When deer trails just end

[GFY Camp]

Let's discuss why deer trails end abruptly. One minute you are an obvious deer highway and then it just seems to stop for no reason and you can't figure out which way the deer are going from there. The deer have to be going somewhere. I presume it can mean they are bedding there and only exiting the area the same way. Is this typically the case? Are there other reasons why this happens? What should one be looking for?

I'm sure there are different causes and scenarios and I'd like to discuss them all.

[dan]

I think the question could more easily be answered if you asked what causes deer to form heavy trails... Funnels, easy walking roughts, air currents ( they like to walk where they get scent advantages), etc... So where the trail ends so does the funnel, walking rought, or air current.

One thing I have noticed with deer trails near bedding is that the trail generally dont "end" at the bed. I believe the deer don't wan't a heavy trail leading right up to the bed.

[GFY Camp]

Well, picture this scenario. You electronically scout an area with topo and aerial maps. You locate a potential funnel area that provides a "cover" funnel (i.e. inside corner, thin strip of woods between two open areas connecting larger chunks of woods, etc.) You go to that area and find a trail leading out of that funnel and you follow it to learn more about where the deer are bedding and feeding. Then all of a sudden the trail ends.

Normally the trail starts to slowly dwindle as you get farther away from the funnel as the deer traffic is diluted. But what about when it goes from a heavy trail to nothing very abruptly? I've seen this a few times in my days and I saw another one today.

I agree they don't want a heavy trail leading right to the bedding ground.

[BackWoodsHunter]

Where does this trail just "end" whats the scenery? One spot I hunt in the northwoods has a heavy trail leading to a big oak flat where the deer clearly just disperse and must browse around feeding...that's all I can make of it anyhow

[Dewey]

Most times the heavy trails are from family groups of does and fawns since they use the same trails quite often. When they spread out to bed or feed the trail just seems like it comes to an end suddenly. Sounds like a good spot to check out in the offseason when there is snow on the ground and figure out exactly where they are going by following tracks.
I see this alot hunting cattails because the deer stick to certain main trails and then suddenly spread out over a large area to bed especially in the winter when the marsh is frozen over.

[KLEMZ]

Trails are very obvious in wetter, softer ground. Could the trail be ending at a transition from wet to dry ground?

[kenn1320]

Where does this trail just "end" whats the scenery? One spot I hunt in the northwoods has a heavy trail leading to a big oak flat where the deer clearly just disperse and must browse around feeding...that's all I can make of it anyhow

This is my thinking as well. When you find a heavy run that goes fairly straight, its a good sign that area holds nothing for the deer and they are just interested in getting from point a to b as fast as they can. Could also be thru the only cover in the area, which kinda forces them to walk that same path. If there was lots of browse in the area, they would not beat down a run like that in my opinion. For what its worth, I have found the trails that look like cow paths are not worth hunting as I believe those are point a to b trails used after dark. The exception to this is when as Dan said the deer are forced to that spot via a funnel.
Ken