Hunter’s View of the Forest
As I wandered through the woods with one of our experienced bow hunters, Frank Patterson, I learned so much about deer behavior during the month of November. At this time, the deer’s rut or mating season is at its peak and the bucks leave scrapes and rubs along deer runs and game trails to attract does. The Land Trust has been allowing bow hunting in Wright Woods for over 20 years with the same trusted hunters.
However, this season, Frank has been noticing a change in the deer behavior – due to the increased trail traffic, but also from the strange warm spell we experienced in early to mid-November. They are not visiting their usual spots, especially those that were near trails, because of more traffic on the trails. They also, due to the warm weather, are moving around less and spending time in cooler pockets of the forest, as compared to colder weather, when they move around much more.
As you watch this short video, you will learn about different signs and tracks of deer, some of their behavior during the rut. It was fun to wander game trails with a hunter, someone who intimately knows the lay of the in the Wright Woods.
The Land Trust allows bow hunting in Wright Woods as a way to help control the overpopulation of deer on our landscape and continue this traditional form of living off the land.
Laney Wilder, Executive Director
