In our hearts, every whitetail hunter is a scientist of sorts. Understanding the whitetail’s lifestyle is the base building block of hunting success. That’s why we scout hard (often year-round), study deer behavior (every chance we get, in season or not), and strive to learn everything we can about deer behavior (whether through observation or study).
One element of the whitetail lifestyle that we often don’t think much about is this: Just how does a local deer population stay genetically healthy?
We all know that whitetails are homebodies, with limited home ranges. Knowing every nook, cranny, good bedding spot, escape route, safe haven, and food and water source, is the key to whitetail survival. In fact, it can be next to impossible to permanently push a whitetail off the
