What Drives You?

In the interconnected processes of the human world our every action is driven by a series of natural cues or by a series of thought processes. But what drives the actions of white-tailed deer? And what drives the actions of the hunters who pursue these white-tailed deer? The relationship between the two is a very intimate one, requiring the hunter to leave her or his own thought processes behind in order to get inside the mind of a deer. In order to know how to hunt the deer the hunter must begin to understand and think like a deer.  In this manner a human comes to be able to predicting the very actions of another species. Living to them becomes hunting, it is who they are, it is their life. [jdh1] Over the past nine weeks I have attempted to do exactly that. I have noticed specific patterns of deer behavior, how they react to the weather, the wind, other animals being in the area, as well as their behavior when the mating season arrives.

Above all one can learn, in the process, a lot about one’s own self as a result of spending time in the woods attentive to their surroundings. John Muir said “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt[jdh2] .” As an avid hunter, from the time I could walk into the woods, I can honestly say that I have learned many lessons about life through hunting and being in the company of the wilderness.  But I am not the only one learning things while in the wild. Deer too are always attentive to their surroundings. Not just their immediate surroundings but also the weather patterns and seasons, moon phases and the like that frame these surroundings. Deer also interact differently when they sense other deer, or when they encounter other species. The instincts of a white-tailed deer are bar none some of the most acutely honed in the business.

            A change in weather affects just about every aspect of how a White-tailed deer behaves. For instance deer tend to travel into the wind. This allows them to use their sense of smell to ascertain if the area that they are headed into is safe or not. Repeatedly throughout my life, I have been “winded” by a deer. When they smell something that is in contradiction to their surroundings, say a whiff of deodorant that a hunter is wearing, they immediately lift their head completely up and stop moving so that they can better analyze their surroundings. Whenever a deer feels uncomfortable this is generally their protocol, they stop moving. Even if the deer cannot spot the threat that they feel it is generally still enough to make them uncomfortable enough to evacuate the area, whether this is by a slow trot or a methodic graze is determined by the threat level they sense. This is a truly humbling experience for no matter how well I feel I have blocked my scent, the instincts of the natural world will still be able to pick up on it.  I am always there no matter what I do to disguise this fact. Wind can also hamper the deer’s ability to hear. When the wind is blowing it rattles the leaves and can dampen the sound that a would-be threat might make, as well as dispersing the scent of that threat. As a result, deer generally do not venture out from their bedding ground during windy days.

            Deer also do not enjoy venturing out in the heat. Their body temperatures are at adequate levels and they do not need to move around to reach an acceptable body temperature. But when it is cold deer tend to move more actively to generate body heat.

            Deer tend to be nocturnal animals. That being said they need light to feed at nighttime. Moon phases come into play in this respect. When the moon is full the deer tend not to move until after dark because they have enough light to do so. [jdh3] But when the moon is either a new moon or a crescent moon the deer will move around more about a half hour before the last light. Snow also makes the deer move more in order to keep their body temperature from falling to low. But, as a result, they also have to scavenge more to find protein to fuel their bodies. Snow also reflects the moonlight giving the deer more ample light to feed at night time. These are all instinctual abilities that deer innately possess. It is what drives them as far as environmental cues.

            White-tailed deer are also driven by the way that they interact with other species of animals with whom they share the environment. Throughout my observations I have noticed that deer and squirrels have tell-tale signs that give themselves away to one another.  Climbing trees and barking, squirrels tend to become very tense when a deer is in the area. Deer often snort and stomp a hoof in an attempt to make the squirrel run away.

            Deer, at least on Maryland’s eastern shore these days, do not have any large mammal predators. It’s not surprising then that their populations have skyrocketed to a point where the species population needs to be managed. This is particularly true as they have made themselves increasingly at home in urban and suburban areas. And the human inhabitants there increasingly find their newfound animal neighbors to be a nuisance and sometimes even a menace. In these areas the deer are so used to being in contact with human beings that they do no longer view them to be a threat. Shrubs and flowers are eaten with abandon, while automobiles collide regularly with the increasingly bold animals. In fact I almost came into contact with a deer on route 50 coming back into Salisbury this past week. As I helped my mother’s friend move furniture some weeks ago she began to tell me a story of a deceased deer finding its way to her back yard. This woman lives just inside of the Baltimore City line, somewhere where a white-tailed deer should not be, let alone be struck by a car. As she explains, she had called the city of Baltimore to come and remove the dead carcass and they told her that they could not help her and that she had to call state highways administration. After countless phone calls the city finally came and took away the carcass.

            This story is a prime example of how deer are a nuisance to some, especially inside of town limits. But it also raises the question of should these areas be better adapted to the high populations of deer that are now calling these places their home? There is red tape in every aspect of government, even down to who picks up the dead carcasses, but in order to make it less stressful on the property owner shouldn’t there be a plan in place to take care of the situation with just one phone call?

            Social interactions among white-tails is something spectacular to see and can be categorized by, bodily movement, sound, and their behavior. When a threat is sensed, whether by seeing or hearing or smell, a deer will, as I said before, pick their head up and stomp their hoof on the ground. This alerts the rest of the area that something is not right. If they feel that the threat is no longer immanent then they will put their head back down and begin to wag their tail, an all-clear of sorts. Deer also tend to snort to do the same thing. If a deer snorts then it alerts the rest of the population that there is a problem. As far as the behavior goes it can be categorized into two different time periods, rutting season and non-rutting season. During rutting season, normally in the late Fall, the doe become receptive to males for mating season. The females and males have tarsal glands on their hind legs which hold the scent that they give off through their urine. The scent that the males give off tells the females that the male is ready to mate and the scent that the females give off tells the males that they are receptive. During this time of the year the bucks are generally singled off, in other words they tend to stay by themselves. In the other time of the year, the not rutting time of the year, the deer tend to herd up does with does and males tend to form bachelor groups. The relentless pursuit during the rut, by the males chasing the females, is a spectacular sight to see. A few years back I witnessed a doe being chased by a buck. He chased her for every bit of an hour, back and forth in the field and through the woods. She had finally had enough and sat down. I have heard that bucks will travel up to ten miles a day during the rut in order to find a receptive doe. The intricate processes that are the life of the deer are as captivating as anything I have ever witnesses in my life.

            The interpersonal connection that humans have with wildlife is something like no other. Take the relationship that one would have with their dog. The dog learns who their owner is and together they form a sense of being a part of a family. With wildlife on the other hand, humans generally are seen, in the eyes of the wildlife, as a threat, which is why when they see a human they tend to run or fly away. These are two totally different connections, both of which are equally as rewarding to observe.

            The sport of hunting is one way in which this connection can be made. The intertangled web that is the natural processes of the world connects all living and non-living beings with each other in almost every way. This is the net of connections that a hunter feels and participates in. Some say that hunters just kill to kill, but that is really not the case. To a true hunter, hunting involves so much more than just the kill. It is about the entire hunt: From the planning to the comradery to the connection that we feel with our mother earth. I grew up hunting with my father, my brother, and my uncle, hunting is a chance that I get to go out and spend good quality time with my family. When I get the chance to harvest a deer I do feel a sense of accomplishment, but I also have a feeling of naturalness. The meat we buy in the grocery store is generally pumped full of hormones and steroids. The meat that I harvest from a deer is as natural as it comes. It is a more sustainable food source than beef or chicken. You do not have nearly the amount of methane gas going into the atmosphere than you would through the production of cattle. Deer hunting also manages the populations so that there is a decrease in vehicular accidents and a decrease in things like lime’s disease. Deer also wreak havoc on crops that farmers have sown and put their blood, sweat, and tears into. Deer hunting is so much more than just the kill, it is the hunt, the experience, a necessity to life for some.

            Driving factors influence how we make all of our decisions. For some these decisions can mean life or death. For others these decisions can mean the difference between harvesting a deer and just enjoying their surroundings. White-tailed deer interact differently due to the time of day or year and the place in which they find themselves. They can be calm or nervous, they can be ready to mate or non-receptive, they can choose to move around and walk or they can choose to stay bedded down. All of these actions are instincts [jdh4] that have derived from natural cues. They are the driving force behind the deer’s actions. Aldo Leopold once said, “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land” personally that harmony has driven me to be an avid outdoorsman and an environmental studies major, so I ask what drives you?                

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 [jdh1]Unclear what you mean here.

 [jdh2]Fantastic quotation.

 [jdh3]Unclear in meaning.

 [jdh4]Many now question whether speaking merely of instincts resolves the issue of how deer or any other animal lives inside its own skin.  Talk to me about this.