deer travel?

Quick question here, in general, how far are deer willing to move from a bedding area to a food plot, and how far will bucks move during the rut. Also, do bucks move as little as possible early in the season to stack up calories?

Deer will move a long way to get to a desired feeding area. However if they are that keyed in on a location they will set up shop there and stay close until the food source starts to dwindle. Bucks during the rut will move to where the receptive Doe's are. If there are plenty close by they won't move far from their home base. If there aren't any doe's near by they will move and move until they find some. When love is in the air bucks have been known to travel very far distances. Bucks in early season usually tavel with bachelor groups or several of their racked pals. They do normal summer pattern stuff until their testorone levels increase then they can't stand to be around each other. Then the pre-rut begins. Movement in early season is usually from bedding areas to food source to water source ect, repeat as necessary.

I don't know about the general deer population but I know about a herd that lives near my home. Well, they live AT my home, in the corner of the yard, under the apple tree. I've seen them less than a mile from my house, grazing in a neighbor's pasture. There is a huge buck in the herd and he brings the does out to dinner at dusk each night. They sleep in some bushes in the corner of the yard and drink from the bird bath. They come every evening on a regular time schedule that won't vary more than 45 minutes to an hour. It's the most peaceful and beautiful sight a person could witness. They don't seem to be afraid of my Jack Russell dog and she just ignores them.

I also own a house in Alabama with a lake about 300 ft. from the back door. There is a huge herd that hangs out around the lake and sleeps in the bushes between the lake and the house. I make sure the grass grows thick and deep for them in one area and they seem to enjoy it along with some conveniently "discarded" old fruit and vegetables. I have a security light at that house and the whole herd will come and stand around under the light. I don't understand why unless they are grazing on the lawn at some point during the night. Have just returned from a 3-week stay at that house, and several people (outlaws) asked if they could hunt on my property. My comment was, "You shoota' my deer; I shoota' you backside. Read the 'No Trespassing/No Hunting' signs because they make a legal point. I have a good lawyer that can explain it to you."

[quote=Stevens;337408]Quick question here, in general, how far are deer willing to move from a bedding area to a food plot, and how far will bucks move during the rut. Also, do bucks move as little as possible early in the season to stack up calories?[/quote] depends on pressure. deer that are not pressured can bed in the food or very close. on private land i have seen deer lay in a food plot or on the edge all day long. in heavily pressured public land that i hunt in kentucky i have seen deer go over a mile up to two miles to the food. deer can cover that distance surprisingly fast after dark. i have set stands over a mile away and watched them go through the timber to the fields. keep moving your stands farther away till you get to daylight sightings and never challenge the wind.

[QUOTE=bassin_bug;337579]I don't know about the general deer population but I know about a herd that lives near my home. Well, they live AT my home, in the corner of the yard, under the apple tree. I've seen them less than a mile from my house, grazing in a neighbor's pasture. There is a huge buck in the herd and he brings the does out to dinner at dusk each night. They sleep in some bushes in the corner of the yard and drink from the bird bath. They come every evening on a regular time schedule that won't vary more than 45 minutes to an hour. It's the most peaceful and beautiful sight a person could witness. They don't seem to be afraid of my Jack Russell dog and she just ignores them.

I also own a house in Alabama with a lake about 300 ft. from the back door. There is a huge herd that hangs out around the lake and sleeps in the bushes between the lake and the house. I make sure the grass grows thick and deep for them in one area and they seem to enjoy it along with some conveniently "discarded" old fruit and vegetables. I have a security light at that house and the whole herd will come and stand around under the light. I don't understand why unless they are grazing on the lawn at some point during the night. Have just returned from a 3-week stay at that house, and several people (outlaws) asked if they could hunt on my property. My comment was, "You shoota' my deer; I shoota' you backside. Read the 'No Trespassing/No Hunting' signs because they make a legal point. I have a good lawyer that can explain it to you."[/QUOTE]

Don't mean to start a rile with you,but they are not "Your" deer,I don't care how much you feed them or give them shelter they can go where they please and are managed by KDF&W.While you may not allow hunting on your place ,which is your right,you have no right to complain when one jumps threw the window on a family members auto and injures them,or when they eat every plant and shrub you plant in the yard.Once you've had thousands of $$$$ worth of damage done to your crops and property you might see things in a different light.

To the original post,this only as I have witnessed through my years of being outdoors,generally deer will only move as far as they have to,if there is plenty of food,water,and cover they will generally stay in that area,I have two seperate family groups of does that raise their young on my farm annually,The bachelor groups of bucks tend to wander farther but mostly stick with a general routine until pre-rut when they split up.During the rut I once captured a buck on my trail cam at my place that normally stayed on my cousins farm 6 miles away.