Deer are creatures of habit, and they typically sleep and rest in the same spots for a long time. This is because they need to conserve energy during the day.
They have a habit of moving to areas that are out of the wind and where they feel safe. This is especially true if there are trees or bushes that they can easily hide under.
Once in these hidden places they spend the rest of the day feeding on grass, sedges, forbes and twigs. They may also feed on a small amount of corn, beans or alfalfa in areas that have those crops.
After feeding they typically lie down in the same place for about 3 hours. Then they get up, stretch, walk a few yards from the bed and urinate. They lay down again, and eat about a half hour later.
During the evening they will move out of their bedding areas and into fields to stock up on food. They will then move back to their wooded bedding areas in the morning around sunrise.
In most areas of the country, whitetails are crepuscular animals; that means they are most active at dusk and dawn. However, they can be quite active during the day too – especially during rut or around full moon.
When the weather is rainy, many deer will seek shelter in dense plantations or under tall bushes. They do this to protect themselves from predators. This is a good opportunity for hunters to find deer in these hiding spots.
