StatisticsOpening below are some statistics on central mid-west Whitetail Deer taken as a snap shot of six years worth of data. As in all statistics, the numbers by themselves have little meaning without the conditions they were collected also ascribed to the data. Those conditions were simply placement of the camera on various leases at likely crossing points. All we are attempting to do with these deer camera statistics is provide yet one more snapshot into the various aspects of whitetail behavior. And of course, the typical declaimer is that this data should not be accepted as statistical potential accuracy for any future self guided deer hunter experience. This data is based on deer scouting camera photographs over a
variety of natural terrain. No deer food plot, feeder or chemical attractants
were employed. Some deer hunters have interpreted this statistic as demonstrating the un-pressured nature of our whitetail deer. It is commonly accepted that the more pressure deer receive the more nocturnal their activity. In this case we demonstrate an overall average of greater day to night deer activity. Our surveys have shown this deer behavior data point to be highly circumstantial. A dramatic distinction has surfaced between inactive and active farm daylight deer activity. Inactive farms of 160 acres and larger have accounted for up to 92% daylight deer activity. An inactive farm is one that may be enrolled into the CRP program or one that only sees active farming during CRP maintenance periods and is otherwise unattended. Active farms have demonstrated the converse with as little as 13% daylight deer movement. An active farm may have cattle on portions of it in addition to wildlife areas or other activity that results in a more frequent appearance of humans seemingly suppressing deer activity.
Nothing more than an indicator of the number of buck compared to doe deer ratio. This count is of only comparing deer with visible antlers.
Button bucks are subsumed in the doe count for lack of picture resolution.
Our least informative deer statistic. We have our cameras out starting in June and an
early summer rack is nothing to read as a trophy deer, or not. And, of course,
there is no implied guarantee that this percentage of trophy whitetail deer will be
what every deer hunter will find. This deer statistic is offered only in a simple
attempt to provide a more detailed and obviously incomplete picture of the
central mid-west
whitetail deer.
Our most useful deer scouting and hunting statistic is this one that shows if you want to find trophy class whitetail deer you must put your boots on the ground and scout. This statistic
is all the more impressive when it is realized the game cameras are out in the field
24/7 and our physical scouting covers far fewer hours and days. Finding a
trophy class whitetail deer is not your challenge. Putting that deer in your
truck is the issue. All deer scouting data on these charts is cumulative. We have ranged between 1 and a maximum of 4 operational scouting cameras at any one time. As deer numbers continued to be additive the variance from year to year becomes less pronounced and a more statistical sound baseline is developed. We ceased tracking the camera statistics when deer observations variance flattened. Our next data collection is scheduled in five years when we will create a separate deer observation data spread to compare to this previous one.
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