Deer are adaptable and will bed in a variety of environments if they feel it is secure. Bedding locations can be found in the middle of cattail swamps or on the edge of an idle field fence line.
The important part is getting out and identifying those locations. As adaptable creatures, deer will also eat a variety of food sources. Depending on factors like the time of year, food abundance, proximity to security and the like, deer may choose one food source over the other.
Deer could be feeding on anything from recently forested aspen trees to grain in large agriculture fields and many items in between. The important part is figuring out what types of food are in your area and how that relates back to bedding areas. Another thing to key in on is the areas of habitat "edge" between these bedding and feeding areas. Habitat edges are areas of habitat that transition from one type to the next. These areas are important to deer and can concentrate a lot of activity.
Deer trails are telltale signs that give a look into habitual activity. A deer trail is a narrow trail of varying degrees of wear depending on how well traveled it is. If you see what appears to be a narrow trail in Michigan, and it isn't a walking trail, it is likely a deer trail. One thing to keep in mind is that time of year can dictate some of that trail use activity.
You may find a very freshly worn trail in summer that may not be all that active when a food source changes, or some other seasonal factor is introduced. Trying to understand how a particular trail may connect some of the food, cover or terrain previously discussed can help narrow down some likely spots of interest. Looking for trail intersections, where multiple trails come together or cross, can also be a good way to key in on spot to consider.
If you want to get a better idea what may be coming down those trails and when they are coming, you can purchase a trail camera and set it up along the trail. Depending on the time of year bucks will also leave telltale signs by making rubs and scrapes. A "rub" is simply a tree that has bark rubbed off by antlers of a deer.
These start to show up in large part later in October and into November timed with rut activity. Although it can be debated how much stock to put into rubs, they do tell a story of guaranteed past activity. Also be on the lookout for rubs that form a line. A rub line is a series of rubbed trees that form a line that follows a line of travel. Scrapes, on the other hand, are cleared areas of bare dirt that deer also make in that late October early November timeframe.
These are viewed as more consistent opportunities for repeat visits from deer, particularly bucks. Some scrapes may be just a one-time occurrence, or they can be communal areas that are frequented often by many deer.
Even if you are not in that magic window of fresh activity, you may be able to detect last year's activity which could be similar to the current year. Once you have put together more and more pieces of the puzzle, it will be time to find a spot to sit. You may be looking for a place to set up a tree stand for the season or simply just identifying a place to setup the day of your hunt with a ground blind.
Ideally you will try and find a spot close enough for a comfortable shot in the area a deer will likely travel, while still remaining concealed. Keep in mind the predominate wind in Michigan, absent any unique terrain influencing wind direction, it is generally out of the west to make sure that your location will be downwind of that area you expect to have a deer travel.
Another successful strategy is to make note of the location of the stand in proximity to where you expect to see deer travel and note the wind direction to be sure you hunt that stand on days the wind will be blowing away from that area.
Scouting and spending time figuring out why, how and where deer travel is infinitely important. The more time you invest the better. However, your presence also has an impact. Each area is a little different on the dynamics of how much human activity will be tolerated, but as a rule each time you are in the deer's environment you are increasing their awareness and wariness. This can be true of scouting and of hunting a single location often. The safe bet is usually to play it safe and don't visit areas you are actively hunting or plan to hunt any more than necessary.
It is always a balancing act. To avoid deer figuring out your pattern instead of the other way around, a method that is increasing in popularity is the "hang and hunt. This premise is built around selecting many areas to hunt and not being selective to one area. If hunting a small tract of land this method likely does not make sense. If you are venturing out onto larger properties or some of the over 8 million acres of publicly accessible hunting ground in Michigan this could be something to consider.
Be sure to check up on the latest hunting regulations in your area, which may influence your strategy. The most important thing you can do this fall is get out in Michigan's great outdoors and enjoy the deer season. There is one guarantee, that there is always something to be learned. There is no substitute for time spent afield. I'd like to wish everyone a safe and successful hunting season. The deer season is shaping up to be another great one here in Michigan.
Whatever your goal is for deer hunting, whether it's a trophy rack, a freezer full of venison, reconnecting with friends and family, or simply being one with nature, I hope you find your goals fulfilled at season's end. Browsers that can not handle javascript will not be able to access some features of this site.
Some functions of this site are disabled for browsers blocking jQuery. Close Search Box. Official Website of Michigan. Preparing for the Season The deer season is fast approaching. Talk to a biologist Your local biologist is a wealth of information.
Contact your local soil conservation district Do you have a food plot or planting that did not fare as well as you had hoped this year that could use a boost for next year? Scouting Scouting probably has the biggest impact on success. Scouting: Digital maps There are several tools out there to digitally gain mapping information. Scouting: Terrain Whether reading a map or observing on the ground, knowing the terrain can help uncover where a deer is likely to move.
Scouting: Ground Truthing No matter how much time you spend on digital map scouting, it always pays to get on the ground and see what the terrain really looks like. Scouting: Bedding and feeding Understanding deer bedding and feeding will uncover deer travel patterns. Scouting: Finding the sign Deer Trails Deer trails are telltale signs that give a look into habitual activity. The California Mule deer and Black-Tailed Deer are closely related deer whose range covers much of the state of California.
With rapid development of rural areas, deer are losing their natural habitats and are forced farther into suburbia. They now live close to our homes and towns. In a world where contact with wildlife is more frequent, we may need to change some of our behavior to find ways to live with them.
To coexist with deer, they must be understood. Spring and summer is the time of year deer give birth to their young. A deer may have between one and three babies, two being most common. Fawns are born from April though June. They are born with their eyes open and fully furred. The fawn is able to stand in 10 minutes and can walk in 7 hours. Young fawn stay with their mother through next winter. Healthy baby fawns are daily left alone by their mothers while the mothers forage for food.
Unfortunately, many times a lone fawn is picked up by people who mistakenly think the fawn has been abandoned. Sadly those fawn have been taken from the mother unnecessarily. In other words, they were kidnapped. Kidnapped fawns should be immediately returned to the exact location where they were found and the left alone. The mother will return and always take her baby back. If however you do not leave the fawn alone, the doe will not return to her baby as she will sense danger.
Once she senses the potential danger is gone, she will then rejoin her young. Remember, if you encounter a fawn lying quietly in the woods, do not disturb. Mom is nearby and will go back to her baby when you are gone. The only time a fawn should be picked up and brought to NAR is if it is obviously ill or injured.
If a fawn is wandering aimlessly and crying, that may be an indication the mother may have been hurt and will not return. You're about to see one Oh, you have got to be kidding me! This one is too easy. Maybe too easy. What do you see here? How many? Let's not be hasty. Another addition! How good are your eyes? Don't Go to Sleep on this one! Stop looking at the squirrels! They don't count. Just as real Don't Get Vertigo.
OK, Geez other than the obvious one! Look Closer!!! More than you think! Don't Get Bogged Down! Ninja Deer!
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