Transition zones

Why do you think deer tend to travel a long transition zones? Is it the ability to walk through less thick vegetation with ease, but having thicker stuff just a few feet away in case they need to find cover?

Animals like edges, fish included.

Yeah, but WHY for deer?

Security, food, ease of travel, etc. it can be a bunch of things.

Easy escape.

A lot of deer bedding will be just inside transition lines, so some travel there is due to that. Security probably is the biggest reason.

I was thinking security too.

Thanks guys.

Edges and structure. I will only hunt edges , structure or pinch points , sometimes all three at the same locale............MONEY.

When I was a teenager out tromping around through the woods and brush with a 3030 and never saw anything but tails running away, I noticed most of my encounters were happening on edges. If a deer jumped 50 ft from me, I could run as fast as I could but it would always be gone by the time I got to where I could see it. I guess they figured this out long before I came along. This is the reason for my answer. If they lay on an edge of a field or woodline they can disappear either direction quickly. Theyve got you beat no matter which direction you come from.

^^^ this, plus "indoctrination" -- IOW, for doe, their mama showed them, who's mama showed them, who's mama showed them ... if a habitat is really stable, it's just what they do ...

Sometimes transition zones have good food or others time ease of travel to the food maybe half a mile away. Ever noticed some good browse where wide open areas meet thick areas sometimes the best browse is along these edges. Sometime they feed in the open thick cut areas and move in the shade when it is hot or opposite on cold days if sunny. Now setting up on a well worn trail on that transition zone and shooting a deer when they happen to walk that trail on pressured property will make a person think they have an understanding and other times when there is no deer make you one feel stupid. Deer walk a lot. Is the trail a day trail or night trail?