Deer senses and daylight movement

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Country
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Deer senses and daylight movement

Unread postby Country » Sun Aug 28, 2016 2:54 am

If deer like to use all of their senses to avoid predators, why don't they move more during the day versus night to better use their sense of sight??

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IkemanTx
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Re: Deer senses and daylight movement

Unread postby IkemanTx » Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:22 am

I think aversion to daylight movement pretty much always boils down to human pressure. The rare times I have been in zero pressure areas with a decent whitetail population, there were deer up and moving at all different times throughout the day. I think thousands of years of humans being more effective than other predators (percentage wise) has led to a natural instinct of smell hunter, wait till dusk. Also, for an animal with little reasoning skills, if I can't hear, see, or smell danger... There must not be danger. I find deer move well in fog and quiet snowfall down here, and I think it is because the hindrances to their senses leads to a false sense of security.

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mheichelbech
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Re: Deer senses and daylight movement

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:24 am

Mainly because of human activity and everything that goes with that. Actually on one small woodlot I hunt, I had a camera in an area that doesn't get much human activity and there was substantial deer movement throughout the day.

I think deer do move regularly throughout the day however they move in areas away from humans and because they aren't seen, the perception is they aren't moving. Secondly, it's hot a good part of the year and they move more at night simply because it's cooler.
Last, it's probably a genetic, Darwinistic type thing for prey animals (deer, rabbits, mice) to move more in the dark due to overall lower activity in the wild at night.

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purebowhunting
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Re: Deer senses and daylight movement

Unread postby purebowhunting » Sun Aug 28, 2016 4:14 am

CountryJoe wrote:If deer like to use all of their senses to avoid predators, why don't they move more during the day versus night to better use their sense of sight??

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Deer can see at night. Deer move most at dusk and dawn which is when their vision is at its peak. Really how they move is taking advantage of all their senses.
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Re: Deer senses and daylight movement

Unread postby Dewey » Sun Aug 28, 2016 5:14 am

purebowhunting wrote:
CountryJoe wrote:If deer like to use all of their senses to avoid predators, why don't they move more during the day versus night to better use their sense of sight??

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Deer can see at night. Deer move most at dusk and dawn which is when their vision is at its peak. Really how they move is taking advantage of all their senses.

X2

They know they are much more visible to predators in daylight too especially humans.

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Re: Deer senses and daylight movement

Unread postby jonsimoneau » Sun Aug 28, 2016 5:49 am

Deer are crepuscular animals. They move most at dawn and dusk whether they are being hunted or not.

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