The Whitetails of Early Spring

A Whitetail deer emerges from a winter deeryard.
(Photo David A. Murray)

The cold wind blew across the snow-covered landscape with a vengeance. Thermometers idle below zero and seem frozen, along with everything else.

The whitetail deer remain hunkered down in amongst the fir trees and cedar bogs, waiting for early spring to deliver their hope for survival. The old and the weak have already helped the coyote and raven survive the long, arduous winter.

As the days turn into weeks, the deep snow that once covered the ground melts to expose small areas of the forest floor to the sun. The ground cover responds, as do the trees and bushes with buds and new growth.

Early spring offers the whitetail deer its bridge to survival. Soon the browse will be plentiful and the fields green with protein. However, for now, the deer must spend all of its time and energy to rebuild the depleted reserves of the past winter. The inherent fear and avoidance of man becomes secondary to food. The winter deeryards of the Maine Northwoods begin to empty as the whitetails seek out any available food source.

The deeryard

This time of year provides some excellent opportunities for wildlife watching or photographing these magnificent critters.

The first task is to locate a food source in the melted open areas of the forest. To accomplish this, you need to locate a winter deeryard and then fan out from that point. I locate potential deeryard habitat on a topographic map, or look for active winter trails that cross a road, and then explore the area. Well-traveled deer paths, at this time of year, will lead directly between a food source and a winter bedding area, or deeryard.

An essential piece of equipment to explore the area will be a good pair of snowshoes and poles. The snow will still be quite deep in the shaded areas of the woods. Poles will help keep you steady, and make walking up and down hills easier. You can find old ski poles at yard sales that will work just fine. However, don’t skimp on the snowshoes; buy high quality snowshoes sized large enough to carry your weight plus about thirty pounds for winter clothes, boots, and gear. The snowshoes that I use are the Tubbs Pinnacle model (www.tubbssnowshoes.com).

Once you locate deer, try to find an active trail or food source near a woods road or area where you can park a vehicle; I’ll explain why in a moment. Whitetail deer usually feed in early morning or late evening; however, in early spring you are apt to see deer at any time of day.

When I find a good early spring deer location, I mark the location and date in my Maine Delorme Atlas. Whitetail deer are creatures of habit, and I have gone back year after year to successfully photograph in these same locations.

The approach

Once you’ve found and documented some locations with deer traffic, the best approach is to cruise between these sites until you find one with recent activity. At that point, an approach plan becomes the next order of business.

For the deer’s survival, it is important not to interrupt their feeding activity or force them to expend energy to avoid you. Deer, even in the Northwoods, are accustomed to seeing vehicles and generally do not feel threatened by them. Therefore, once you’ve done your homework, and found a travel path that crosses a road, plan to do your wildlife watching or photographing from inside your vehicle.

Find a spot to pull off or to the side of the road, and then shut your vehicle off and wait. This should allow you to get close enough to the activity yet not disturb the deer during this critical time. If the scouting and approach plan was successful, the deer will go about their normal activities; and although they will be aware of your presence, food becomes the priority at this time of year.

Creating memories

Watching deer interact in the wild is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon. Binoculars or a spotting scope will help close the distance between you and the deer, and give you an up-close and personal view of wildlife behavior. If you prefer to photograph the activity, here are some recommendations for successfully capturing great images with your 35mm camera.

Preparing to photograph before the deer show up is a wise move. First, position your vehicle so, from the driver’s side window, you have an unobstructed view of the deer’s food source. Bring your longest telephoto lens for portraits and a medium range lens for group shots. If your longest lens is 300mm or larger, I recommend a beanbag or a window-mount to steady your camera and lens.

Keep extra batteries, binoculars, and any other essentials within reach; too much movement in the vehicle may spook the deer. Even though you are in the vehicle, dress as if you were outside. With the vehicle off and the window open, it won’t take long for the temperature inside to be the same as outside. In fact, it is a good idea to keep all the windows down to increase your photo opportunities, as deer may approach from any direction.

If you use your 35mm camera in the manual mode, setting the correct light exposure for deer is not difficult. As with most mammals, a deer’s coat changes with the season. However, deer are generally an average or mid-tone subject year-round.

Most 35mm cameras, with a manual setting option, have a TTL (through the lens) meter. The small circle(s) or square(s) in the viewfinder define the area the camera’s light meter uses to measure the light. As you look through the viewfinder, put this small circle or square on the deer and set your light meter to that reading. There are always slight variations in equipment and readings, but this will put you in the ballpark.

Early spring offers some great opportunities for watching or photographing wildlife. So, get out and enjoy the changing weather, and create some memories you can enjoy for years to come.

By: David A. Murray & The Boothbay Register