DeerFever.com

Like cattle, whitetails are ruminants, or cud chewers. They gulp food without chewing and store it in the rumen, the first and largest chamber of their 4-part stomach. This feeding behavior is advantageous in severe weather or when hunting pressure is heavy. The deer can feed rapidly when the opportunity presents itself, easily consuming 5 pounds of food in a half-hour. Then they retreat to the safety of heavy cover.

Once bedded, the deer regurgitates food from its rumen, chews its cud (the term for regurgitated food) and swallows it. The food then passes through the other stomach chambers for further digestion.
Read the rest of this entry »

There’s no sure-fire indication of a deer’s sex in its tracks. But if you take a close look, you will find some clues.

It happens all the time: a hunter looks at a deer track that’s a little bigger than the ones around it and says, “Now, there’s a nice buck.” Well, not necessarily. The size of a deer’s track is not a very reliable indication of the animal’s sex. A deer’s hooves continue to grow throughout its life and are worn down by contact with the ground. An old doe may leave a larger track than a middle-age buck. And a doe that spends most of her time on soft soil may leave a larger track than a same age buck that lives over hard, rocky soil. Still, if you find a track that’s huge compared to others in the same area, it’s probably worth your attention. It may belong to an old doe, but if it belongs to a buck, it’s probably a good buck. Also, keep in mind that old tracks often appear misleadingly large. Fresh tracks have sharp, distinct edges, while old tracks show edges that are dull and vague.
Read the rest of this entry »