New To Me

[DirtTime]

I was sitting on the ground this morning, wind in my face, and a doe walks into the area about 50 yds out. She's alert, tail flicking, looking over her right shoulder back in the direction she came from. I was on her left. She did glance at me a couple of times, but, to my knowledge, she never winded or saw me. After about 10 minutes of of watching her, she bolts back in the direction she came from.

Anyone see this before?

Curious as to why she would be so alert, and then run back in the direction she seemed to be on alert from.

[silent death]

She could have had a fawn from last year she was goin back to or she could of caught a whiff of a predator that was circling 

[Buckstopshere]

Since we are at the full moon, I would guess from what you said that she was being courted by a rutting buck. That's the way they act...flirts. This is not the real rut...to happen at the next full moon. But a measurable  percentage of does come into estrus in what some have called it "the false rut." First spike in the rut cycle...next one will be the big one after the first week of November...and in the end of the first week of December...the third or post rut. I've seen these flirtatious does actually bed down next to an active buck scrape. They will wait there to be chased. (Not chaste.)

[nyslowhand]

^^^..... and typically those early does in estrus are being pursued by younger bucks! The big boys are conserving their energy for the full fledged orgy!!!

[growalot]

Last night's Apple tree party showed this in force and it was a 6,4,and spike.in the ful moon I had great pics not just at Apple scrape but could see every thing in the lover field farther out. Including the cam though going off every few minutes.

[knehrke]

This happened exactly as you describe to me last week, except rather than dart away (I thought I'd been busted at first), the doe stopped and had a decent eight jump out of the thicket and scent check her. He dove back into the thicket, made his way under my stand, scent checked the ladder (oops, no gloves while climbing...), then meandered away. Classic early rut behavior from a young 2 1/2 year old buck.

[DirtTime]

19 hours ago, growalot said:

Last night's Apple tree party showed this in force and it was a 6,4,and spike.in the ful moon I had great pics not just at Apple scrape but could see every thing in the lover field farther out. Including the cam though going off every few minutes.

Huh? There is no way this was solely on the kindle. 

[growalot]

That's was clover field... Though the deer may think lover...lol

Yes Rob and I had actually corrected all but full and everything...I hit send and just now noticed it didn't go through....

Ps..I do hope this makes you feel better

Edited October 7, 2017 by growalot

[DirtTime]

14 minutes ago, growalot said:

That's was clover field... Though the deer may think lover...lol

Yes Rob and I had actually corrected all but full and everything...I hit send and just now noticed it didn't go through....

Ps..I do hope this makes you feel better

 right back at ya! LOL

 

I am trying to figure what this means in relevance to my post. I'm not trying to give you a hard time. Well, I wasn't... Now I have to wonder about this lover thing.

 

So you have a "lover field" for deer? Does it have some fine hay all laid out with heaters, deer crossing signs, and one of those heart shaped vibrating beds?

 

I have seen deer so some strange $h!t over the years, but had never seen one bolt back in the direction they came in from on alert. Most any animal runs from danger, not towards it. 

[growalot]

 

[grampy]

My guess is, she caught your scent from a slight swirling wind or a thermal. And deer do the unexpected all the time. 

[DirtTime]

Actually, I think I may have another reason. I think it may have been another hunter that spooked her and she circled back in the direction she came from. Not positive, but gut feeling. A few people hunt the shelf below me.