Why Do Deer Come Out Right Before Dark?

Do you ever wonder why deer come out in what seems to be the last half hour of light? Have you ever wondered why deer stand in what is called a staging area before coming out? Well hopefully I can answer those questions for you in order to give you an edge on your next hunt.

The next time you go deer hunting I want you to keep an eye on something. I am willing to bet that the first deer you see in a large food plot will come out in the area shadowed by the overhead trees. Watching this made me wonder and I think I have come to a conclusion. Deer want the most cover they can find even in the wide open. In a deer's world eating is when they are the most vulnerable. A wide open food source makes them even more vulnerable. So if they are going to eat in an open field they usually will stand back and watch that field for danger. This area they stand back in is what is called a staging area. From this point they want to scan the field from cover to see what they are getting themselves into. Once they decide to enter the open area where they will eat, it is my opinion they do so before it actually gets dark for one reason. The big reason I have discovered is the very cover they find safety in during the day becomes more dangerous than the field is at night.  Then if you ever hunt in the woods and walk out through a field to return home you will notice that the woods gets dark roughly 20 minutes earlier than the field does. Whatever the time difference from one getting dark to the other, will generally be the same amount of shooting light you will have left on the field.  Now to break it down even further; those scared deer have roughly twenty minutes to try and find the most cover in an open field, hence they stay in the shadows.

Don't take my word for it though, each property is different. Keep your eyes and mind open and formulate your own ideas. I just hope this post might answer a few question and at the very least get you thinking. If you have any feedback I would love to hear it and if you find my articles interesting be sure to subscribe to my future posts by submitting your email.