer activity is mostly at its peak in a falling rut. They move the whole day and night. For hunters its best time to trace them. But the rut is not a specific period for each area. It is different in different areas. Deer keep on moving and moving. If you want to trace deer in falling rut, you should try to learn about rut in your area.
Deer activity is slow in winter days
Deer are highly adaptive mammals. They can survive even in the cold weather of Canada. Research has shown that deer move very slowly in winter days and even nights. They move down to bottom valleys with less snow and more conifers where they could hide easily. In winter they have to rely on the layer of fat that was developed as a result of eating in autumn. In autumn they prepare their bodies for winter and feed a lot. Their movement decreases to one third in winter days and snowy weather. For this reason, they lost much of their body weight.
Three major factors that make deer active in daylight
Obviously like other mammals deer needs food, water, and bedding area. They usually move to find their best food and then close the bedding area where they could hide their bucks to save them from predation. Daylight helps them to find all three major needs. For this reason, they show more activity in the day.
Spend most of the day time in feeding
Deer don’t digest their food along with eating. The process of digestion starts when they are full. For this reason, they spend most of the daytime eating and remaining time walking. They are ruminants so they are needed to store food and then chew later. They spend an average of 4 to 6 hours in the evening in feeding. Then they lay down to rest. But they don’t sleep for more than two hours a day.
Learn about Deer Morning & Afternoon activity
Frequently Asked Question
Where do deer hide in the day?
They mostly cover them in thick plantation and in winter they go down to woody forests to hide.
Why do deer hide their fawn?
Their fawn is mostly week and cannot run so fast to protect them from predators. So, they hid under long grasses.
Do the deer sleep at night?
It depends on the weather. If it’s too cold, they sleep in direct sunlight and spend nights in feeding.
What makes deer move constantly?
The search for food, water, and bedding area makes them move from one place to another. During the rut, they even walk day and night
Conclusion
After read this article hope all of you get the clear answer that where do deer go during the day? It is crystal clear now that deer can be seen in the day if we observe temperature, feeding, and bedding area carefully. By keeping all these factors in mind hunters plan to hunt them. If you want to stalk them in a day grab the spot and it will become easy if you follow the best weather condition. You can learn more about deer-like what is a plural of deer, what is a baby deer called, what is a group of deer called, what noise does a deer make, what should be used to screw on broadheads, etc.
