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Old February 21, 2021, 10:00 PM   #1
ghbucky
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Got to watch a small herd of whitetail today

To start off, I don't consider myself a hunter. I did do a (notably unsuccessful) elk hunt once. But that was it.

My Northern KY back yard has a steep dropoff to a stream bed and has some thick brush divided by a path that my dogs trample fairly clear through the middle of it.

I was able to spend about an hour watching 5 whitetail slowly move onto my property and negotiate their way through the area this afternoon. Roughly 4:00 PM

And when it was all done I realized that they had moved very tactically.

A lead deer (I assume doe) carefully made her way up to the cleared area with the rest of the herd following in a rough file. She stayed next to that clearing for some time, then carefully crossed it into the brush on the other side. The rest of the herd stayed put.

After she had moved maybe 200 feet through the brush, she looped back on a different route and then stopped in the middle of the clearing while the rest of the herd started crossing. She then continued maybe 50 feet down their back trail and froze solid for a good 10 minutes watching their rear. Then she jogged to catch up with the rest and on out of my sight.

It was a rare privilege to be able to see all that from my home. I guess I never gave it a whole lot of thought before, but I gotta say that you hunters have your work cut out for you. It would be damn hard to catch those critters by surprise.
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Old February 21, 2021, 10:22 PM   #2
Double K
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Whitetails around my place are super reclusive, you wouldn't know they even exist if you didn't walk dogs through the creekbottoms. Mule deer are pretty much everywhere, front yard, backyard, it's actually more surprising when they aren't around. This is kind of weird looking buck that hung around for a while, 3 main beams.


This little buck is like a pet, he just dropped his antlers.
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Old February 22, 2021, 07:41 PM   #3
Pahoo
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They have their ways !!!

Quote:
And when it was all done I realized that they had moved very tactically.
Not sure about other neck of the woods but this is a common in for Midwest Whitetails. When a doe or yearling, comes into the open, you don't take that shot and hope you don't get busted by them. Take your time and wait for the big boys to show. Sometimes this may take awhile for them to show. I've had does around me before a buck shows. Then again, I may just spend a pleasant time just watching them. Had one small buck that must have caught my scent as he started running around like crazy until he T-boned a doe......

Be Safe !!!
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Old February 25, 2021, 02:32 PM   #4
Mainah
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I've got maybe an acre of woods behind my house in the suburbs. I can see a herd of does and fawns on most days right behind the house. They're not scared of me unless I get too close. The bucks are a different story.
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Old February 27, 2021, 09:08 AM   #5
zplinker
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We built a tower out back, for wildlife viewing, and one day while climbing up, we noticed two fawns in the corn stubble, about 100 yds. away. Once in, I attached a spotting scope to the window sill and looked them over. A little doe fawn was looking here and there, head up most of the time, but the little buck had his chin on the ground, and never moved. We think they get smart by being old; I say they're born that way!
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Old February 28, 2021, 03:18 PM   #6
doofus47
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I've been busted by a lead doe....
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Old March 1, 2021, 09:21 AM   #7
Carl the Floor Walker
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The Whitetail deer is one of the most beautiful amazing creatures on earth. I scout all year round and love to just watch them.

Last edited by Carl the Floor Walker; March 1, 2021 at 11:09 AM.
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Old March 1, 2021, 12:26 PM   #8
ghbucky
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Quote:
The Whitetail deer is one of the most beautiful amazing creatures on earth. I scout all year round and love to just watch them.
I always find it thrilling to see something that large move through brush without disturbing a twig.
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Old March 2, 2021, 12:09 AM   #9
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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Yarded up its called in my neck of the woods. (they do it for protection) Here we got Gray wolf cougar and domestic dogs out and about running across the top of the snow in hopes to ham-string em down. Stopped for a couple doe once in a hurry to cross the road in front of me. As I recall. Just after daylight broke. Late winter February early March it was. 27 crossed the road one after another in pairs and three's. Quite the site all different sizes bucks and doe both in a line down in the ditch and under the high lines waiting their turn. Seen deer yarded-up before but not in such big numbers as these were.
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