Just out of curiosity…..

[GF.]

How curious are whitetails? At least once every year that I’ve gone out west, I’ve had doe mulies pick up my movement, and then rather than bolting, they close in on me, just to check me out.

Will whitetails do that?

I don’t know if it’s because I’m hunting far enough into the sticks that they just aren’t that sophisticated about us 2-leggers, or if I’m being fairly successful in appearing not to be one :cool:

It’s tough on a bowhunter if they’ve got you pegged, of course, but I’m giving more & more thought to doing some sneakin’ & peekin’ on public lands this year, and I’m wondering if maybe there’s a way that I can play off of their curiosity, if only such that they’ll stand and stomp & snort, rather than just blowing outta there…

[southtexas]

I think it depends on the local situation and how hard they have been hunted. I've been on ranches where no hunting has been allowed for years, but there was a lot of oilfield truck traffic. The deer were as tame as cattle. Hugh 10 point bucks would lay under a bush and watch us drive by 15 feet away.

Of course, where I hunt, they are a little smarter!:)

[ADK Jakes]

In my experience, curiosity has killed a buck more than once. A couple of years ago, I was a watcher on one of our drives. I was on the top of a mountain, concealed in a blowdown. One of the walkers pushed a big buck out of his bed. That buck circled and I never saw it until it ran behind and past me at 10 yards. It had totally suprized me by coming from that direction. I shot 2 rounds at it as it was running by. I missed on both but it stopped and turned at 30 yards. I blasted it through the heart and a half hour later was gutting a 167 lb 8 pointer. I had a mile and a quarter drag but the 12" of snow made that easy. Had that buck not looked back to identify the shooter, I wouldn't have gotten a third crack at him. His hide hangs on my wall and antlers in my den.

It's very gratifying to kill a big buck in the Adirondacks given the low deer density and large tracts of land that you have to cover to find these bucks!

[dave-t.]

Deer will check out just about any non-threatening scent in their path. Anise, vanilla, piss, and commercial scents.

Heck, one field study said deer really responded well to a "new car smell" spray.

I know a few times where deer had me pegged dead to rights, but stood around head bobbing and eyeballing me instead of getting to safety. It wasn't always a safe move on their part.

[Bushman]

I would say that in the last 5 years since the big predators have gotten into my area that the deer have gone to red alert most of the time. I once had a 230# dressed 10 point stand and watch me walk by from 60 yards away by hiding his head behind a tree. Pretty funny with antlers sticking out both sides and that big body broadside. Not anymore though. Any flicker of movement and those deer are flagging out of there. Wolves mostly, but I heard the other night that there have been a number of cougar sightings as well in the state. The DNR acknowledges the wolves, but they still treat the cougar sightings and trail cam photos with about the same credibility as a UFO sighting. (Unbelievable Feline Observation) I just made that up.:)

Curiosity my have killed the cat, but it isn't getting many deer killed where I hunt now.

[dave-t.]

I have wondered recently about the difference of hunting deer in an environment with big natural predators, verses hunting where there are practically no big predators. Just wondering what different actions/reactions you would have from the deer with human contact in a typical hunting sense.

Guessing, I would say it wouldn't be any easier to hunt the deer who are dealing with wolves, mt lions, and bears full time.

[Chuck S]

Inexperienced deer of both species tend to ID most anything with at least two senses. The hear something and try to get it's scent before leaving the country. Or they hear or smell and then try and see the problem. Mule Deer rely on sight and distance as a checkup on predators. They usually start moving once something is seen, smelled or heard but once far enough away will try and confirm by sight to their undoing. I'm sure that with predators that they know can run them down, such as wolves, they move quickly and keep on moving without that second glance. Where they become accustomed to mankind and his trappings they all lose their fear somewhat and selectively.
For instance, my rancher buddy can drive his pickup or four wheeler to within spitting distance of the antelope and deer that abound on his place but let another go out and the animals move off a comfortable distance.

[Twanger]

I have found that 1-1/2 year old bucks are probably the most curious of all whitetails. I have had them walk in on me after spotting me in an attempt to figure out what's going on.

I have had young does also do this.

Old bucks seem to have zero curiosity.

[GF.]

Old bucks seem to have zero curiosity.


ROFLMAO at the Truth of that one, Walt!

Biggest doe I've shot out here was one that probably should have busted me, but I had just enough of a drop on her to hit the dirt. She didn't recognize me as a human, my being flat on the ground, so I was able to crawl a few yards up-hill and take the shot prone, which is a real help at long, long ranges like that. Had to be a 25-yard shot, at least!


:rolleyes:

I hate to say it, but I think that more than just a few of the deer I've taken out here have actually seen me, but didn't realize that a human standing (or climbing) 15'-20' up a tree is a different situation than one on foot, or driving a lawn tractor, pushing a mower, running a leaf blower... I think a lot of them have just figured I was a little bit eccentric or too far away to worry about. They stop to take a look (probably being used to humans who don't ever even see them) and with a rifle, that's pretty much the end of it. With the bow, I think I'm going to have to take my game up a couple notches...

Which would be a Good Thing... :cool:

Not that I have anything against filling the freezer, but if I'm ever going to play in the big leagues, I'm going to have to get better at this than I think I probably am...