Deer looking up?
#21
RE: Deer looking up?
I called a doe out of the timber last year. She came over to my stand a sniffed around a little bit. I had a good wind so I know she didn't scent me. Anyway as I was watching her walk away she turns her head around and looked right up at me. Looks back the other way and then does it again...it was actually kind of weirdhow she did it, but she did.Then she trotted off....of course I let her
#22
RE: Deer looking up?
I'm going to have to disagree to an extent as well. While I dont believe a deer that is walking through is as alert, when I call a deer in he will look all over the ground for what made that sound and if nothing is present his eyes go to the trees. I would say this happened to me this year ATLEAST 3 or 4 times. They got called in with a rattling sequence or a grunt and they came to the vicinity and looked for a few minutes. When they saw nothing on the ground they started to scan the skyline. And everytime they picked me out (it was actually most likely the tree stand) and stared for a second. Did they bolt and go off the other way? Once, the others no. But did they know something was up? (Pun intended) Yes they did.
#23
RE: Deer looking up?
Deer most certainly look up. They have that weird "6th sense" and just seem to know when something bad is about to go down.
I nailed a small 4 pointer a few weeks ago with my bow from up in my treestand. The little guy looked right at me and did the little "bobbin' head doll" move, and stomped his hoof. I stood there frozen and even shut my eyes (deer can even see the whites of your eyes too!), thinking that it's game over, and I'm busted. But the little guy put his head down to eat more acorns and looked away - that's when I went to full draw and nailed him.
But I will never forget the moment when he looked right up at me. I swear, it was like he didn't just look at me, he looked right into my soul! [&:]
Trust me, deer do look up. They are very wary and very intelligent animals. Anyone who thinks otherwise, well... maybe they haven't been in the woods that much.
I nailed a small 4 pointer a few weeks ago with my bow from up in my treestand. The little guy looked right at me and did the little "bobbin' head doll" move, and stomped his hoof. I stood there frozen and even shut my eyes (deer can even see the whites of your eyes too!), thinking that it's game over, and I'm busted. But the little guy put his head down to eat more acorns and looked away - that's when I went to full draw and nailed him.
But I will never forget the moment when he looked right up at me. I swear, it was like he didn't just look at me, he looked right into my soul! [&:]
Trust me, deer do look up. They are very wary and very intelligent animals. Anyone who thinks otherwise, well... maybe they haven't been in the woods that much.
#24
RE: Deer looking up?
That said, I have seen deer do crazy things. For them to walk around looking up, I don't think so IMO....for them to sense something wrong, and then look around INCLUDING in the trees, heck yes.
#25
RE: Deer looking up?
i think they look up sometimes at a stand if they have encountered something they did not like there in the past....but i dont think they walk around the woods looking up...or at least i have never observed them doing this
#26
RE: Deer looking up?
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
Chris, Matt....you guys have been at this longer than I. Disagreeing is fine. You both may be right.
I see a LOT of deer most years.....and I get to observe a lot, too. Maybe my deer aren't pressured? I just don't know.
My thing is....I don't give them much credit in the "smarts" dept. Extremely good at surviving? Given. I just think they'd have to learn to do the looking up thing.....and I don't think they're capable of such. Heck they haven' tlearned to look at two headlights and avoid them, yet.
Chris, Matt....you guys have been at this longer than I. Disagreeing is fine. You both may be right.
I see a LOT of deer most years.....and I get to observe a lot, too. Maybe my deer aren't pressured? I just don't know.
My thing is....I don't give them much credit in the "smarts" dept. Extremely good at surviving? Given. I just think they'd have to learn to do the looking up thing.....and I don't think they're capable of such. Heck they haven' tlearned to look at two headlights and avoid them, yet.
I think this has a lot to do with pressure in your area. I have observed does with fawns in early season 50-60 yards downwind working their way down a trail and the does would be looking in tree tops as well as ground level the whole way. With that being said,I've hunted some woods and have had deer wind me and they never even thought the sourceof the human scent was coming from above them. I really feel it has to do with pressure, but to say that deer are not smart and can not learn is crazy talk!
#27
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Chicago Burbs
Posts: 141
RE: Deer looking up?
I think that deer just look up when there is a reason to. Like they smell somthing or something looks out of place. i could be wrong though. If they learned to look up for hunters why doesnt someone teach them to look both ways before crossing the street?
#28
RE: Deer looking up?
There's a difference between a learned behavior and a conditioned response. I'll bite on the conditioned response. I think a LOT of people give these animals (esp. "mature bucks") these "mystical" powers that I just don't feel they're capable of posessing.
Are they extremely good at survival? One of the best. Do they have the innate ability to "learn of people wanna give them credit for)? Highly doubt it.
Are they extremely good at survival? One of the best. Do they have the innate ability to "learn of people wanna give them credit for)? Highly doubt it.
#29
RE: Deer looking up?
How does anyone ever teach/train any animal to do anything? It is called repetitive action. Action either causes discipline(unwanted consequences) or reward (comfort/desired result). Pretty elementary.
LT
LT
#30
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 140
RE: Deer looking up?
I think it really comes down to how much hunting pressure an area has. More often than that not, if a mature doe busts you in a stand, you can bet they will be looking up the next time they come through. Now throughout a mature buck or doe's life they are more than likely going to bust at least a few people. Just as they associate humans with danger, they are going to associate that same blob twenty feet up in that tree with danger. If a herd usually patterns the lead doe. It's possible that they will learn to scan "certain" trees for danger by following the lead doe. But do I feel like they somehow pass it down through genetics and all deer will look up and scan trees for danger? No, I don't. But I do believe if a mature doe has been alerted to danger in a certain tree(s), they will learn to scan that tree(s) for danger.