One of the strangest things I have ever seen

I was hunting yesterday before the big rain and I was working a gobbler and was about 75 yards from where he was roosted. Well anyway I heard a hen calling to him so I started callig to her trying to get her to come to me so that the gobbler would follow. Well here she came, and I could tell there was something following her. Well come to find out it was a deer about three steps behind her. Every time she would walk he would follow she came over to me past me and around behind me and the deer followed her everywhere she went. She walked away and the deer went with her. She came back and the deer was right behind her. finally the deer saw us move and ran off only to come right back to the turkey and follow her on down the ridge and off together they went.

I wonder if that gobbler was wearing a deer outfit so that he would not get shot. He knew that deer season was already over and he would be safe if he wore a disguise! Or do you think that was just a mixed up deer that did not know what he was?

That's a goodun!! I would have loved to seen that!!!!

This fall, I saw a hen come out in a small patch I was hunting in , and a doe came out soon after and followed the hen everywhere. I often take turkey calls with me during deer season and call every now and then. I believe it makes deer feel secure to be around turkeys b/c of turkeys' keen senses? Often deer will appear soon after I call, even when turkeys don't many times.

I happened to have my camera that afternoon, and got some photos. It was getting dark, and I had to set the shutter speed pretty slow, so the photos are blurred somewhat, but that doe just followed that hen around all over that patch. Pics are attached.

No way of knowing for sure if it was the same doe every time, but i had a group of gobbelers prevent me from shooting a doe with my bow 3 different times last year. The doe was foolowing them all 3 times.

Phil,

what happened to the gobbler?

Many moons ago I had a large flock of turkeys come under my stand while on their way to roost one evening. This was while I was bow hunting and not far behind them was a large herd of deer following them. There was somewhere between 15 to 20 turkeys and 15 to 20 deer.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen those kind of numbers in quite awhile.

The bottom droped out and I never heard from him anymore. I waited and waited but after an hour I just left for a dry set of clothes.

My theory is that if the deer is there alone with the turkey. I would estimate that there might be something wrong with the deer's vision or hearing (maybe temporary).They are relying on the turkey for protection. This makes the most sense.

I was working a hot gobbler about 3 years ago and he all of a sudden shut up on my in a field just over a rise...After about 20 min of silence, I decided to crawl up to the rise to see if he was strutting in the field...What I saw was shocking....I saw a doe running my gobbler all over this field...I think he was trying to come to me but everytime he headed my way the doe would almost run him over....He finnally had enough and headed the other way....I assume the doe had just had a fawn and she was keeping the gobbler off of him...

I was not ammused with the doe!!