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10 year Pa deer study

T

Tknapp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2022
Messages
257
I saw that the pagc with a few other organizations including Penn State did a new 10 year deer study. They collared 1,120 buck, doe, and fawns over this time with gps collars. Some of the info was very interesting. Some key points that I took away ill list below.

-Mature buck are usually bedded well before dawn and don't typically move until after 10 am.
-deer patterns changed the day before the season opener.
-light rain does not affect deer movement.
-wind does not affect deer movement and movement often increases on windy days.
-the number of deer killed on public land is way less than I expected and those deer just hide more.

Here is the link to the article and the blog recording the data.

10-year Pennsylvania deer study shakes up what hunters thought they knew [column] | Outdoors | lancasteronline.com
Penn State Deer-Forest Study (psu.edu)
 
Tknapp said:
I saw that the pagc with a few other organizations including Penn State did a new 10 year deer study. They collared 1,120 buck, doe, and fawns over this time with gps collars. Some of the info was very interesting. Some key points that I took away ill list below.

-Mature buck are usually bedded well before dawn and don't typically move until after 10 am.
-deer patterns changed the day before the season opener.
-light rain does not affect deer movement.
-wind does not affect deer movement and movement often increases on windy days.
-the number of deer killed on public land is way less than I expected and those deer just hide more.

Here is the link to the article and the blog recording the data.

10-year Pennsylvania deer study shakes up what hunters thought they knew [column] | Outdoors | lancasteronline.com
Penn State Deer-Forest Study (psu.edu)
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I was just watching Before the Echo on YouTube with Josh and Dan Infalt. They were talking about this deer study. Very interesting data they had gathered. So much of went against what most hunters typically think they know about deer habits.
 
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This has been a great study, I've been following their BLOG posts for the past four years. They also did it (trapped deer to tag them and monitor movements) in two different major PA state gameland areas for differing terrain features and vegetation and other factors. To me the results are fascinating. I've developed a linear vs. circuitous movement theory where deer, especially in heavy public pressured areas not only find pockets of cover but they also remain within pressured cover and areas and just move in more circular patterns avoiding pressure rather than long lateral or linear movements. Rather than a burst of movement from a pressure source out like the sun's rays from the pressure point but rather, out and j hooks either way depending on wind, thermals and cover to be able to see and smell but still remain within certain areas with moderate to light pressure. Perhaps even high pressure as long as it isn't constant drives and pushing day after day...... that buck feels safest in his core and will go to pockets where he feels the safest. I do believe they feel safest where they live most of the time with moderate to light pressure perhaps even moderate high pressure depending on the habitat. However, they have also said in this study that bucks will go on "vacation" for a short period of time.... some believe to an original fawning area and then will head back to their core. One buck did it almost to the day each year........ and not just during the rut.
 
I found it kinda funny how most hunters feel that hunting public lands is pretty useless because they get pounded so hard that their are no deer left. However in this study , they collared 32 deer on a piece of public land, 31 of the 32 deer survived the hunting season. Crazy!!
 
woodsdog2 said:
This has been a great study, I've been following their BLOG posts for the past four years. They also did it (trapped deer to tag them and monitor movements) in two different major PA state gameland areas for differing terrain features and vegetation and other factors. To me the results are fascinating. I've developed a linear vs. circuitous movement theory where deer, especially in heavy public pressured areas not only find pockets of cover but they also remain within pressured cover and areas and just move in more circular patterns avoiding pressure rather than long lateral or linear movements. Rather than a burst of movement from a pressure source out like the sun's rays from the pressure point but rather, out and j hooks either way depending on wind, thermals and cover to be able to see and smell but still remain within certain areas with moderate to light pressure. Perhaps even high pressure as long as it isn't constant drives and pushing day after day...... that buck feels safest in his core and will go to pockets where he feels the safest. I do believe they feel safest where they live most of the time with moderate to light pressure perhaps even moderate high pressure depending on the habitat. However, they have also said in this study that bucks will go on "vacation" for a short period of time.... some believe to an original fawning area and then will head back to their core. One buck did it almost to the day each year........ and not just during the rut.
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MSU deer lab study showed similar excursions. My anecdotal observations agree with your theory on movement. Outside of the rut it seems to be circular in nature. During the rut it may still roughly follow a circular pattern but has linear elements within the loop. This is primarily in the river bottoms though.
 
Shapeshifter said:
I found it kinda funny how most hunters feel that hunting public lands is pretty useless because they get pounded so hard that their are no deer left. However in this study , they collared 32 deer on a piece of public land, 31 of the 32 deer survived the hunting season. Crazy!!
Click to expand...
That actually didnt surprise me all that much because most "hunters" arent hunters when considering the group in totality or what we here in the forum would consider a hunter. Thousands of folks go out for opening weekend of gun season and that is the only time they are in the woods. They are a participant of the season, not a hunter. Not intending that to be or sound derogatory it just is what it is.
 
BTaylor said:
That actually didnt surprise me all that much because most "hunters" arent hunters when considering the group in totality or what we here in the forum would consider a hunter. Thousands of folks go out for opening weekend of gun season and that is the only time they are in the woods. They are a participant of the season, not a hunter. Not intending that to be or sound derogatory it just is what it is.
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Most of the guys I know locally who hunt would not even consider going to public land. They would not be able to put up big permanent stands, put out corn feeders and ride their side by sides up to their stands. There is no way they would chance leaving their $300 cell cameras out there either. The older they get and the more seasons they get under their belt the more they are moving in the opposite direction from mobility and finding deer. They want to do everything they can to bring the deer to them. A friend of mine recently told me "if it ain't easy, I ain't doing it!"

I am really the outlier in the group. I love hunting public, but it is a whole other skill set and it is a lot of work.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
Most of the guys I know locally who hunt would not even consider going to public land. They would not be able to put up big permanent stands, put out corn feeders and ride their side by sides up to their stands. There is no way they would chance leaving their $300 cell cameras out there either. The older they get and the more seasons they get under their belt the more they are moving in the opposite direction from mobility and finding deer. They want to do everything they can to bring the deer to them. A friend of mine recently told me "if it ain't easy, I ain't doing it!"

I am really the outlier in the group. I love hunting public, but it is a whole other skill set and it is a lot of work.
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In WV, baiting is legal on private land and very common. So much so that I can't believe CWD hasn't taken off more.

Predictably, the powers that be will wait until there is an issue prior to trying to prevent by outlawing hunting over bait.

Anyways, when I talk to people that hunt over bait, it is obvious that they do not study nor have much experience in how to find deer regarding place and time. It really does stifle your development as a hunter.
 
I hunt 10am-2pm quite often. I’ve seen a lot of good deer that way. I have no need to be up at 4am to go hunting. Actually every buck I’ve shot in the last 3-4 yrs has been between 10:15am and 11:45. With the exception an 8pt at 3:15.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
What I'm really trying to dial in on is early pre rut big buck sightings/opportunities which, around here are difficult to see on a consistent basis. Last year I was able to key in on a nice 10 coming to apples the first of October but the way he would come in, between grape rows and the edge of the woods made it difficult to set up for a shot. I need to clear out a couple of lanes now to have the ability to shoot to that lane he used. Hopefully he's still alive. The woods is public the lane and the grapes are obviously on private that I hunt. This buck beds across a road to the north then heads to the south along the lane to the dropping apples then up to corn. It will be the same scenario again this year as the farmer replanted corn again because he put a cover crop in before. I guess that's good farming??? Anyway, last year my only opportunity at this buck was me on a ladder in the corn and sure enough he came out but was 50 yards away. I was hoping he would feed to the west towards me in clover field next to the corn after he hit the apples. The sucker went back into the woods again instead following a tall spiker he ran with all summer and early fall!!!!The winds were from the northeast all that week so he was heading into the apples and clover and corn with a tail wind. Hence my interest in long distance shooting this year. I wasn't confident last year as he worked the scrape but again I thought he was heading my way. Sometimes they have a sixth sense. He'll be even bigger this year if he made it but I found no sheds or have no pics since after season. But I didn't hear or see of anyone taking him either.
 
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woodsdog2 said:
What I'm really trying to dial in on is early pre rut big buck sightings/opportunities which, around here are difficult to see on a consistent basis. Last year I was able to key in on a nice 10 coming to apples the first of October but the way he would come in, between grape rows and the edge of the woods made it difficult to set up for a shot. I need to clear out a couple of lanes now to have the ability to shoot to that lane he used. Hopefully he's still alive. The woods is public the lane and the grapes are obviously on private that I hunt. This buck beds across a road to the north then heads to the south along the lane to the dropping apples then up to corn. It will be the same scenario again this year as the farmer replanted corn again because he put a cover crop in before. I guess that's good farming??? Anyway, last year my only opportunity at this buck was me on a ladder in the corn and sure enough he came out but was 50 yards away. I was hoping he would feed to the west towards me in clover field next to the corn after he hit the apples. The sucker went back into the woods again instead following a tall spiker he ran with all summer and early fall!!!!The winds were from the northeast all that week so he was heading into the apples and clover and corn with a tail wind. Hence my interest in long distance shooting this year. I wasn't confident last year as he worked the scrape but again I thought he was heading my way. Sometimes they have a sixth sense. He'll be even bigger this year if he made it but I found no sheds or have no pics since after season. But I didn't hear or see of anyone taking him either.
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Anything to narrow down his travel before he reaches the food source?
 
shmelton said:
I hunt 10am-2pm quite often. I’ve seen a lot of good deer that way. I have no need to be up at 4am to go hunting. Actually every buck I’ve shot in the last 3-4 yrs has been between 10:15am and 11:45. With the exception an 8pt at 3:15.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I think that is smart,especially on public. Most of the others are out of the woods.
 
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