Deer are most active during early morning and evening hours. They can have a home range of several square miles, but this varies with season, habitat, sex, and even individual characteristics. Whitetails are creatures of habit--most use the same home range year after year. They also tend to establish one part of their home range for feeding and another part for resting. For instance, if deer establish an orchard as a source of food, they will habitually move into the area a little before sunset to feed, and move back to the woods before dawn to rest.
The natural food habits of deer depend on the time of year and the plant species available. During the winter months, deer consume evergreen and dry leaves, as well as dormant buds. In the spring and summer, they eat new growth on woody and herbaceous plants. From late summer to early winter, fruits and nuts comprise a large part of a deer's diet.