It’s finally here, whitetail hunters, the opening day of the 2023 archery season in our section of Whitetail Country.

Oct. 1 officially kicks off deer season in Western New York/Chautauqua County. The past few weeks we have discussed everything from stand placement to food sources to the use of decoys for whitetail deer. This week, and in the coming weeks, among the topics we will be digging deeper into will be the world of the whitetail.

This week I would like to go over a handful of things that will make you as a hunter more successful this fall. Some of these you have heard before and a few maybe you haven’t, but what I’m going to pass along this week are scientific facts. These are not rumors or old wive’s tales. These facts are based on science.

The No. 1 thing we all need to remember is deer need to eat every day. Deer must eat 365 days a year. In fact, the average whitetail must eat 6-8% of forage daily to stay healthy. This means no matter the weather, eating is a must and then they will up and move.

While we have discussed whitetail eating patterns in the past, this is so important that it must also be brought up as the No. 1 thing that a deer does each and every day. With this basic knowledge, we as hunters must take and use it to our advantage.

Understanding what deer eat and when they eat a particular forage is imperative to your success as a hunter. No matter which weapons are your choice to pursue a deer, having this information is crucial. With the information we must have said food source and hunt said food source.

Now, food sources can, and will, change, often within a matter of days. If the property you are hunting on just had corn harvested, trust your gut and know that deer will be hitting the corn field hard. If the acorns are dropping on a particular ridge line, deer will be on that ridge until all the acorns are gone.

A couple weeks ago I noticed a strange occurrence on several of the game cameras that I had set up on food plots. All of a sudden several of my target bucks had disappeared. It literally happens overnight. I was taken back by this, but experience has shown me that the mature bucks had moved to another food source. In this case it was a small stand of acorn trees that started dropping early.

Just because we know it’s deer food, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is attractive at the time. Deer will move from one source to another. The reasons for this are biological. Mature bucks know that the annual mating season is just around the corner. They also know from experience they need to build up their fat reservoir because they will be burning it off chasing around their next girlfriend for days on end with little time to eat.

It’s our job to get out and know what forage/food deer are feeding on when you are going to be hunting. Again, very basic, but oftentimes not so simple.

The time of day deer are up moving to feed should be high on the list. It’s no secret that early morning and just before the sun goes down over the horizon are excellent times to fill a tag. But is this science or fact? Is it because we as hunters see more deer moving first thing in the morning or just before legal shooting light? Is this because that is when we are in the woods the majority of time or is it because that’s when deer are moving the most?

Here is where science and old wives tales come together, sort of. It’s true that deer move early in the morning and around dusk, but that is not the only time they move. Whitetails are a nocturnal animal, yes. The last couple hours of daylight deer will be up moving, along with the first couple hours of legal shooting light, but they do throughout the day, just not much.

The National Deer Association recently completed a study which shows when deer move and how far during a 24-hour period.

During the early fall, the majority of deer movement is from 4-7:45 a.m. The range during this time frame is anywhere from 100 to over 300 yards. During the same time frame — early fall — deer will be up and moving throughout the day until about 4:30 p.m. During this time they are only moving about 100 yards at a time.

During the pre-rut phase, deer are moving a little earlier and traveling greater distances, but are moving until 10 a.m. From 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. deer are up and moving 100 yards or so. But at 3:30 p.m. they are up moving over 300 yards.

The rut is just as one would think, with one exception. Let me explain. First, deer are traveling greater distances, which we all have been taught. They are moving more in the earlier part of the day — 5-10 a.m., still traveling great distances. During the middle of day — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — they are moving throughout this time period, but traveling further than other times of the year except winter months. During the rut, deer will be up and moving at 2:45 p.m. and traveling greater distances until about 10 p.m.

At the peak of the breeding where you hunt, deer will move throughout the day and night. Of course, they will travel greater distances this time of year than any other time. This is no secret and this is why we all should know the peak, the rut time frame and where you hunt.

In post-rut movement, the majority of the deer are back to their early fall movement patterns.

Hunting pressure will affect how and when deer move. The thing I have observed over the years — this is just my observation from over five decades in deer hunting for myself and guiding clients for over half that time — if one doesn’t push deer too hard, they will not leave the area. What they will do is alter their movement times.

Always remembering that deer need to eat, they will eat it just maybe a different time frame before they were pushed or received what we call hunting pressure.

There is another key that is important to the peak of the rut: A buck will breed a doe if she will stand for him. If the doe feels comfortable in the area, bucks will be there to breed her. There isn’t much that will stop a buck from seeking a hot doe. He will go places and stay in places that he may not if it wasn’t for breeding.

We are coming up on an exciting time for every hunter. I encourage you all to get out and enjoy Mother Nature at her finest. As the “dance” begins, take as much time as possible, and watch and learn the many lessons that only first knowledge can teach you.

Remember to shoot long and straight. Good luck this season and be safe out there.

This Thursday, Oct. 6, I will be giving a seminar about whitetail vocalization at Valley Outdoors at the four corners in Cassadaga. The seminar will begin at 5:30 p.m. and we will be giving away door prizes, which will include deer call and deer scents. Hope to see you all in Cassadaga this Thursday evening.