Whether planning to go out on a hunting session or for a wildlife shoot, it’s always important to be well-versed about the animals you’re planning to see before you head out. After all, timid animals like deer, with so many predators around the forest, cannot freely wander about anytime they want.
They have to consider the movements of both hunters and animals higher up in the food chain to chalk out their schedule for each day.
Are deer nocturnal? Find out more on deer and their complex sleeping patterns in our comprehensive guide.
Are Deer Nocturnal?
Contrary to popular belief, deer are not nocturnal. In fact, they are crepuscular, which means they’re most active during the twilight hours — the time before sunrise and after sunset. These are the hours most preferred by deer to go out in search of food and water or to find a new bedding area.
Again, this does not apply to all species of deer. For example, the musk deer is both nocturnal and crepuscular. That’s why you often see startled deer running straight into your car at night.
NOTE: The exact timing and pattern of deer movement also depend on the temperature, season, and number of predators in the forest.
Do Deer Eat at Night?
If you plan to hunt down these deer, you must know their eating habits. How else would you lure them into your hunt traps, right? Well, deer usually prefer to eat during the crepuscular hours, mainly because most are primarily crepuscular.
Also, many dangerous predators like tigers, lions, and leopards are nocturnal, which means they hunt actively at night. To avoid them, most deer species do not like venturing out at night.
But again, it depends on the species and the wildlife diversity of the forest. For example, deer like mule and musk are primarily nocturnal and look for food after the sun sets. So if you play your cards right, you might be able to attract them to your feeders.
Deer Activities Throughout the Day: What Do They Even Do?
The first thing every hunter needs to learn is the schedule, habits, and movement patterns of the herd of deer you are targeting. The best way to do so is to create a lucrative feeder to attract them and manually trail them through their journey.
But before you begin, here’s a quick overview of common day-to-day deer activities you can expect:
- Usually, deer eat twice a day during the twilight hours. So if you’re targeting diurnal animals — crepuscular or nocturnal — these hours are your perfect window to corner them.
- Once they’re done with their meals, they will head back to their bedding area to rest and stay out of sight of their predators. Since they always have to be alert for sudden predator attacks, their sleep cycles are quite short and light.
- During the mating season, you might see them move around between meals and their resting period to find a suitable partner.
- Deer activity is also known to be linked with the changing phases of the moon. The morning after a full moon is usually followed by a reduced daytime activity, whereas the morning after a dark new moon night witnesses heightened deer activity.
What Affects Deer Movement?
Here are a few factors that affect deer movements and their period of activity:
Barometric Pressure
Barometric pressure has a significant role to play in deer movement and activities. Deer can sense the change in air pressure that is followed by a sudden shift in the weather. Their ears work just like a barometer and sense the perfect timing to step out.
A low pressure indicates an incoming thunderstorm which drives the herds of deer inside, whereas a higher pressure indicates a bright, sunny day and encourages them to venture out.
Temperature
The biggest factor that affects the movements and activities of deer is the temperature. Being timid animals, extreme weather conditions like rain or thunderstorms immediately shut down their activities.
Also, colder months force them out more often and for longer periods to load enough food to keep themselves warmer. And since their thick, dark coats insulate them well, deer are quite comfortable in the cold weather and do not mind wandering about a little every now and then.
During the summer months, most herds of deer relocate to the inner parts of the forest covered in lush greenery, preferably closer to a water source, and walk shorter distances. To oversimplify it, deer prefer cold weather over warm daytime hours.
Wind Velocity
Increased wind velocity is often followed by a remarkable decrease in deer activity. The swift gusts of wind make it difficult for them to watch out for the approaching footsteps of hunters and predators. High wind velocity also blows away the natural scent of their predators, making it even harder for them to sense danger.
That’s why they do not leave their bedding areas on such days. Deer like a windy day as long as it’s light, unidirectional, and does not make them vulnerable.
Mating Season
The biggest deciding factor of all is the mating season—the behavior of a deer in rut, bear no resemblance to its usual patterns. During the breeding season, adult male deer are known to travel miles looking for a potential partner. Their route jumps from eating sources to bedding areas, all the while looking for a mature doe in estrus nearby. Do they mate for life?
During this time, they are quite gullible and easy to lure into your feeders. Also, while male deer play no role in the upbringing of their fawns, the mother deer are quite protective. Targeting the young ones is a great way to force out mature adults.
Do Deer Ever Become Nocturnal?
While deer aren’t innately nocturnal, certain environmental and bodily changes can affect their preferences. If you’re out on a hunting session to a new area and find that all the deer are missing during the day, here are a few factors that might affect their time of activity:
Predator Pressure
Unlike other forest animals, deer cannot move around on a whim. They have to plan all their movements and activities based on the behavioral pattern of their predators.
Common deer predators like lions, foxes, tigers, and mountain lions are nocturnal. That’s why if you’re hunting for deer in a forest area inhabited by these species, you won’t find any deer loitering around after sunset.
On the other hand, if the forest area you are currently hinting at is mostly inhabited by coyotes and grizzly bears, which are also common predators, the deer activity will shift to the nighttime.
Age
Factors like age, hunting patterns, and predator pressure are slightly interrelated. From a very young age, a doe will teach its fawns about the potential dangers out there and how to avoid them. As they grow older and start wandering on their own, they might shift to nocturnal activities depending on the frequency, duration, and time of hunting activities.
Also, older deer are responsible for looking after the entire herd. So when there is the slightest rustle of leaves or a hint of impending danger, the female deer and their fawns will be hidden first, often leaving the old male deer exposed and vulnerable.
Hunting Activity Patterns
While deer usually do not get enough credit for their intellect compared to other animals, they are actually smarter than most of them. After all, being a herbivore and so low in the food chain, they have spent years evolving techniques to dodge hunters and other animals.
If you notice that the herd in a particular part of the forest avoids daytime activity, it’s probably to avoid the hunters and every human activity. Years of observation and experience have taught them the common hunting patterns of the forest, helping them prepare a counter plan to avoid coming into sight.
Individual Personality
As every human being has different personalities, deer too, live on their whim. While some are meek and timid, some turn out to be adventurous and bold. Obviously, their personal behavior largely depends on the environment of the forest.
For a deer to be brave enough to wander about the forest at night, they have to be 100% sure that there are no predatory threats in that area during those hours. Remember how we talked about deer running in front of cars late at night? These are the ones we are talking about — brave and predator-free.
Wrapping Up
To wrap it up, there are many factors that influence the most active hours of a deer herd, and even then, it’s not the same for all. But as a general rule, these creatures are most active during the early morning hours and a little after sunset.
So if you want any luck with them during your next hunting trip, target these hours and follow them to their beds from there. Now you know the answer when someone asks you – “Are deer nocturnal?”
Next up: Do deer travel on the same path every day?
The Amazing and Large Mule Deer
