ron3775

I had a doerun in and noticed an orange vest that I had laying on a mountain laurel bush at the base of my tree. At ten yards she did the whole stump and bob the head. She couldn't get it to move so she moved closer and repeated the stomp and bob. She continued until she was right on it and smelled it. I keep it enclosed in a container with earth scent wafers so thats what it smelled like. After smelling it she still stomped at it to get it to move. It didn't move so she backed away and continued down the trail stopping once to look back to make sure it was still there and then left the area. Do deer see the orange, keep in mind that I washed it in scent free no uv brightner soap and sprayed it down with uv blocker?

GMMAT

We are talking about a half-hidden flashlight......at the base of the tree, right?

burniegoeasily

I just caught that. I agree. If he could see it, it might have been just enough for him to realize it was something different and felt uncomfortable.

BobCo19-65

You'll never know 100%.

Another possibility is that he was bedded nearby, heard you come in, and was a little curious but cautious. Could have seen your flashlight or you moving in your stand out of his peripherals.

TEmbry

Deer spook for the oddest reasons. The buck I finally killed I have had in range 3 times this season before thwacking him. Each time, something would go wrong...wouldnt slow down, chasing a doe, and one time...for no reason, he did exactly as you describe....came in from opposite direction as I did, wind blowing back where I walked in from, steady wind at that...and he was walking with his nose to the ground and he glanced over at the base of my tree....and bolted. I had two stand backpack straps leaned up against the tree, and I feel VERY confident this is what that buck spooked at the sight of.

IMO, if a deer catches your outline in peripheral vision, they will look up at you out of instinct before bolting...too many things in the woods for them to bolt without getting a look at first (as far as vision goes)....scent wise, game over at the slightest hint in most cases.

Just in my experiences though, no where near Schultzys 24, I've only been chasing em for give or take 8 years now. Only semi seriously for 3-4 and very seriously for the past 2.

GMMAT

Hey I'm just trying to rationalize this. Maybe I'll learn something.

In my experiences......"catch my scent"? RARELY does this end well. "Catch sight of something"? I've killed a few that saw me. Could've killed a lot that saw me (one was just last night).

VERY similar occurrence, last night. Lone doe.....enters from the S. Wind is W and in my face (how I was facing). She enters from my left.....and gets to 15 yds and gets antsy. I thought I was still (I watched her enter), but she "seemingly" caught my outline in the tree I was in (who knows?). I was on the back side of the tree from where I thought they'd be coming in. She was also below me a little in elevation (8'?). I had doe urine out....but she didn't get downwind of my scent rag .......I don't think.

Even after spotting me.....I still could've shot(at) her (after she settled down).

Did the wind swirl.....even a "little"? Don't know. Did she see me? Don't know. She never got to my entrance trail. I do know that.

All I'm saying is.....too many times I'm seemingly spotted in a tree.....and still have opportunities to take the deer....for me to think a half-hidden flashlight would cause a deer to bolt at it's UNMOVING sight....is a stretch. Would they bolt at a "new" stick or limb that's fallen the night before? Do you think they know the difference from 45' if they can't smell it?

bawanajim

Just maybe she had ESPN.

LouisianaTomkat

All interesting thoughts/observations. I have had deer see me and spook, smell me and spook, and had them see me and not spook. I have also witnessed deer skirting an empty treestand. I have also seen a deer spook from a tweety bird rustling the leaves on the ground. There are multitudes of reasons we can come up with I suppose. This time just really stood out as I have never seen a deer/buck do exactly what this one did.

Imagine a T. The top line on the T is the deer trail. The bottom line is the direction of my entrance, although I never actually reach the trail. I climb about 20yds back from it. Wind from the North, which would be the top of the T. The deer actually almost had his neck touching the ground flat as was his chin/jawbone. 5 seconds at the most and then backwards flip to about 20 yds back on his entrance trail. He stops. 15 seconds. Walks back the way he came. Not your typical "I smell you, I'm outta here scene". I still believe he either saw the flashlight or my outline and freaked, or he just got that "deer sense" and changed his route.

LT