How do u find the food source when there is,nt one ?

[Swampthing]

Usually around where i hunt there are some leftover crops standing somewhere,something that was too wet to harvest or whatever.A small patch here and there. This year the farmers had a good year and cleaned everything up pretty good.I,m just wondering with the barren landscape are the deer just finding food inside the swamp . Which would mean they don,t really have no reason to be crossing roads and stuff.A particular buck I hunted the past couple years only showed himself when it was nasty cold out.But this year there is,nt anything left for food around the small swamp he lives in.So did he relocate to a distant food source ? Or is he just living off the land inside his little swamp possibly ? I know it,s nothing for a deer to travel a mile or so for food if he needs too,especially in the warmer months . But where is a deer gonna draw the line for travel and spent energy to food vs. just relocating to food and having to settle for less desireable bedding.

[Wrinkleneck]

They will still find some food in the fields from the farmers missing/spilling unless they have chisel plowed them. It might not be much but the cold winter will have them looking hard in them fields to find what they can eat to survive. If in there travel they find an easier place to get food far from there bedding they may relocate to that area to save energy for the harsh winter months. Just my .02

[solocam88]

They will go a long ways to winter if the conditions are desireable. In a lot of places by me the deer will be somewhere all year long, but when the first heavy snow falls you wont find a single track there.

[DropTyne]

In some farmland areas you will find pockets with many deer and some areas that are completely abandoned. You need to hope your area is the pocket holding the deer. If it's not you may have to look elsewhere to find bucks. What type of crop was surrounding the swamp?

[cornfedkiller]

In some farmland areas you will find pockets with many deer and some areas that are completely abandoned. You need to hope your area is the pocket holding the deer.

I have noticed this as well..Some groves are completely vacant, and others hold a ton of deer.

[adrenalin]

I think it really depends on pressure. If it has a ton of pressure they will still use the thickest nastiest bedding spot regardless of how close the food is. It seem like they just eat whatever is available. But if their isn't a lot of pressure on them they will bed alot closer to the food in deep snow. If you got snow it shouldn't be to hard to find out what they are eating now. If he is left alone in that swamp he might still be their.

[Swampthing]

I think it really depends on pressure. If it has a ton of pressure they will still use the thickest nastiest bedding spot regardless of how close the food is. It seem like they just eat whatever is available. But if their isn't a lot of pressure on them they will bed alot closer to the food in deep snow. If you got snow it shouldn't be to hard to find out what they are eating now. If he is left alone in that swamp he might still be their.

Thanx Adrenalin ,that,s kinda where I was going with this.The particular buck I,m referring too is holding up in this smaller swamp.He was there 3 winters ago along with about a dozen other deer eating some leftover soybeans in a field that bordered his swamp.2 years ago the fields were bone dry ,and NO sightings of him through the winter.I circled the swamp many times after fresh snow looking for his tracks ,NOTHIN.Late that year I witnessed 12 deer leaving that swamp ,I believe relocating to some other area looking for food. So last spring when I went looking for his sheds ,I really did,nt expect to find any .I figured he must have wintered elsewhere with all the other deer.So when I found his shed only 200 feet from the previous year it really through me for a loop.There really ain,t very much pressure late season.So why did all the other deer leave and he stayed all winter.And he left zero sign around the swamp.Sorry for rambling on ,but just trying to figure this guy out.
Now this year is similar to last year not much for food around and it,s showing with no deer sightings.I,m thinking he,s holding up in there while the other deer are long gone. What else could sustain him in the swamp all winter ?

[dan]

What else could sustain him in the swamp all winter ?

There are all kinds of things deer eat in swamps in the winter. Like dogwood tips, the buds off of small trees, etc. Sure they prefer corn or soybeans, but they can and do survive just fine on natural browse when need be. When you do your winter scouting after season follow a buck track around he will take you to all his little meals and you will get a better understanding of food sources.

[headgear]

I have watched deer feed for hours in a tamerack bog in northern MN, I never would have thought there was any food there but this doe filled her belly and then probably bedded back down. I think there is more food out there then we think. I also think the pressured deer learn to get a meal where they feel save during shooting hours. Those who don't learn usually get shot.

[Singing Bridge]

Ah yes, its easy to forget that the whitetail is a browse species... well over 95% of the deer I hunt in northern Michigan, the UP and Canada have absolutely no access to agricultural crops whatsoever- year around. The list of browse / plants / forbes whitetails eat and the seasonal timing for each makes for some interesting research if you have the time.

[tutone84]

The longer the winter progresses, the colder it gets, the less deer need to eat because their metabolism slows way down and they go into a semi hibernation state and live off of their fat. But when they need to eat, you would be surprised what they can live off of.

[Swampthing]

What else could sustain him in the swamp all winter ?

There are all kinds of things deer eat in swamps in the winter. Like dogwood tips, the buds off of small trees, etc. Sure they prefer corn or soybeans, but they can and do survive just fine on natural browse when need be. When you do your winter scouting after season follow a buck track around he will take you to all his little meals and you will get a better understanding of food sources.

Thanks Dan, your talking red brush right?

[Swampthing]

Ah yes, its easy to forget that the whitetail is a browse species... well over 95% of the deer I hunt in northern Michigan, the UP and Canada have absolutely no access to agricultural crops whatsoever- year around. The list of browse / plants / forbes whitetails eat and the seasonal timing for each makes for some interesting research if you have the time.

Thanx Bridge ,I,m gonna do some digging on that >

[dan]

Thanks Dan, your talking red brush right?

Yes... When hunting in cattails the bedding is often in small patches of dogwoods/redbrush and I have watched many bucks sit out there eating dogwood from when they rise to dark.