For as long as there have been white-tailed deer there have been predators that have relied on deer for food. Of course, before feral hogs (and European wild hogs) were introduced into Central and North America, that was one less predator whitetail had to worry about. Not so now days. Not only do feral hogs compete with native wildlife for food, habitat, and space, but hogs also have direct impacts on wildlife populations through predation and direct consumption. I have said it before regarding deer management and the impacts of whitetail predators–particularly coyotes–but deer populations can still thrive in the presence of healthy predator populations as long as high quality deer habitat is available.

However, even in the best habitat predators will have some impact on white-tailed deer populations. I think most landowners, deer managers, and hunters understand this fact. But even so, it can be difficult to sit back and wait for predators to do what they do best considering the time, energy, and money that landowners and hunters put into their property, leases, and deer management programs. It can be even more discouraging when such offenses are caught on camera. Such is the case with the attached photos that I recently received via email. (more…)

Game cameras are great for hunters and deer management because they allow 24-7 surveillance of trails, feeders, food plots, and water sources. Not only can motion-triggered cameras be used to collect valuable survey data for herd management, but they can also capture some amazing wildlife photos, such as this awe-inspiring photo of a mountain lion dragging a whitetail buck directly in front of a protein feeder and right in the path of a game camera. Although it’s a great photo that demonstrates why an unlucky hunter may not be seeing any mature bucks, the mountain lion is simply doing what it does best.

Game cameras really do capture some great wildlife photos, but not all of the time. In today’s high-tech world, anyone with a little bit of computer knowledge can splice together parts of several photos and fabricate a seemingly amazing photo. I received the above mountain lion and deer photo in my inbox at least every other day for a couple weeks now, so hunters and non-hunters apparently find this photo fascinating and are passing it around. So why do predators get so much attention? I think part of it is the mystique surrounding them. They literally kill for a living. The other reason is because we as humans love to place blame. So although I believe this photo of a mountain lion carrying a buck is fake (May 16 update: the photo is real), predator management as part of your overall deer management program could be very real. Should you attempt to control predators on your property? (more…)

I’ve discussed buck to doe ratio more than once, but today we are going to talk about how buck to doe ratios impact subsequent fawning dates and recruitment of fawns into your white-tailed deer herd. Many factors can impact rutting or breeding activity, but most of the breeding takes place over a relatively short time in healthy deer herds. Timing, of course, depends on latitude, local conditions, and a host of other factors, but year-in and year-out most of the rut takes place more or less over the same time each year in a given area. Though often overlooked, buck to doe ratio should be an important deer management consideration on your ranch. 

In the previous sentences, I was talking about a “healthy” deer herd and said “most” of the breeding takes place at the same time, but what exactly does that mean. Well, a healthy deer herd would be one that is at carrying capacity for the habitat, has a buck to doe ratio of no fewer than 1 buck per 3 does, and all animals are in good body condition. With that said, most of the breeding would happen over the course of a 10-day period or less. (more…)

Will a bobcat attack a full-grown white-tailed deer? Yes! And these game camera photos prove it. I’ve always figured that the biggest threat a bobcat could impose on a whitetail was while the deer was still a fawn, and I still believe this to be true. But maybe bobcats kill more deer than we thought. The bobcat is an effective predator, but the larger coyote takes more deer.

In these photos, you will notice that the deer is still battling the deer after two minutes have passed. This seems plausible considering the crushing power of bobcat’s jaw and incisors are really being put to the test considering the size of its prey.

Even a large bobcat at 25 to 30-pounds can only hope to physically wear down an adult deer while biting into it’s neck to increase blood loss. It’s a tough way to go, but nature is violent.

Although the bobcat wrapped up this doe, I suspect that a bobcat would not launch an attack on a larger-bodied, antlered buck. At least not one in a healthy condition. And the health of this doe was unknown when attacked.

Bonus bobcat photos:

Trapping deer can indeed occur accidentally. Very few people actually attempt to catch deer because in just about every instance, to attempt to catch, capture, or even posses a wild white-tailed deer requires some sort of state permit. However, more whitetails are captured in some sort of trap than we probably realize. However, I imagine and hope most are not fatal.

Typically, deer are captured as non-target species while hunters and trappers attempt to catch feral hogs or control predators such a coyotes. The white-tailed buck pictured here was inadvertantly trapped in a hog trap. The use of regular whole-kernal corn in hog traps is very effective at catching deer, so the necessary steps should be taken when using hog traps to avoid capturing deer.

Several precautions one can take when trapping hogs is to use soured corn, milo, rice, or other grain. The sour smell is attractive to wild hogs, but whitetail deer will avoid the smell and trap altogether. Deer do not like soured grains or acorns.

Make sure the doorway or entry to traps are built such that deer are discouraged from entering. Otherwise, make traps such as this with open tops so that “trapped” deer can escape by jumping out.

Another way deer can be wrongly captured is with the use of snares. Many people will use snares in an attempt to captured wild dogs or coyotes, but deer will sometimes use the same trails and fence crossings as these animals. Take caution when setting out snares because deer and other non-target species could end up in them. It would be a shame to take the biggest buck you ever layed eyes on in a snare!

If you do happen to catch a deer in a trap, the best way to get it out is to wait until dark and approach with a flashlight. Blind the deer with the light, open the door, and get the heck out of the way!

Controlling varmints should be a part of the overall management scheme to better manage the deer herd found on your property. Varmints, specifically coyotes, are the biggest threat to fawn recruitment on most lands throughout the United States. However, we may really want to keep an eye out for them if they are getting this smart!