Over decades of deer seasons, I have seen surprising deer behaviour that has challenged my ideas on what spooks deer. One season, I had passed up several chances at does, hoping for a buck until the last day of the season. When a doe appeared, I decided it was her or no venison. At the shot, she trotted into a thicket and crashed to the ground. I waited ten minutes and when I stood up, I saw a mature buck standing where the doe had been. It looked right at me, put its nose to the ground and followed the doe’s trail right to where she lay. I kicked myself for not being more patient. I walked to within 40 yards of that buck before it finally left the fallen doe. Eventually, I came to the realization that a gunshot does not scare deer or ruin a spot, especially for bucks in rut. For the most part, deer just look around after the shot then go back to what they were doing. On another hunt, one of our club members shot a buck that he dragged a few yards off the deer trail and field dressed. We were appalled thinking the smell would ruin that spot for the season. He didn’t think so and later that day tagged another buck in the same spot. All too human So, what really spooks deer enough to warrant giving up your stand? Foremost is a nose full of human scent, second is the human voice, and third would be seeing a human that is engaged in predator-like behaviour such as sneaking, stalking, or hiding in a tree stand. A person hiking or walking a dog or doing chores is not so alarming to deer, especially in areas where deer regularly see humans. If I encounter a doe that I don’t want to shoot as I am walking to my stand, I just ignore it and walk past it. But I carefully look for a buck that may be trailing it. The question of moving to a new spot depends on the deer. A mature buck is almost a different species with far less tolerance for human intrusion than young deer. Observe the buck’s behaviour to assess if it was spooked enough to warrant abandoning that stand. Clearly busted: If a mature buck busts you in your stand by sight or scent and runs
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