I don't understand deer!

**Haiku_Rodney** · 10-20-2017, 02:00 PM

I went hunting yesterday. I shot a young doe early in the morning. I deboned the deer and started hiking back to my vehicle. I had walked maybe 200 yards when I saw some does on the opposite hillside. I sat and watched them. In the meantime a nice buck came out. The buck was feeding toward me and walked past me at a range of a little over 100 yards. I don't get it, it seems that usually at the shot, everything within a half a mile runs away.

**J.Baker** · 10-20-2017, 03:44 PM

Shot a doe right at dusk at about 15 yards from my stand during archery season years ago that was in a small group of 5 does working their way through the woods. Doe dropped right there and the rest just stopped, watched and waited. Withing 15-20 minutes there had to be 20-30 deer under my stand - all just standing around like "Hey, what's wrong with her?" I started talking and they paid me no nevermind. I started spotlighting them with my flashlight to no avail. I eventually had to lower my bow down on the rope and drag it around in the leaves while yelling to spook them off so I could get down out of my stand.

**Haiku_Rodney** · 10-20-2017, 04:50 PM

That's hilarious!

**cowtownup** · 10-20-2017, 05:00 PM

I've had the same experience. Gunshot about 150 yards away and within 15 minutes a big buck walks out in front of my stand. There was another shot, but it was mine... DRT...

**mattri** · 11-07-2017, 06:15 PM

Biggest buck I've ever seen in my life was walking around under an oil rig. All the lights, noise etc didn't bother him a lick. Seriously considered the trajectory of a pipe wrench for longer than I care to admit.

**243LPR** · 12-03-2017, 10:30 PM

I shot a doe in early muzzleloader a couple years ago that was being dogged by a buck in rut. After all the smoke and noise the buck still went by me nose down and grunting after her even though she was dead. I had to chase him away from her so I could tag and gut,it was getting dark. When bucks are rutting they can really be a little stupid.

**BillPa** · 12-05-2017, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by 243LPR

When bucks are rutting they can really be a little stupid.

Kinda like us in our high school and college days huh?

**wbm** · 12-05-2017, 09:57 AM

Had same kind of experience with a Coues deer buck. Two were feeding, shot one and was about half finished field dressing it. Looked to my right and the other buck was standing less than fifty yards away watching. He stood there until I was finished and then just walked away. Was not during rut.

**Kenshioni** · 12-07-2017, 01:26 AM

Originally Posted by BillPa

Kinda like us in our high school and college days huh?

was thinking the same thing

**243LPR** · 12-07-2017, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by BillPa

Kinda like us in our high school and college days huh?

Have no idea what you're talking about.

**bluegrass** · 12-20-2017, 03:10 PM

Had a small 6 pointer in front of my stand a couple of years ago. Decided to let him pass. A little later a nice doe came by so I took her, in less than 60 seconds here came the buck back to check it out. Quickly assessed the situation and thought I might never have a chance to double that quickly so I filled both tags in less than a minute. Why he came back I'll (and he) will never know.

**Boudin** · 12-20-2017, 04:36 PM

Well known deer biologist, Dr. Grant Woods says never get down after harvesting a doe. He claims that he has shot some of his biggest bucks with a dead doe laying in view of the stand. He says that he thinks that they are actually an attractant to other deer. Shots don't seem to bother deer unless they are at extremely close range. I guess they have come to accept them as normal. Seems odd, but I've seen it on video and in person.

**firstblood807** · 12-23-2017, 05:22 PM

Yeah Hilarious But seems they have come to accept them as normal

**Stumpkiller** · 01-02-2018, 05:15 PM

Years ago I was practicing with a .54 muzzleloader. Lots of BOOM!, lots of motion, me walking back and forth to the target, etc. After half an hour I went and retrieved my target stand (box) and as I stood up I made eye contact with a buck in velvet bedded 20 yards off to one side of the clearing and he jumped up and bolted off.

Smart enough to know that sitting still he wasn't as obvious as moving? Maybe?

I have been deer hunting since 1980 and I have seen many, many deer who are not upset by gunfire. Some run just a ways and stop, look back or even button-hook. In pressured areas they know they're as apt to run into trouble as away from it. If they see you - that may be different. Smell you - even more likely to vamoose. Seems a deer trusts its nose more than its eyes.

One year my wife shot a doe and as I was preparing to gut it a buck walked up to us. Just by luck I hadn't got to the wet bits and my shotgun was in reach. But then I had to drag two deer out!

**yobuck** · 01-03-2018, 10:04 AM

Ive been told that shooting at them from across a valley ridge to ridge is unethicle because they don't know from where the shot is coming.
But some of these stories seem to rule that opinion out don't they?

**Stumpkiller** · 01-03-2018, 10:54 AM

I didn't realize I was supposed to give "fair warning" when I shot at a deer.

I put little wool "puffs" on my bowstring so it makes hardly any noise. Is that unethical?

**yobuck** · 01-03-2018, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Stumpkiller

I didn't realize I was supposed to give "fair warning" when I shot at a deer.

I put little wool "puffs" on my bowstring so it makes hardly any noise. Is that unethical?

Probably not, but getting up in a tree stand probably would be. lol

**Stumpkiller** · 01-03-2018, 11:11 AM

I've taken deer while on foot with my recurve bows as well. Though tree stands are easier (I keep my shots to 20 yards with my 1960's recurves & wood arrows).

I never climb a tree with a firearm - ever.

Is it more ethical to shoot a deer from 300 yards while sitting under a tree of from 15 yards while sitting in a tree? The deer would be opposed to either, I'm sure

**yobuck** · 01-03-2018, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Stumpkiller

I've taken deer while on foot with my recurve bows as well. Though tree stands are easier (I keep my shots to 20 yards with my 1960's recurves & wood arrows).

I never climb a tree with a firearm - ever.

Is it more ethical to shoot a deer from 300 yards while sitting under a tree of from 15 yards while sitting in a tree? The deer would be opposed to either, I'm sure

Well how about when their laying down? Would it be polite to get them up if their laying down?
Hint, a miss usually accomplishes that.
Another hint, no they probably wont be there tomorrow. lol

**Stretch** · 01-07-2018, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by yobuck

Ive been told that shooting at them from across a valley ridge to ridge is unethicle because they don't know from where the shot is coming.
But some of these stories seem to rule that opinion out don't they?

Wait really? That’s like a huge reason western hunters are adding brakes, they can’t locate you as well.

As far as deer after shots. In immediate vicinity they will run/startle but I’ve found they run much more if the animal you shot runs, otherwise they just dance around a bit. We always sit back and relax for a while after downing a whitetail, lots of deer killed in that next 30 minutes. And it absolutely works with bucks. I’ve seen bucks hot on a doe, shot the doe and the buck still came right up to her.

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**yobuck** · 01-07-2018, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Stretch

Wait really? That’s like a huge reason western hunters are adding brakes, they can’t locate you as well.

As far as deer after shots. In immediate vicinity they will run/startle but I’ve found they run much more if the animal you shot runs, otherwise they just dance around a bit. We always sit back and relax for a while after downing a whitetail, lots of deer killed in that next 30 minutes. And it absolutely works with bucks. I’ve seen bucks hot on a doe, shot the doe and the buck still came right up to her.

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A brake dosent really affect the down range sound. Not sure if it affects the sound at all, other than how it aims it near the gun.
If your down range from the shooter, especially a considerable distance, the first sound is as if a small firecracker is exploding very close to you, and you could not determine the direction it came from. That would be followed shortly by the far off boom, the actual gun noise. CAP---BOOM.
The (CAP) part, is actually the sound barrier being broken by the bullet.
Target duty in the pits would give the same experience.
If you watch someone shoot from a long distance away, it takes considerable time for the sound to reach you after the shot takes place.
Ive already found a deer in my glasses, and saw it drop and slide down the hill before i heard the shooters shot.

**Stretch** · 01-07-2018, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by yobuck

A brake dosent really affect the down range sound. Not sure if it affects the sound at all, other than how it aims it near the gun.
If your down range from the shooter, especially a considerable distance, the first sound is as if a small firecracker is exploding very close to you, and you could not determine the direction it came from. That would be followed shortly by the far off boom, the actual gun noise. CAP---BOOM.
The (CAP) part, is actually the sound barrier being broken by the bullet.
Target duty in the pits would give the same experience.
If you watch someone shoot from a long distance away, it takes considerable time for the sound to reach you after the shot takes place.
Ive already found a deer in my glasses, and saw it drop and slide down the hill before i heard the shooters shot.

Well, I’ve listened to rifles fired in the Rockies that did and did not have brakes. The ones that did the sound seemed to envelope, those that didn’t were incredibly directional.

I understand this is the actual sound and not the sonic crack. Around 500 yards that’s going to take a second and a half I believe.

Now, my experience and the western hunters I have talked to about this all have subjective data, and absolutely could be being fooled by randomness. However, as I said that was why they added brakes it wasn’t recoil (though that is a genuine reason for many.)

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**yobuck** · 01-07-2018, 01:39 PM

Well ive never heard it said by anybody, that the reason for them installing a brake was for anything other than recoil reduction, and the added benefits it offers for seeing hits.
Ive not personally noticed any change in a deers reaction to a shot, based on the gun having, or not having a brake.
Other animals react differently than a whitetail deer does for sure.
A bear for example, will as a rule, only offer one shot before it's on the run, and don't count on it stopping while it's still in sight.
If your in a group, let it be known that Mr Nice Guy only last for one shot, after that it's fair game.
But then again, next lifetime you just might see another. lol
An Antelope will as a rule be on the run also following a shot.
Elk, are actually dumber than a deer from the standpoint of being shot at.
But, whenever your hunting, best don't count on anything.

**ttexastom** · 01-21-2018, 12:07 PM

Have about a 4 mile area behind my house before you see the next paved road. Have hiked and hunted all this, but only deer that was big enough for me to mount was shot maybe 75 yards from my back deck. Deer are strange creatures !!!