What deer do when they smell someone???!!!

[PREDATE]

I have wondered about this scenario and I may be able to put it to use! Ok say that you know where another hunter is going to be sitting approx. 250-300yds away. If a deer gets this guy's scent, what do you think that deer will do, bed down, do a 360', slink off through cover? This is a pretty general question and I know that deer aren't quite that predictable, but I just wondered about some way to use it to my advantage.

[Fairgame]

They will warn all deer around them by stomping and blowing then go back the same way they came cause that is probably the safest route.

[Doc]

That is what I have witnessed nearly all of the time. A spooked deer almost always goes back the way they came, at least initially. Where they go after that is probably anybody's guess.

The initial reactions prior to leaving are a whole variety of things that we have all seen. The blow (snort, whistle, whatever you want to call it), and then there is the old foot stomping, head bobbing tactic designed to get you to show yourself. And then I have seen those that simply drop their head, turn around and exit without a sound. How you could use any of that to your advantage is beyond me. If you are what spooks the deer, too bad ...... game over. If you knew that they were going to spook from someone else and could reposition yourself to cut off their escape route ...... maybe that might work, but that's an awful lot of "ifs".

[epanzella]

A doe will snort, stomp her feet and often walk in a circle before going off the way she came. A buck will do nothing exept dissappear, either fast or slowly depending on how imminent he perceives the danger to be. Often he'll actually walk backwards for a few yards before turning around, leaving any doe with him to fend for themselves.

[bushnell]

I would think that it would be hard to take advantage of a deer that just winded someone. Like the other guys have said the deer typically goes back the same way it came. But there is the possibility that they will try to take a different route to get to where they were just trying to go.

[mxsmitz201]

before i got into hunting, (this incident is why i got into it) i was in the woods with my video camera to try and film some wildlife.  I had a doe walk about 20 ft from me, she saw me as i was on the ground, she stomped flagged and ran back the way she came. not 5 mins later that doe and 5 others came back to me on the same route and one foolish doe literally walked within an arms length of me.  i could have reached out and slapped her. (i would like to give all the credit to Wildlife Research Center's Scent Killer on this one as i just bought a bottle and sprayed myself down head to toe inside and out). lets just say i was motionless standing in the middle of a tractor path and she didnt smell me until on top of me, all the while downwind of me.  then she jumped back and trotted to the other does 30 ft away throwing no warnings.  it wasnt until then that they threw up the flags and hissed.

but unlike the usual trend of backtracking after being spooked, these doe continued on their way in the direction they were headed to begin with and not in any hurry either.  Same thing happened yesterday in the stand after a doe smelled me and got down wind of me. (luckily they just threw flags) but her and her friends continued on the same direction they were headed to begin with before winding me.

so i dont know what to think as far as what to expect when a doe winds you or you spook them.  i think a lot of factors play into it though as to how they will react.

[Nomad]

Yes spooked and catching scent 200 yards off are 2 different things to me. A spooked deer will run,stomp,snort . A deer getting a scent 200 yards away will just slip around ,avoid that area.

Where's he set up? which way is the wind blowing ? If his scent is blowing into cover set up on the other side or end.

One of the spots i hunt scent is no big  deal in many spots because they smell humans all day... Yesterday my dog and I walked up on a doe and 2 yearlings at 30 yards,they just looked at us,and I hunt this area .

One spot my stand is 75 yards from a construction company lot. All day guys and noise. I watch guys leave work yelling at each other starting trucks etc. with deer as close as 50 yards from them . That scent is normal to them and they learned it poses no threat .

Its what they get used to,if they smell folks all day and learn that we pose no threat they don't care if were around.

Perhaps we should put human scent by our stands year round, then it would be normal and ignored . Sure works in the suburbs.....

[gjs4]

get smarter or killed

[nyantler]

exactly GJS4!

[Brushbuster]

Sometimes a deer will get close without scenting you but if the wind swirls and they get a strong wiff, they are gone in a NYC second.

Its like trying to sit upwind from a camp fire.  Sometimes the wind swirls and you get a nose full and the deer reacts the same way.