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Deer Ecology 101

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    #16
    I'm in. Thanks for the info

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      #17
      I'm in. thanks for sharing your many yrs of knowledge

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        #18
        Interesting keep it coming!

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          #19
          is there a term for animals that, for lack of a better term, "know" what food is best for them and what isn't? like when browsing they know which plants are most valuable and which aren't (weeds in a food plot)...or when me and my neighbor were watching some does 2 weeks ago walk around picking out hackberry leaves that were falling among hundreds of other types of leaves.

          just curious.

          thanks for the info...
          Last edited by jshouse; 12-05-2016, 01:35 PM.

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            #20
            In.

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              #21
              Originally posted by jshouse View Post
              is there a term for animals that, for lack of a better term, "know" what food is best for them and what isn't? like when browsing they know which plants are most valuable and which aren't (weeds in a food plot)...or when me and my neighbor were watching some does 2 weeks ago walk around picking out hackberry leaves that were falling among hundreds of other types of leaves.

              just curious.

              thanks for the info...
              Most all animals know what they can and can not eat. Not sure there is a "term" for it other than thousands of years of evolution.

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                #22
                Subscribed...

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                  #23
                  Continuing on.... A topic that rarely gets mentioned, is how stress can effect deer. I'm not talking stress like going to a job, paying bills.... Stress comes in many forms. Environmental stress can come from disturbance around them in physical form such as new construction, road work...

                  But, there are also types of stress such as drought, heat, cold and rain. All of these factors affect how and what deer do on a day-to-day basis. It has been shown that stress, of any kind, in small amounts over a long period is more damaging that a high amount of stress over a short period of time.

                  Temperature and food are probably the two most common types of stress. Extreme heat and cold are very hard on animals. We can go inside to get out of the elements, but deer have to live in it 24/7. Heat and cold cause a higher consumption of food and water. Water in the heat, food in the cold. Obviously water is needed in higher amounts in extreme heat to help keep the body cooled down. Food in the cold to generate heat through digestion and absorption of fats and nutrients.

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                    #24
                    Originally posted by Hawkpuppy 1 View Post
                    Continuing on.... It has been shown that stress, of any kind, in small amounts over a long period is more damaging that a high amount of stress over a short period of time.
                    Same with us human animals. Coming up short on sleep an hour or two a night for a month leads to chronic fatigue and it takes a while to recover. But, staying up late and getting up early for a week you can recover in another week or so.

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                      #25
                      Originally posted by Hawkpuppy 1 View Post
                      Continuing on.... A topic that rarely gets mentioned, is how stress can effect deer. I'm not talking stress like going to a job, paying bills.... Stress comes in many forms. Environmental stress can come from disturbance around them in physical form such as new construction, road work...

                      But, there are also types of stress such as drought, heat, cold and rain. All of these factors affect how and what deer do on a day-to-day basis. It has been shown that stress, of any kind, in small amounts over a long period is more damaging that a high amount of stress over a short period of time.
                      Temperature and food are probably the two most common types of stress. Extreme heat and cold are very hard on animals. We can go inside to get out of the elements, but deer have to live in it 24/7. Heat and cold cause a higher consumption of food and water. Water in the heat, food in the cold. Obviously water is needed in higher amounts in extreme heat to help keep the body cooled down. Food in the cold to generate heat through digestion and absorption of fats and nutrients.
                      I can see how not driving through a hunting area during the off-season and then all of a sudden start mowing, cutting trees, trimming lanes, and other activities a month or two before season every weekend or every other will affect a deer's pattern. Where as a rifle shot or other activity wouldn't.

                      Wish I could convince others on my lease of this.

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                        #26
                        Originally posted by Grndchecker View Post
                        I can see how not driving through a hunting area during the off-season and then all of a sudden start mowing, cutting trees, trimming lanes, and other activities a month or two before season every weekend or every other will affect a deer's pattern. Where as a rifle shot or other activity wouldn't.

                        Wish I could convince others on my lease of this.
                        Very good analogy right there....

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                          #27
                          Whitetail bucks are not able to reproduce until in hard antler. They have very little, if any, testosterone production until their antlers are fully hardened and the velvet has been rubbed off. It is that same process that stops the blood flow to the velvet/antlers, that causes testosterone production to begin again. That's why you see some minor sparring action as soon as the velvet is off within a few days, ramping up all the way to the rut.

                          While we are talking about it, the rut is not triggered by temperature or cold fronts. Although that can have some effect on it, the breeding season is determined by the length of day (photoperiod). Cervids are "short day" breeders, meaning they have their breeding season once the days get shorter with less light. That's why you see different rut periods in different places (north to south) at different times of the year.

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                            #28
                            Very cool thread! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

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                              #29
                              Following.

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                                #30
                                Originally posted by Hawkpuppy 1 View Post
                                While we are talking about it, the rut is not triggered by temperature or cold fronts. Although that can have some effect on it, the breeding season is determined by the length of day (photoperiod). Cervids are "short day" breeders, meaning they have their breeding season once the days get shorter with less light. That's why you see different rut periods in different places (north to south) at different times of the year.
                                Thanks for all you've posted so far, very informative. Can you expand a little on the rut timing anomalies such as those in the Gulf Coast region where the rut can occur far earlier than almost all other regions?

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