Dissecting a deer’s home

Deer don’t fly. They might seem to take flight and disappear at times, but that’s an illusion. Every deer on the planet is tied to the ground by gravity, just like us. All a hunter really needs to do is put him or herself within striking distance of a legal deer. Okay, it’s not really that easy. Understanding how deer will use the topography and vegetation of their range to survive, though, is a fundamental pillar of deer hunting. Simply put, if you want to harvest deer, learn how they use the land. Farm country Farm-country deer hunting can vary in Ontario. Some areas have rolling hills, while others are flat. Some have cornfields, while others have pastures. One thing is common for all. Deer have lots of edge habitat and food, and they use the human-altered environment to advantage whenever they can. A) Bedding area During midday, farm-country deer bed down and relax until evening feeding hours. Deer using this area in the early season can move with minimum effort from the mixed woodlot behind the farm­house to the apple orchard. This bedding area provides cover and food during both hot and cold weather. Hunt this spot in early bow seasons and during late-season muzzleloader hunts. Keeping a safe dis­tance from the buildings and being aware of safe shooting zones, sneak in just to the edge of the apple orchard. Don’t pen­etrate too deeply into the cover or deer won’t come out during daylight hours for the rest of the season. B) Feeding access The abundant edge habitat here provides cover and access to fields where deer can pilfer crops. Deer can follow the fencerow to the road and the hayfield across. These deer eat a variety of food, from plant flowers and other natural food to agricultural crops, and have plenty of options when one food source is depleted. Before or during the rut, hunting from a tree stand where the woods meets the fencerow might be good with a muzzleloader or scoped shotgun. You might intercept a buck travelling the fence line and looking for does. Once the corn is cut, a ground blind set in the cornfield is a winner, especially in the cold weather of late season. C) Funnel area Funnels are topographical features that nudge whitetails into cer­tain travel corridors. Deer travel the route of least resistance that doesn’t expose them to danger. Look