Well WI gun season closed last Sunday, 3 days later the deer are back.
Our house sits in a 3 acre field that is planted with native grasses and forbs.
Before the gun season we would see deer both in the evening and morning browsing in the field around the house.
Usually its 3-6 deer, most was 13 at one time. Mostly does this year, only 2 smaller bucks.
Opening morning we had 2 deer, gun shots about 7am at the neighbors to the east.
The 2 deer headed to the west.
After opening morning we saw no more deer feeding in the field during the daylight. I did see some one night about 3am.
Till last evening, 4 were back. This morning 2 more.

Our Neighbor to the east got 2 does and 1 buck all by 7:30am opening day and they were done at that time.
They typically shoot 2-3 deer/year.

I did see several deer during the season in our woods to the west of the house. We had alot of trees blow down this August in a severe storm.
They were bedded down in the blow downs. They would stand up and watch me as I worked in the woods and eventually walk off.
I think they are used to me as I usually get to about 15 yards of them before they will stand up.

Another note, The deer have been hitting the field steady for about a month. There are some old Apple trees and large White Oaks along the edges of this field.
The deer hit the Apples hard for about a week, then the Oaks for only 1-2 days and that was it.
We had a good crop of Apples and Acorns this fall.
Seems like the native grasses and forbs are very attractive in the month of Nov. Particularly the Evening Primrose, the deer chew them down to a bare stalk and Ill. Bundle Flower, they eat those down to the ground.

Just some observations.
Any other observations that others would like to share regarding deer behavior is always interesting.

You sound like me. I spend a lot of time watching deer. What do you call native grass? We grow a fair amount of fescue in our pastures.

Lots of good observations! Always interesting!

Always see deer pre and post season. I think a spaceship picks them up just before the opener and brings them back after the season closes. The deer that I do see either did not get the pick up location memo, the ship was full, or the other deer just did not want them in the gene pool.

I think its the later of the three, adding a little chlorine to the pool so they say. lol

Native Grasses, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Side-oats Grama, Hairy Grama, Switch Grass, Virgina Wild Rye.

Maybe a couple more that I can't think of right now.

Think Prairie Planting. Grasses that were native to Prairie/Savannas of over 200 years ago.

Cool thanks for the explanation of native grass. Do you buy the seed locally?

older I get, the more I enjoy watching them as well - we still shoot a few a year but I now get more enjoyment seeing the bucks that make it through. I am getting ready to plant a few acres to warm season native mix of big blue, indian grass, eastern gamma with about 30 different forbs. The Illinois bundleflower is one for sure I was planning as it is a legume. Does it seem the deer have any preference for any other natives you have noticed? As well, we are getting ready to laydown 30 acres of timber for improving the forest and create bedding habitat while selecting mast producing species.

How do you know what the native grasses in that area were 200 years ago?

Osky

you can evaluate the local esd - ecological site description - and utilize soils data to know what species will grow in certain soils. The USDA/NRCS is still relatively good at putting mixes together for you that grow well on your soils and site determinations. You can eliminate most of your bromes, fescues, bluegrasses that have been introduced. Precipitation is another important driver as well. For example, when I was in North Dakota many of their native grasses are not as tall due to lower precipitation amounts as down here in Missouri. Also weather temperature plays a role in survivability of species - some of the natives do better in warm season while others do better in cooler.

I walk about 3 miles every day when time permits. We hunted two days up north, with no deer and did not hunt locally this year. The area I walk has good deer habitat and did not see a track for the first 4 days after season closed. Today there were several deer tracks crossing the road with one a nice big track and I got a glimpse of a good buck in the brush about 120 yards away. It takes some time for them to get back to the regular habits but they do.

Bryce

2 days 1 1/2 hours of muzzle loader season left

You can get the best deal from Pheasants Forever, they have seed packages that are tailored to your state.
I bought mine seed packages from Prairie Moon Nursery, they have the biggest selection of different species.

Its quite well know what plants are native and which are non-native.
Very few disagreements on this subject.
There are surveys that where done many years ago by interested Botanists on the plants of the "New World".

Other plants that deer like that I have noticed.
All of the Indigos (Baptisia)
Canada Milk Vetch
Little Bluestem
Canada Wild Rye

I have also noticed that deer will not universally eat the same stuff and their tastes seem to change over time.
Some examples.
Last place we had a large Asparagus garden, For the first 20 years they left it alone. Then one spring they discovered that the shoots in the spring taste good.
After that point I never had fresh asparagus for myself.
Also Cedar Trees, I have been told that I'd never be able to grow them as the deer would gnaw them up when young.
I planted approx. 2000 White Cedars and over 25 years never had one chewed by the deer, although the deer did love to bed in them in the winter time.

Deer patterns are disrupted pre-gun hunt through post-gun hunt here in Northern Wisconsin. More folks in the woods and still baiting/feeding taking place that subsides immensely after the gun hunt! We will see more deer around this time as well once the piles of golden nuggets disappear!

Chris

Other plants that deer like that I have noticed.
All of the Indigos (Baptisia)
Canada Milk Vetch
Little Bluestem
Canada Wild Rye

I have also noticed that deer will not universally eat the same stuff and their tastes seem to change over time.
Some examples.
Last place we had a large Asparagus garden, For the first 20 years they left it alone. Then one spring they discovered that the shoots in the spring taste good.
After that point I never had fresh asparagus for myself.
Also Cedar Trees, I have been told that I'd never be able to grow them as the deer would gnaw them up when young.
I planted approx. 2000 White Cedars and over 25 years never had one chewed by the deer, although the deer did love to bed in them in the winter time.




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Up here especially around lakes and ponds the cedars are sheered evenly up to a certain height by the deer. Sort of neat to see. I believe most are red cedar however.

Osky

I wish the deer would eat our cedars. The cedars are a weed tree that loggers won't touch. The loggers will cut ailanthus.

Another thing I noticed during gun season.

I feed the crows. I do the same routine every morning when I feed them.
I walk out singing a song, dump the food and rap the bottom of the plastic bowl the food is in. Making a loud "thump thump thump" sound.
At this point I'll usually hear a crow caw somewhere off in the distance.
With in 2-3 minutes the crows are at the feed.

During gun season the crows are absent. They show up again about 1-2 weeks after the season closes.
I suspect they are filling themselves with gut pile left overs.