Weird encounters

[Dave]

Has anyone had any weird encounters with deer this season. On four encounters this season I have walked up on deer with in 10 to 15 yards and they didn't run. Some just stood there while I walked closer not bothered in the least. One with my son walking to his stand we say a doe about 60 yards away so we just froze and she started to walk toward us. When she walked broadside she just stared at us and continued walking slowly away. My son said that it would not be fair to shoot such a dopy deer, I agreed didn't feel like we were hunting. Another time I had to toss a stick to get them to move, whats up with that? My neighbor was cutting part of his field on his riding mower as I was walking on the dirt road to talk to him and there was a distance of 25 yards between us and his friendly spike walked between us. Never ran stood there momentarily then just walked off. Must be something in the water, weird deer in my area.

[Coreydkoster]

Late into the bow season, I had a doe come up to the tree my stand is in and start licking and nibbling on my screw in step. She did this for about 5 min before slowly wandering off. Not quite sure why she was doing it. I did drag some Tink's out with me that day, maybe some got on my boot. It was pretty cool, I have never seen this before.

[WNYBuckHunter]

When we were doing a drive a couple weeks ago, one of the guys walked up on a yearling doe, it laid there till he kicked it in the rump, then it ran about 50 yards and laid back down. It was 60+ degrees at the time. We figured it was because it was so warm out, she just didnt want to move at all.

[Doc]

When we were doing a drive a couple weeks ago, one of the guys walked up on a yearling doe, it laid there till he kicked it in the rump, then it ran about 50 yards and laid back down. It was 60+ degrees at the time. We figured it was because it was so warm out, she just didnt want to move at all.

Is it possible that maybe she was injured or wounded? I once shot a doe at about 10 feet that refused to get up. Examining the deer afterward, I found a slug-hole just above the rear hoof. Apparently that leg had stiffened up and she decided that she couldn't or wouldn't get up and run away.

[growalot]

We have a woman on the next road over that feeds the deer with big bags of carrots and apples from Sams...I went to their place to take pics of bear prints on their chicken coop windows Oh gee big surprise...While talking to the guy a small herd of doe and a 6pt buck just walked in out of the woods...... 15yrds away and they milled around as we talked....they had absolutely no fear of us...he claims she know longer does this because the guys on either side were picking them off during bow season...one more reason not to feed the deer

[WNYBuckHunter]

Is it possible that maybe she was injured or wounded? I once shot a doe at about 10 feet that refused to get up. Examining the deer afterward, I found a slug-hole just above the rear hoof. Apparently that leg had stiffened up and she decided that she couldn't or wouldn't get up and run away.

Possible that he didnt see something, but he said she ran just fine, no limps or anything.

[Doewhacker]

I had one of those deer that was sitting tight while bird hunting this year. There we are, me my 8 year old and my dog walking through an open field talking and giving commands to the dog and all of a sudden my dog starts acting a little like he smelled something interesting. We got with in 40 yards of that doe that was beded down before she got up and bounded away kind of slowly. I figured it was due to a buck chasing her all night and tiring her out as it was the rut but who knows?

I learned that day that Gus points deer, lol. I invented a new way to hunt deer, well Gus did anyway.

[meatmuzzy]

after this season I can definately contribute to this thread. I was hunting my farm for the last week of bow season. On my way to my stand one morning before dawn I was walking down a thick, tight, brush choked trail. I heard a grunt to my left and immmediately shined my light towards the sound. Standing there was a big 8 pointer I was after. When I hit him with the light he popped his head up and then proceeded to "bird dog" me with a low drawn out grunt. At this point he was only 10 yards and closing the distance. I let out a loud "hey" and smacked the bushes with my bow. He snapped his head up again, but kept coming. At this point I just about crapped in my pants. Thankfully the wind shifted and he got a nose full of me. He turned around and ran up the hill only about 40 yards and I kept walking along the trail. I could hear him grunting and paralleling me all the way up to my stand. He peeled off when I was 50 yards to the stand. Once the light started to crack I hit the horns, snort wheezed, bleated, grunted, everything! He never did come back. That was the most intense encounter ive ever had with a deer.

[Doc]

A few years back, I took a day off from hunting and I was taking a walk down the driveway to get the paper. The driveway is about 1000 feet long and bracketed on both sides by thick vines, trees and brush so naturally I took my shotgun along just in case something goofy were to happen along the way. Around here it's a good idea to take the gun any time the season is open even if it is to just step out in the yard. I got a little way down the driveway, and I looked over in the thicket and there was a buck just laying there at about 15 yards looking at me. I'm sure he was just doing what he had done many times before ....... sitting tight and letting me just walk by. He was kind of hunkered into some vines and I imagine he felt pretty darn confident that he blended right in and that I would keep right on walking. Unfortunately for him, this just happened to be the first snow of the season, and he didn't realize just how much he stuck out there silhouetted against the snow. At 15 yards he let me turn toward him, unsling and shoulder my shotgun and shoot. That was a short drag.

I learned a little something about the behavior of deer during gun season. They have learned to just hold tight and let hunters almost step on them. If it hadn't have just snowed, that little tactic would have worked for him one more time because he would have been completely camoflaged in those vines.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Thats what they do to avoid predators from birth. Fawns will just lay there, motionless.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

A few years back, I took a day off from hunting and I was taking a walk down the driveway to get the paper. The driveway is about 1000 feet long and bracketed on both sides by thick vines, trees and brush so naturally I took my shotgun along just in case something goofy were to happen along the way. Around here it's a good idea to take the gun any time the season is open even if it is to just step out in the yard. I got a little way down the driveway, and I looked over in the thicket and there was a buck just laying there at about 15 yards looking at me. I'm sure he was just doing what he had done many times before ....... sitting tight and letting me just walk by. He was kind of hunkered into some vines and I imagine he felt pretty darn confident that he blended right in and that I would keep right on walking. Unfortunately for him, this just happened to be the first snow of the season, and he didn't realize just how much he stuck out there silhouetted against the snow. At 15 yards he let me turn toward him, unsling and shoulder my shotgun and shoot. That was a short drag.

I learned a little something about the behavior of deer during gun season. They have learned to just hold tight and let hunters almost step on them. If it hadn't have just snowed, that little tactic would have worked for him one more time because he would have been completely camoflaged in those vines.

and the cliff notes version: I shot a buck down my driveway one time. It didn't move when I approached it. This when I learned that deer don't move.

haha, just messing w/ ya doc!

[G-Man]

Well think about this its been very warm and a great year for apples but instead of freezing and deer eating them they are fermenting. which leads to drunk deer, grouse and turkeys, yes alcohol affect them as well. I seen deer just wandering around almost stumbling and if they're drunk enough they just lay down and don't move ... kind of like young people partying all night and sleeping in.... lol

[Jennifer]

This isn't quite the same as deer acting weird out in the deep woods, but here's my little story.

Nothing is more frustrating to me than hunting hard all day and not seeing a deer, then coming home and having them partying hard in my yard/back woods. I have about 15 acres total and half of it is swampy brushy "deer sanctuary". The rest is hardwoods. They approach within 15 yard or less and I will talk to them. I don't have any food out-- even wild bird seed-- I suspect they are just used to me being outside all the time and my voice.

The real kicker is that earlier this week I heard a shot out back and had to politely confront one of our neighbors hunting 1. on our property and 2. firing quite close to our house (<500') in essentially my back yard. I don't mind that he was hunting but he was there without permission and shooting toward our house from probably 100 yards... not okay with me. After I had talked to him and he left, I turned around and started walking back to my house and a group of 8 does and this year's fawns walked beside me the whole way. I told them that they should pay for their 'safety' with a blood sacrifice....

[BizCT]

sitting on the edge of a food plot on state land in PA late afternoon this early November, I had 8 deer walk right past me within 5 yards, including 2 smalls bucks. They even looked at me, but it was like they were looking right through me. Also in PA 1 morning i had a doe and 2 fawns eating the bush I was sitting against. I could have touched them.

[Doc]

and the cliff notes version: I shot a buck down my driveway one time. It didn't move when I approached it. This when I learned that deer don't move.

haha, just messing w/ ya doc!

Lol.... I get it. You just want to hear a synopsis. Sorry, I never could tell a story that way ..... ha-ha.

[Doc]

Nothing is more frustrating to me than hunting hard all day and not seeing a deer, then coming home and having them partying hard in my yard/back woods.

That happens to me all the time. I spend hours hunting a mile or two way up on the hill only to come home and hear the story about all the deer that were in the front yard. So you say, "well then hunt the front yard dummy!" Nope, that doesn't work either. They have spies out keeping tabs on where I am hunting.

[steve863]

and the cliff notes version: I shot a buck down my driveway one time. It didn't move when I approached it. This when I learned that deer don't move.

haha, just messing w/ ya doc!

LOL! Oh, this is funny!! Doc figures, why use 15 words when he can use 500! LOL

[Deerthug]

The only weird thing I saw was when I was sitting in my stand the second day of opening weekend for firearm season, I saw a half a 6 pt. (One of his antlers was completely gone and had 3 points on his right antler) He stumbled out of the corn field and stood broadside for about 2-3 minutes directly in front of me at about 40 yards, looking like he was lost. All he needed was a dunce cap. He strolled off to my left and I let him walk of course . . .

[Doc]

LOL! Oh, this is funny!! Doc figures, why use 15 words when he can use 500! LOL

Ha-ha.... sorry for stressing out the "reading challenged"

[steve863]

The only weird thing I saw was when I was sitting in my stand the second day of opening weekend for firearm season, I saw a half a 6 pt. (One of his antlers was completely gone and had 3 points on his right antler) He stumbled out of the corn field and stood broadside for about 2-3 minutes directly in front of me at about 40 yards, looking like he was lost. All he needed was a dunce cap. He strolled off to my left and I let him walk of course . . .

I remember you mentioning this buck. If you end up not filling your freezer with a deer this year, you might have to wear that dunce cap for not shooting him when you had the chance! Just pulling your leg here, although there is some truth in this. LOL

[Deerthug]

Yeah you're right. But now that I know I can use my regular season buck tag during late bow season to take either sex AND use my regular bow tag (which I did not fill during early season) to take another either sex, then my freezer shall be filled one way or another . . . or maybe not . . . LOL.

[steve863]

Ha-ha.... sorry for stressing out the "reading challenged"

We are just teasing you, Doc. We love your posts. Sort of like watching a LONG epic movie when we read them. Just can't decide whether they are more like the "10 commandments" or the "Titanic". LOL

[steve863]

Yeah you're right. But now that I know I can use my regular season buck tag during late bow season to take either sex AND use my regular bow tag (which I did not fill during early season) to take another either sex, then my freezer shall be filled one way or another . . . or maybe not . . . LOL.

Hopefully you get one. My motto has always been, if you like eating venison, then put one in the freezer the first opportunity you get. Waiting until the last week of the season may not always work out. After all hunting is not as simple as going to the butcher for a piece of meat.

[Jennifer]

Hopefully you get one. My motto has always been, if you like eating venison, then put one in the freezer the first opportunity you get. Waiting until the last week of the season may not always work out. After all hunting is not as simple as going to the butcher for a piece of meat.

That's true. I didn't understand this the first few years of deer hunting... I was used to seeing deer all during small game hunting, and before I could deer hunt it seemed like dad always brought them home so easily (hahaha!!) that it took me a few years to learn that sometimes you get a lot of chances, and sometimes you only get one (or none)!

[Deerthug]

The problem that I have up in my area is that all the deer hide in the corn fields and you never see them until the corn is cut. That's what happened last year. I shot a button buck (thinking it was a doe) on opening day 20 yards away from my stand and after the corn was harvested in the last week of firearm season, I shot my 6pt on the last day of rifle season. Saw nothing in between.

I also know that its OK not to shoot anything this year either. If it happens it happens if not . . . it's not like my family won't eat for the year.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Deerthug