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Water - Home Range
Deer hunting habitat in some areas of western Kansas is as dependent on water sources
as on bedding and feeding areas. Many do not include water in scouting and the
habitat assessment of a region or hunting spot. This picture shows far more
dramatically what words cannot. Deer habitat includes more than just food source
and cover habitat, as mammals deer must drink regularly and it must be part of
their home range habitat. In eastern Kansas, all of Iowa and Missouri water is
readily available and not a scouting or habitat concern.
This picture was taken in late December between the regular and late firearms
deer season.
This water hole is on 480 acres of CRP in High Bluestem, tree filled
draws/creeks and some pasture. Deer have been frequently found bedding in
the larger tree filled creek bottoms flanked by CRP fields. This water hole is
the only year round water source for the larger surrounding area. This land
lease has the complete package of cover, food (neighboring crop fields) and
water of the deer holding habitat we seek.
 Scrapes
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Environmental Influence on Deer habitat
Northern and eastern United States hunters find the central mid-west to have an abundance
of scrapes. The reason is not that we have more deer scrape behavior it is that
our weather pattern allows for scrapes to reaming visible for a longer period than
regions of the country with grater amounts of snow and rain precipitation. It is
common in many areas to find four or more scrapes per 1/4 mile and in one field
less than 10 acres we counted 16 scrapes. The pictures below are just a sampling
filling in one more small detail about our trophy whitetail deer hunting and the
habitat they occupy.
Grass - Bedding Habitat
 Mid west whitetails loaf in open grass fields frequently overlooked by members
concentrating solely on timbered areas. Mature bucks know this and they pattern
hunters leaving them in the woods.
 These
photos were taken by a member during preseason scouting.
The ability to explore new land on demand with many pieces found to be better
than the
last makes for most hunters after their first year in the Association literally tossing a coin to
decide between hunting locations.
Three aspects with picture proof about our central mid-west deer habitat and
its influence on deer behavior. Our land lease contracts allow year round access
for pre season scouting and during season hunting as hard as the hunter applies
himself. What we hope this series of web pages demonstrate is there is far more
to consider than what may at first appear to be.
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