| It is good to know that deer will often use a | | | | their range with fair regularity, so that they return to |
| different trail when they are followed or driven than | | | | a feeding area on every second, third or fourth night. |
| the tracks from where they usually don't travels. A | | | | If there are several of these groups in the area, |
| hunter should know such places where groups of | | | | each feeding place might be visited by different deer |
| deer pass. Most of the time hunters know feeding | | | | on each successive night. Some of these feeding |
| places which are the most favorable for the hunters | | | | areas are visited by deer quite early in the afternoon, |
| one to deer. Even by using even some fruits or nuts | | | | while others are not visited until after dark. This |
| could help to get the deer on the way. | | | | difference is caused to a great extent by the |
| I know of one feeding area, which is used by ten or | | | | distance between the feeding area and the bedding |
| twelve different family groups of deer. This is an | | | | area and by the nature of the cover adjacent to the |
| area of fields bounded on three sides by extensive | | | | feeding area. The amount of moonlight also affects |
| woods and is the nearest area of this type of food | | | | the feeding time of the deer. |
| for the deer, which utilize these woods as their | | | | I know of an orchard which the deer visit almost |
| range. All deer located in the area north of these | | | | every night during the fall and early winter. It is in |
| fields (usually four groups) use a trail that crosses a | | | | sight of my former home where I had the |
| brook, in order to get to the fields from the wooded | | | | opportunity to watch this spot from a distance. I |
| section of their range. On their return to the woods, | | | | have never seen a deer in that orchard in the |
| they separate and some of the groups use a trail | | | | daytime. I also know of a single apple tree which |
| which crosses the brook about three hundred yards | | | | stands less than a half-mile from that orchard and I |
| east of the first-mentioned crossing, while the others | | | | have seen and shot deer under this tree before |
| use a trail located nearly a half-mile to the west of | | | | sundown. The single tree is near the woods, which |
| the same crossing. | | | | means safety, while it is necessary for deer to cross |
| The first trail would be an ideal place to watch in the | | | | about two hundred yards of open country in order |
| late afternoon, yet would be totally unproductive in | | | | to reach the orchard. Naturally they wait for |
| the early morning when the deer were returning by | | | | darkness before crossing this open area. |
| different routes. All three of these crossings are | | | | The shooting of deer from an automobile is forbidden |
| equally obvious to an experienced hunter, but unless | | | | in most states, but the practice of driving along the |
| the man knew of the habits of these deer, he could | | | | roads until a deer is sighted, stopping the car, |
| spend considerable time in watching any one of these | | | | stepping to the side of the road and shooting at it is |
| places at the wrong time of day. Deer will often use | | | | a common practice in many places. Deer are not |
| a different trail when they are followed or driven | | | | particularly afraid of automobiles and these road |
| than the one, which they utilize while traveling | | | | hunters can usually drive quite near the animals |
| unmolested. I have known of deer using all three of | | | | without alarming them. In some sections where |
| the above-mentioned trails in both directions, when | | | | hunting is heavy, the act of stopping a car will cause |
| men or dogs frightened them. | | | | the deer to retreat to safety in the woods, so it is |
| Feeding areas are probably the most productive | | | | often better to chance a long shot than to risk |
| places for a hunter to wait for deer. Patches of | | | | alarming the deer by a too close approach. |
| beech and oak trees, apple orchards, and clover | | | | You can try out on some of the tricks here |
| patches or similar green vegetation are usually the | | | | according to your conditions while hunting. But |
| more productive of these feeding areas, but any | | | | remember always that shooting of deer from an |
| place where deer are known to feed may be | | | | automobile is forbidden in most states. Try to be on |
| watched with some chance of success. As a rule, | | | | the safer sides of the law and avoids as such trouble |
| individual groups of deer do not visit the same | | | | as possible to have good hunting game and enjoying |
| feeding area on successive nights, but move around | | | | them. |