We are guessing we’re all here for more or less the same reason. We share a mutual interest in whitetail deer, one of the grandest animals stalk silently through Texas brush. With that in mind, lets kick around a few Texas whitetail deer facts.
Texas Whitetail Deer Fact - #1
Deer have really, really good noses:
We’ve all been there, when that doe is ambling carelessly along until she hits the trail you walked in on and jumps three feet in the air, somersaulting her displeasure before she beats feet out of there. Make no mistake that deer smelled your residue on the leaves, twigs and whatever else you touched as you walked by. We leave powerful scents behind that deer will not only smell, but also avoid like the plague for days thereafter. Just watch your step.
Texas Whitetail Deer Facts - #2
Acorns > Corn:
In broadleaf wooded areas, hunters frequently find corn piled up underneath feeders. By early December the super-nutritious acorns have fallen and deer will step over a pile of corn just to get to one. Plan your stand accordingly!
Texas Whitetail Deer Fact - #3
Deer are, basically, moon-slaves:
Study after study has shown the incredible link between moon phases and whitetail deer activity, particularly the position of the moon relative to the earth. For some strange reason whitetail deer are most apt to move and feed when the moon is both directly overhead and directly underneath the earth. Ever have one of those morning hunts when nothing seems to move, not even a squirrel? Check your calendar. Even though the sun is just coming up, you might be sitting there at the wrong time.
Texas Whitetail Deer Facts - #4
Bucks sleep funny:
It’s no wonder those cagey animals are so difficult to spot. Bucks frequently sleep on their right side and face downwind. Eyes and ears guard the front while the highly sensitive olfactory alarm system takes care of the rear. Talk about an unfair advantage.
Texas Whitetail Deer Fact - #5
Deer have four stomachs:
Deer are ruminant animals, meaning they have a special four-chambered stomach that allows them to digest the high concentrations of fiber in their diet. Without one, I’m pretty sure leaf ends wouldn’t taste as good.
Whitetail Deer Facts - #6
Rattling’s not always the way to go:
Rattling for big bucks can be a highly effective strategy in areas where the male-to-female ratio is proportionate. But in areas with a disproportionately large number of females, competition between bucks is non-existent, and rattling may sound as foreign and abrasive to them as it does to us.
Whitetail Deer Facts - #7
Ruttin’ bucks like it cold:
During the madness of the rut, bucks become single-minded and almost stop eating and drinking altogether. As the chase wears on, bucks time their movement with the coldest parts of the day to avoid serious dehydration.
Texas Whitetail Deer Facts - #8
Deer like tree lines, ridgelines and low places:
No matter the region, this invariably seems to be the case. Whether it’s a creek bottom through mesquite scrub, a food plot running into cedar scattered foothills, or a leafy slough under an oak canopy, deer always seem to be traveling via one of the above conduits. Females travel less than males, and prefer to feed as close to cover as possible. When the rut swings into full effect and bucks are driven from their thickets, they move slowly through the best cover they can find. And what better cover than the murky thicket of a creek bed?