Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Wary/Stupid Game

Oh sure, blame it on the mothers. >grin<

I think it's a little more than that though, and here's an example of why. I have a friend who's family owns a large ranch. The only thing ever hunted there are birds, and there is a lot of human/dog presence, along with plenty shooting. There are lots of deer there, both whitetails and mule deer, and when you jump them...they just stand there. They may run a little way, but then they just stop and walk away. Why would these animals react differently tham those in areas where they are actually killed? The entrusion by humans into their territory is, if anything, worse than what deer hunters do.

Funny how they tend to figure out where those places are .

IMO, hunting pressure, the amount of, when and where they experience it accounts for the lion's share of their wariness. I wouldn't discount some genetic variation in individual IQ points either, but I believe hunting pressure dictates most of it.

I think wild game behaviour is a combination of genetics (size, intelligence, rack) and local conditions.

Example: Queen Charlotte Islands - 1980. We were logging a virgin watershed. The fishing was...amazing. The hunting was phenomonal as well. Huge black bears and a vast number of small, virtually tame deer. We could high lead log within 100 feet of these deer and they would have their heads down browsing. This was local conditions as far as the deer behaviour. You could walk up to within about 10 feet of them before they got jumpy.

Example: There is a huge Mule Deer buck I have been after for several years now near here. I see the tracks, I have caught glimpses of him, but I can't get him. He is large and smart, smart, smart. Over time out of the deer around him I could have taken a number, they just don't seem to get it. Genetics and conditions because there is some pressure in this area.

Because they aren't killed. It is not so much the intrusion. It is when the intrusion has deadly intent. They catch on, or adapt fast.

How do they know about getting killed if they haven't been?

We're in agreement.



The only thing I'm uncertain of, is if moving to nocturnal habbits is simply behavioral, hereditary, or a blend.

Pat...my two cents...if they are killed cleanly, not chased, wounded, busted etc...they continue to use the same old haunts...if they are molested, they get what folks call "wary"...

It's all dependant on hunting pressure. The wild deer in the "no kill" zone around Old forge NY will come over and eat crackers out of your hand if they see you hold one out. You can do this either on foot or just pull over and stick a cracker out the car window. They're literally as tame as zoo animals but are actually completely wild, free ranging deer. On the other hand, the deer on hard hunted public ground in NY's Southern zone are some of the spookiest you'll find anywhere. These area's get pounded like alot of folks who've only hunted private ground can't even imagine. I've hunted these places quite a bit and you're doing good if you can put 100 yards between yourself and another hunter on opening weekend. Most of the guys who hunt these places know that getting a shot at any deer can be tough so it's pretty much "if it's brown it's down". The deer that live there have to be on their toes in order to survive their first season.

I think shooting does changes deer habits and wariness quicker than anything, including shooting bucks.
Shoot a doe out from her young ones or young one from it's mother and they put two and two together and start to act differently. A wounded deer that lives becomes warier.
Come next year those does or young one that are now mothers react differently to human presence. Their young pic up on these reactions to circumstances without having experienced what caused the behavior.

I used to hunt public ground any time I figured I needed a little humbling.

It's fun, and rewarding to scout an animal and bag it on private land - and I've been blessed with ample opportunities to do just that. It's a testament to being a hunter (or lucky), if you can fill a tag on land that is pressured hard.

Spend a lot of time on a large ranch where basically no hunting is allowed. During hunting season Mule deer passing through become extremely wary. Mule deer that reside there year round will stand and let you drive within 50 yards or less.
I donno, just my observations over the years.

All warm blooded animals have a Sixth Sense. It's just that humans don't use theirs much anymore. Wild animals use all six senses every day to survive or die. They choose when to do both.
Humans rely on others to make the choice for them and that is why the sixth sense has become dull.

don't know about deer becoming more wary under hunting pressure, it may well be true.
I DO know that they follow the calendar though. Day before opening of general gun season, they are everywhere. On opening day, you can't find one.
They all seem to go nocturnal as soon as the first rifle shot is heard.

When I decide it is time for getting meat. I will go afield and make some noise. Make my presense know to the animals. The one that chooses to, offers himself to my hand. This happens every time and they know what the noise means.

Take a can full of grain with ya huh....killing those tame geese at the city park again?

Deer learn lots of things over time that changes their behavior. One case in point. When we first got back enough deer to hunt everyone climbed trees to hunt. Does were not legal only forked bucks. For several years you could have danced an Irish jig up in a tree and the deer would pay you no mind. Then it got to be that does would come out into the openings looking up in the trees and you better not bat an eyelash. Bucks never seemed to catch on.
Now most every one has gone to box blinds either ground or elevated and deer never look up in trees anymore from my observations.
Deer will stare at a box but if you don't wave at them they relax after a little bit. Day may be coming when they will no longer come around a box.

Bingo ! And remember half of those fawns raised by mothers who saw one of their kin get shot are bucks.

I think VA has a good point about deer being hunted the "same way"in many areas. When I joined my lease in '81 I had never hunted deer. All the older members were giving me advise on best methods and locations. Found I was killing more deer than others when I made "mistakes" while using their methods.

The deer were used to hunters there being in certain spots at certain times so they avoided those areas. I was more sucessful by moving somewhat away from those spots and being there earlier or later than usual.

Sometimes just doing something "different" will improve your chances.

The best sheep guide I know never allows other sheep to see him before or after a shot if he can help it. After the shot he just waits behind cover until the other sheep have wandered off.
Contrast that to the maroons on TV (and some that aren't) who start jumping up and hollering as soon as they shoot, even if they are 600 yards away.