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Procedure for all projects: 

1. Find a Whitetail deer trail where deer are passing and set up a corn and protein deer feeder. 

2. Fill the corn and protein feeders.   Place a charged battery in the corn feeder and set timer so corn will be on the ground at all times.

3. Set up an infrared camera to monitor the feeders and record when deer are present.

4. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for another set of feeders at least one kilometer away.

5. Weekly change the Compact Flash card. Check the battery levels of the feeders and cameras. Replace the batteries as necessary.  If the corn or protein levels are down, add more feed.  Repeat at the other feeder location.

5. Select a media (like Access) that will allow you to record the data collected and produce summary reports by each weather factor, condition, number of times deer were sighted and the total number of deer. 

6. Download weather data (one record per hour) from for your location and record in media. Calculate and enter the Comfort Index (Temperature modified with heat index and wind chill), Moon Phase and Barometric Pressure Trend.

7. Input date, time, hour (rounded to the nearest weather observation) and number of deer, number of anterless deer, number of little bucks (horns inside the ears) and number of big bucks from the camera data in step 5. 

8. Analyze data for each condition to calculate the frequency of Whitetail deer sightings and average number of deer for each classification and condition.

9. Analyze the data using Binary Logical Regression to show significance and trend.

2006 Science Project Question:

Does hunting pressure have an affect on the feeding patterns of whitetail deer?

2006 Hypothesis: 

Hunting pressure will affect the feeding patterns of whitetail deer.

2006 Conclusion:

The data shows that nonhunted and hunted are different. To analyze the difference I have looked at the continuities and changes in the trend during the hunting season and compared this to the normal trends. The hunted and nonhunted deer only had two similarities the continuity in the trend toward feeding under the rising barometer and the insignificance of wind direction. 

The nonhunted deer have continuity in six conditions temperature, dew point, humidity, barometric pressure trend, conditions, and moon phase. Temperature, humidity, pressure trend, and moon phase had positive trends toward higher temperatures, higher humidity conditions, a rising barometer and the full moon. Dew point and conditions had negative trend toward lower dew points and clear conditions. Hour, barometric pressure, visibility, and wind speed had changes in from the total sightings to hunting season. Hour only became significant during the hunting season and the trend was to feed later in the day. The total barometric pressure trend was to feed under lower barometric pressures but this reversed during hunting season. Visibility was normally significant with the tendency toward feeding under lower visibility conditions but it lost its significance during the hunting season. Wind speed was only significant during hunting season and the tendency was toward feeding under lower wind speeds.

Hunted deer had continuity in the trends of barometric pressure trend, visibility, and wind speed. Deer tended to feed under a rising barometer, lower visibilities and wind speeds. There were changes in the significances of temperature, dew point, humidity, conditions, comfort index and moon phase. Temperature lost its significance during hunting season but normally the deer fed under lower temperatures. Dew point was only significant during hunting season and the trend was to feed under lower dew points. Humidity was only significant during hunting season and the tendency was to feed under with high humidity conditions. Conditions lost its significance during the hunting season but the normal trend was to feeding under clear conditions. Comfort index also lost its significance during the hunting season but the normal trend was toward feeding under higher Comfort Indexes. Moon Phase was only significant during hunting season and the tendency was toward feeding under the full moon.

Thus it is evident that there are far more continuities in the nonhunted deer and far more changes in the hunted deer supporting my hypothesis that hunted and nonhunted deer are different.             

2005 Science Project Question:

Do conditions effect anlerless and antlered deer feeding the same? I am using the following conditions: Conditions (For example mostly cloudy, rain, thunderstorms, and ext.), Comfort Index (Temperature modified with heat index and wind chill), Humidity, Moon Phase, Perigee/Apogee, Barometric Pressure, Barometric Pressure Trend, Temperature, Visibility, Wind Speed, Dew Point, Time of Day, Precipitation, Wind Direction, and Month.

2005 Hypothesis: 

There will be a difference between anlerless and antlered deer feeding.

2005 Conclusion:

 It is evident from the data that there is a difference between antlered and antlerless deer. Similarities include Hour, Pressure Trend, and Barometric Pressure and Visibility which are significant for both antlered and antlerless deer. Hour and Pressure Trend have positive trends while Visibility has a negative trend for both sexes. For Hour this means a trend toward the evening, and for Pressure Trend the trend favors a Rising and Steady barometer. Under lower visibility more deer, regardless of sex, tend to feed. Barometric Pressure showed no trend.

For antlerless deer Temperature, Humidity, Wind Speed, Conditions, Comfort Index, and Wind direction were significant factors in feeding, although these tendencies are not present in antlered deer. Temperature, Wind Speed, and Conditions had negative trends. This shows a trend toward low winds, and trend toward lower temperatures. The trend in conditions is toward clear conditions with little or no precipitation. Humidity and wind direction have a positive trend. This shows that the ideal feeding humidity is a high humidity and north westerly winds. Comfort Index did not show a trend.

Moon phase and Wind Direction were found as a significant factor in antlered deer feeding. Moon phase in antlered deer showed a positive trend. The trend is toward the new moon and last quarter moon. Wind Direction did not show a trend.

2003 Science Project Question:

What condition(s) will predict the feeding behavior of Whitetail Deer? I am using the following conditions: Conditions (For example mostly cloudy, rain, thunderstorms, ext.), Comfort Index (Temperature modified with heat index and wind chill), Humidity, Moon Phase, Barometric Pressure,  Barometric Pressure Trend, Temperature, Visibility, Wind Speed, Dew Point, and Time of Day.

2003 Hypothesis:

 *  The    conditions    that   best    predict    deer    feeding    behavior    will    be:

A. During a mist.

B. During temperature/ comfort index 15-19°C .

C. During 100% humidity.

D. During a full moon.

E. During 1025-1029 hPa.

F. During a rising barometer.

G. During a 0.0-4.9 km visibility.

H. During a wind speed of 0.0-4.9 km/h.

 I.  During a dew point of 0-4°C.  

 *these subsets represent separate hypotheses

2003 Conclusion:

Comfort Index

 The Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test shows that the comfort index for both daylight and total sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. There appears to be a trend that the frequency and average number of deer decrease at temperatures above -5 and below 44°C for both total and daylight sightings. My hypothesis of more deer feeding during the comfort index of 15 - 19°C appears to be incorrect. To completely disprove my hypothesis more data below 4°C is required. 

Temperature

The Chi-Square Test shows that the temperature for both daylight and total sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. There appears to be a trend that the frequency and average number of deer decrease at temperatures above 0 and below 39°C for both total and daylight sightings. My hypothesis of more deer feeding during 15 - 19°C appears to be incorrect. With less than 3% of my observations below 4°C, more data is required to have valid results.

Humidity

            The Chi-Square Test shows that the humidity for total and daylight sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. There appears to be a trend that the frequency and average number of deer increase at humidites above 20 and below 99% for both total and daylight sightings. The reason for the drop off at 100% might be contributed to heavy rain and thunderstorms.  

Moon Phase

            Upon statistical analysis I found that moon phase does not play a role in deer feeding. My hypothesis is incorrect.

Barometric Pressure

            The Chi-Square Test shows that barometric pressure does not play a role in daylight deer feeding, but it is significant in total sightings. In total sightings there appears to be a trend that the frequency and average number of deer increase at pressures above 995 and below 1019hPa. So my hypothesis appears to be correct, but only for total observations. 

Barometric Trend

            The Chi-Square Test shows that the pressure trend for total and daylight sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. My hypothesis appears to be correct. A rising barometer was the best trend to observe deer feeding. 

Visibility

            The Chi-Square Test shows that visibility does not play a role in total deer feeding, but it is significant in daylight sightings. In daylight sightings there appears to be a trend that the frequency and average number of deer decrease at pressures above 0.0 and below 17.9km. So my hypothesis was correct, but only for daylight observations. So my hypothesis appears to be only partly correct. 

Wind Speed

            The Chi-Square Test shows that the wind speed for both daylight and total sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. There appears to be a trend that the frequency and average number of deer decrease at wind speeds above 0 and below 40km/h for both total and daylight sightings. My hypothesis of more deer feeding during 0.0 – 4.9km/h appears to be correct. 

Dew Point

            The Chi-Square Test shows that the dew point for both daylight and total sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. I don’t see any major trends, but there does appear to be a peak at 0-4°C in the total observations. So my hypothesis appears to be partly correct. 

Apogee /Perigee        

            The Chi-Square Test shows that Apogee and Perigee do not play a role in total deer feeding, but it is significant in daylight sightings. Apogee appears to play a role in deer feeding during daytime sightings. 

Hour

            The Chi-Square Test shows that the hour for sightings is a significant factor in deer feeding. Peak feeding was near daybreak and sunset. 

Conditions 

            Based on my data, for conditions appearing grater than .5% of the time, fog appears to be the best condition. My hypothesis of mist was the second best condition.