You can’t change a zebras stripes, nor a whitetail’s feeding schedule.
QUESTION: The deer on my property will be captured on my camera feeding between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. (since before September). They have little to no pressure on them that would force them to be nocturnal. The site has adequate cover, and they are not in the wide open. I have changed the time that feed is dispersed – disbursing only in the morning – all to no avail. The feed will stay there untouched until 11 p.m. or later. Is there any way to change the biological clock of a deer?
ANSWER: Study after study has shown that deer are crepuscular – being most active around dawn and dusk. Rare exceptions occur, usually in places with little human disturbance (no hunting) and few or no predators, where they may be slightly more active in daylight.
As their daytime activity is mostly associated with feeding, altering when supplemental food is available is a good approach, although apparently it isn’t working for you.
There could be several reasons for this. One is the amount of food dispersed. If deer numbers are high and food is scarce, deer will learn that the first ones to the feed pile get to eat.
If you put out a lot of food or deer numbers are relatively low, it could be that there is less competition for what’s available. There may also be enough natural food in the area, reducing their incentive to visit the bait site. You might try reducing the amount of food dispersed, or even trying different feed.
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