Trails???

[natethebowhunter]

Do whitetail deer follow the same trails when there is snow on the ground as they do when there isn't. and vice-versa, do deer follow the same trails when there isn't snow as they do when there is snow??????

[Ravin R10 man]

Re: Trails???

they do here..they learn them as fawns, only when exteme deep snow sets in do they change routes. Ive hung ribbons following trails..that was over ten years ago looking for shed antlers..to this day those trails are being used

[LifeNRA]

Re: Trails???

I mark travel routes (trails) on my GPS. This way if I ever do get the chance to look for any sheds I have them. Hopefully after this 12" of snow wont last long!

[Guest bruteshooter]

Re: Trails???

Year after year here.

[Doc]

Re: Trails???

In the area where I hunt, it doesn't take a whole lot of snow to send deer wandering all over the woods, almost going out of their way to avoid walking the trails. As the winter snows accumulate, they will abandon their fair-weather habitats and move into completely different areas. Most likely that is because they are now relegated to different food sources.

If snow depths become extremely out of control, the deer will begin to yard up in areas that are way removed from their home turf.

Doc

[Tominator]

Re: Trails???

Yep, I'd say they do. In my experiences, deer will take the path of least resistance, so that means trails that are easy for them.

[magnatecsteve]

Re: Trails???

I find that deer change their travel patterns when the foilage changes here. Early season they could be anywhere. As the fall progresses and the food sources change, they change their movements with available food sources, thus changing the trails they frequent. When the snow starts, I have noticed they tend to head for the thicker cover left. They will use the same trails year to year as long as something doesn't change. A few years back a huge wind storm blew down several large trees in one area. All but one trail in a 20 yard area went dead as they altered their course around the tangled mess. Just my observation, but where I hunt, deer rarely use the same trails in hard winter that they do in the summer or early fall.

[Matchthedeerslayer]

Nate at my place neer you, the deer always follow thae same trails. about 95% of the time i will see them in the same location walking in and out of my field.

[TxBowHunter]

I have percieved it that the deer follow the trail no matter what. Thats what I see them down here doing.

[Doc]

I can't imagine why in northern areas, that a deer would follow the same routes in winter that they do in the summer. For one thing, the cover is completely changed so even the bedding areas are different. And certainly the food sources are completely different between the two seasons. Further, the deer in our area have a third consideration for their movements, and that is protection from the weather. There is absolutely no similarity between the patterns of a wintering deer and a deer traveling in the summer. So I really don't understand all the replies claiming that they use the same trails in the winter as they do in the summer. Heck, in the worst parts of the winter we have total re-location of deer herds as they move into the wintering areas and occasionally even yard up. I can see where this might not be the case in the more moderate southern climates, but here in NY there is absolutely no similarity between the movements of deer in the winter and deer in the summer.

In fact it really doesn't even take the change from summer to winter to create changes in trail use. In the fall, mast crops and hunter pressures will force deer to alter travel patterns and seemingly abandon some networks of trails in favor of a different system of trails. I'm sure that areas that have farming activities see modifications of trail use due to harvesting and other farming activities.

Doc

[Rhino]

I agree with Doc...that is to a point anyway. What Doc says is really sort of a condensed version of what I've seen where I hunt in MS. It's all big woods with no crops or big pastures around where I hunt in MS. The only open areas are our food plots. Without going into great detail travel patterns here change throughout the year dependent on many factors such as available cover, weather conditions, hunting pressure, and ever changing food sources.

Now hunting the midwestern states where the land is mostly open crop fields and/or pasture land the same trails seem to be used continually. Heck if a wooded area is more than 150 yards wide, that's a big woodlot. Many places I've hunted around that part of the country were mostly narrow woodlots along creeks or small drainage areas varying from 20 yards to 75 yards wide that would join the larger woodlots. Changing trails wasn't really much of an option. If they did, it was probably so subtle that you wouldn't notice the difference.

As far as snow goes, I really can't say. Haven't seen snow down here in 7 or 8 years. When it does occur deer movement virtually ceases since these southern deer may only see it once or twice in a lifetime.

[buckee]

Like others have said, deer do use the same trails over and over again, but some may or may not get more traffic during different seasons of the year.

Some trails always seem to get the traffic, no matter what, and that's those funnel type trails.

Most people think of a funnel as a skinny group of woods connecting 2 pieces of bush , or sticking out into a field, but a funnel can be almost anything. A funnel is basically, the most likely place an animal will travel to get from point A to point B that gives them security..and..is a tight area which brings the game traffic closer together. Kind of a natural travel squeeze.

It could be something as simple as a favoured opening in a fence-line, or a narrow creek crossing spot, to a ridge-line or wooded depression.

When it snows, deer will (like others have already said) use the trails with the least resistance, but these funnel areas will always get traffic.

NOTE: On occasion, a deers favourite trail, that has been used year after year after year, can be abruptly changed by something as simple as a fallen tree.

[Leo]

It's been my experience that the larger older bucks don't follow the main trails. They typically have at least two alternate trails that run parallel to the main trails. They choose which one to use that day based on the wind direction. In other words they try and stay down wind of the main trails.

Most often these parallel trails are less than 60yds from the main trail and often have an astounding number of rubs on them. The key rubs to search for are the very large signpost rubs and rubs that have been hit on BOTH sides of the tree.

[Doc]

Another thing that I have noted, regarding bucks is that unless they are on the track of a doe, they often will spend some time walking crosswise to main trails, checking each one for scent signs of receptive does. I have had many occasions where I have been set up watching a well used trail and had bucks come in from behind, basically on no trail at all.

Sorry, that doesn't have anything to do with the impacts of snow as was referred to in the original post, but it is just an observation that I have noted about bucks vs. trails that I thought was kind of interesting.

Doc

[MichiganHunter]

Depends, in the U.P. of michigan we have a migrating deer herd and in the winter they seam to fallow the same old warn down trails they have used for several years...infact we have see the same doe the last 3 years(she has a big scratch and a broken front leg). she always comes through about a week after the snow starts to hit spends a day or two in the area and is gone...than in the spring we see her for a day or two as she heads back up north.....however in the summer time we have deer that just kind of "mill" around the area about a 600 or 700 acer set of woods...they dont always seam to travel the same trails that thay do in winter..i mean they use them because i think deer are lazy as **** and will take the easiest path possible but usally the travel a little diff in the summer than the winter...also in the Lower Pen. Down near the michigan ohio border(other hunting prop) we see deer travel lots of diff paths because the get pushed alot but when un-disturbed they do fallow some sort of a trail..they travel the same way but might not be right on the same path way..........Hope this helps!

[Tom2008]

They generally use the same trails year after year. Some deer go different places for certain parts of the season, but they still use the same trails in all the places. They change trails when certain things effect their natrual way of life. Food can be a great reason to change trails.

[bobw]

.

I Agree With Tom 2008...

[Doc]

But, I think the original question was regarding whether deer use the same trails before snow vs. after the snow. In our neck of the woods, the first snow generally shows more random, non-trail related movements. That's not to say that I never see tracks in the snow on regular trails, but it's interesting how many of the tracks are just meandering through the woods without regard to established trails. And then of course as the winter gets a bit more harsh, there are occasions where our deer completely abandon the whole area. So, I would have to say that there is a distinct difference in the use of established trails once the snow has arrived for the duration of the winter.

I have to add a slight disclaimer and say that my hunting grounds have no agriculture whats-so-ever. It's all thickets and mature hardwoods, and that may make a difference ....... I don't know.

Doc

[Tom2008]

they dont always seam to travel the same trails that thay do in winter..i mean they use them because i think deer are lazy as **** and will take the easiest path possible but usally the travel a little diff in the summer than the winter

Deer are no where near lazy animals. They take the trails that will bring them from bedding areas and feeding areas. If need be a deer will take a trail that no one knows of at all. You should pick your choice of words better to. Dont' forget that this a family site.

[M00N]

I have to agree that a lot of factors can influence what trails, how often they are used, or what season they are used in. Deer are a creature of habbit, but they are also not stupid and know when it's time to break the habbit in order to survive. Around where I hunt you definately notice the deer taking different trails during different seasons of the year. Main reason being is different seasons of the year the trails are well hidden and secure and other times they become bare and open and the deer just don't feel secure anymore traveling them. Food sources, water sources, bedding sources, wind direction, weather conditions, hunting pressure, logging pressure, etc. also heavily influence what trails the deer perfer at certain times. There always seems to be a few trails that just happen to be well located that the deer will travel through all the seaons because it's just in a very secure area of travel, even when the leaves are off the trees or snow is on the ground. Othertimes you'll find trails that only certain times of the year are used. It's hard to tell what trails are what unless you take the time to study the area and the movement of the deer and pattern them. Even then those wise old deer will change it up if they feel the least bit weary of the trail or something seems out of place. Afterall those big old bucks don't become big and old by being stupid.

[SaskMan]

Well we get snow...in fact quite a bit of it, this yr likely 36" or more. Most yrs of normal snow fall, 18" or so, the deer use the same trails they have used all fall. So...I guess what I'm saying is that normal amounts of snowfall here don't affect the deers travel patterns much if at all during the hunting season. However. later in the winter as it really sets in they seem to yard up in the same old traditional areas and follow the same old traditional trails....but it takes alot of snow to make them change their habits within season.