Understanding Game Animal Habitat

In order for a healthy population of any species of animal to thrive, good habitat is required. The basics of food, water and shelter apply to all animals as well as humans. The term 'good' habitat varies depending on the type of animal. Some need food and water daily, others can live for long periods in very harsh conditions with little food and water. Some need grassy areas, others wooded.

The best type of habitat for most game animals has a variety of plant life. An area with mixed plant and tree species will support more species of animal at high population levels than a habitat that contains primarily one species of tree or plant.

A good example of a singular species habitat is a stand of pine trees. The heavy cover of pine needles on the ground makes it very difficult for other vegetation to take hold. Couple the needles on the ground with a heavy canopy that does not allow much light to get to the ground and very few plants will be able to grow. An area where a stand of mature pine trees live is usually devoid of game animals.

An area where there tends to be a lot of plant diversity is what is known as edge habitat. This is an area that changes from one type of habitat to another. Good examples are large a hardwood forest and a field; forest and a swamp; power line clearings, and mountain slopes where grassy foothills meet hardwoods. This edge habitat will often contain berry producing plants for food and enough thick cover for the animals to hide and live in.

When looking for game animals, search out edge habitat and look for cover the animals can use. Hunting is all about finding the most likely spot the animals will live and hunting in that location. Published studies suggest 70-90% of all game lives in edge habitat. Once you have identified an edge habitat, you now need to look for the kinds of cover animals need.

There are different kinds of cover animal utilize: Escape cover, bedding cover, loafing cover, shelter cover and nesting cover.

Escape cover offers protection from predators. Animals must be able to get to escape cover quickly, therefore, it needs to be close to the feeding areas. If suitable escape cover is not near by animals will not live in that area. Small animals like pheasant and quail can use thick, low lying brush and grass as cover. Deer and elk need thick stands of smaller trees and larger bushes for escape cover.

Bedding cover must offer protection from the elements as well as from predators. Areas of thick vegetation are generally where animals will bed. Small game will use very thick smaller brush type areas, where as deer will use a hillside that offers thick cover and takes advantage of prevailing winds to scent potential threats.

Loafing cover is the area where animals will hang out between feeding and bedding. This area is typically fairly thick, but not so much as they can't move around. It offers some protection, but not as much as escape cover or the bedding cover.

Shelter cover is used for protection from extreme cold and wet conditions. This cover tends be very thick and not easily accessible even by the animals that use it. Look for vine type bushes for small game, and small conifer or thick swampy areas for larger game.

Nesting cover is where animals have their young. This area must be dry and protected from the weather, but also very difficult for predators to get to. Most animals have their young in the spring when the wet areas tend to be more wide spread. Nesting cover is less important to the hunter due to the fact that most hunting is done in the fall (turkey hunting is the acception), but knowing that nesting is done in a certain area will almost always mean animals will be in that general area in the fall.

When you learn to identify edge habit and the different types of cover game animals use, you will be well along your way to a successful hunt.

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Scott Peters is an outdoor enthusiast, hunter, fisherman, hiker and kayaker. For a list of rifle scopes he likes, please see Bushnell Elite 4200 scopes for details on some of his favorite hunting and shooting optics.