A Deer and its Stomachs

Like Napoleon's army a deer travels on its stomachs most of the time. If you can figure out what, where and when deer are eating you can get in between them and their food. Mongo and Tard hunt in Illinois and the great state of Indiana so our knowledge is limited to the Midwest. But we have some insights that might apply to your hunting grounds.

One thing to realize is that deer eat different foods at different times of the year. Around here they eat mast (i.e. nuts, fruit) as a first preference. Oak trees produce acorns that they just love in the early part of the year. Around September and early to mid October if you can find an oak tree with fresh deer droppings you might have a hot spot. Now all oak trees are not created equal, deer really love white oak which has bigger acorns and rounded leaves. Sometimes they'll go after red oak which has pointed leaves. How do you know which tree? Deer are capricious - scout.

The deer also go hard after agricultural crops. Here in the Midwest soy beans and corn are popular as well as Alfalfa. We have seen a preference for beans with the deer we hunt. When the farmers take down a specific field will make a huge difference in deer travel patterns. The deer may continue to glean the field after it's taken down but they seem to visit them less, possibly due to the reduced cover.

They may go from acorns to beans to corn to apples to browse in your area as they do in ours or the mix may be a little different. The main thing to pay attention to is where are they feeding right now. Look for fresh deer tracks on the deer trails you've scouted, kicked up leaves, deer scat, and duh - deer sightings.

Now you may be thinking " Mongo, you idiot, I want a BUCK!!!!." OK, calm down, great-white-wanna-be-read-too-many-Hemingway/London-novels-I-so-want-to-get-in-Pope-and-Young-but-what's-that-whole-65%-let-off-thing-anyway-hunter-man, and listen. Food is still key for two reasons. One - during the early part of the hunting season bucks are in their home territory and will be fattening up for the rut (humping season) so food is the shit, so to speak. During the rut, bucks are hunting for hot does so part of your strategy is to be where the girls are and that means food pal.

So get to know your herd's food habits. Its a big part of the puzzle.