When does a deer get up???

[T.R. Michels]

Deer are what scientists call "crepuscular" (no I didn't make it up), which means they are most active at dusk and dawn, and please note the way in which I wrote that "dusk and dawn".

Basically their long resting period is during the day, then they get up an hour or more before sunset, and travel and feed for an hour or more.

Then, because they are ruminants (like a cow) they often lie down in or near a night time food source, regurgitate their cud, and chew it.

Studies have shown they often get up to urinate, defecate, stretch and feed a bit at midnight, before laying done to rest again.

Then, an hour or two before sunrise they get up to travel and feed again, often in the same area they feed in the night before, or one close ot it.

After an hour or two of feeding, they begin to travel back to their daytime core areas, often feeding as they go. They may lie down shortly before sunrise, and then get up and move further into cover as the sun gets higher.

They spend most of the day in their core areas (often wooded areas), and get up within an hour or two of noon to urinate, defecate, stretch and eat, before lying down again until they get up in the late afternoon/early evening.

Bucks often get up later in the day, and head back to their core areas earlier in the morning than does, preferring to move during darker hours, but may get stupid during the rut.

I hope that helps,

May Yahweh-God bless you and yours,

T.R.