Deer Stories: What is the "dumbest" thing you have ever seen a deer do?

[RamblinWreck88]

My first hunting experience of all time. I'd shot my 2nd doe of the afternoon out of a group of 3 standing in big food plot. The others jumped but didn't run, went back to eating. I walked out with my son to drag her to the stand. The 2 standing just watched us, 30 yards away. The down deer raised its head and starting grunting and trying to drag itself with front legs on the ground. So I put a pistol shot through it's ear. Then we drug it back to the stand to await a buddy's truck for pick up. All the while, those 2 and 9 or 10 more came out and just watched the entire thing.

I wonder how many I could have put down before they got the idea they should leave. Never seen anything like it since.

Edit - just reread - to clarify 1st doe shot was a few hours before out of another group in another direction. The 2nd doe shot described above was the single deer taken out of that group 3 that were out in front of us. Initially I was hesitant to shoot a 2nd but my son was urging me (Daddy, shoot another one!) and I figured when would I get the chance to do hunt again? This was circa 2015. I didn't start seriously trying to learn to hunt for real until 2-3 years later.

That sounds a lot like some of those old stories about buffalo just standing still while the buffalo around them are being shot down.

 

[Spotlite]

Walk straight to me trying to figure me out while I was climbing down, let me turn around and bust him.

 

[JustUs4All]

I must say that deer are not particularly smart. If they were I probably would never have killed one. The only one I have killed simply because he was not smart was a young one that came back to my grunt call 5 times after walking out of sight each time.

 

[specialk]

i hit one that run out in the middle of the road and just stopped and stared at me.....stupid deer!

 

[Sixes]

One is years ago, early in my bowhunting career, I had a doe come out in a field and come under me, I missed 4 times in a row with her just sniffing around the arrows. Fifth shot, I finally drilled her.

Another happened a few weeks back, I came home around 1130 at night and 4 small deer were on the edge of my driveway. When I pulled in, one of the little ones spooked and ran across the drive on the concrete, lost its balance and banged into the back of my daughter's car. It then had a heckuva time regaining it's footing. I thought I was going to have to help her get to her feet.

 

[Danuwoa]

This morning I killed a deer. I sat there for a few minutes and another one walked up and I shot it. That was pretty dumb.

 

[HermanMerman]

Watched three bucks chase a doe down a mowed lane in a clear cut. She was a few seconds ahead of them, stopped and looked around, then found the thickest, gnarliest path she could possibly take and ran into it. All three bucks tried to crash through and all three got their racks hung up in vines and briars, took them forever to get unstuck. The bucks were morons but that doe knew what she was doing.

 

[Hunter922]

A doe head bobbing, neck twisting and side eyeing me at 40 yards then coming to get a better angle at 20.. She received a Hypodermic injection.. Krazy braud...

 

[jhanie79]

Seen a doe one morning step in a rotten stump hole and I mean straight face plant. I couldn't help but lol.

 

[Pig Predator]

An 8 pointer was walking out into a pnut field, ears up like he was about to get down. I shot him before he got too excited. He ran about 30 yards full steam in the direction he was headed and out of nowhere a 10 pointer runs up from the opposite side of the field and stopped just 10 yards from him trying to challenge him.

 

[kmaxwell3]

I climbed about 8 or 9ft high in a tiny tree and shot a buck. About 5 min later here comes what has got to be the dumbest deer I’ve ever seen. I have about 5 minutes of video of him circling that buck looking at it trying to figure out what’s goin on. It was pretty funny, and I wasn’t hid well at all. There were a few times where I could have cut my tether rope and fell on his back.View attachment 1193882View attachment 1193883View attachment 1193884

Wondering why his daddy ain't getting up.

 

[dang]

Wondering why his daddy ain't getting up.

I’ll be honest I thought he was gonna gore him …the whole time he was circling I was waiting for it

 

[RamblinWreck88]

I’ll be honest I thought he was gonna gore him …the whole time he was circling I was waiting for it

Then you'd have to shoot him to protect the backstraps

 

[dang]

Then you'd have to shoot him to protect the backstraps

Yep. It’d have been my duty to protect the defenseless deer

….what’s that…..why’s he have a hole in his neck?? …never mind that there’s no time for Useles questions…

 

[sea trout]

I've seen them circle the dead and come walking / trotting in when they have heard me make some sort of noise. They are curious animals.

and actually curiosity is the intrist in learning with in turn is intellagence

 

[sea trout]

I'm not sayin this deer was dumb but this moment was funny and we were LUCKY!!!!!
My son and wife hunted a stand together one mid Nov mornin a few years back. This fine 9 point was chasin does all around and my wife couldn't get this buck to stop for our son. They tried all the mehhh, mahhh, meeerrr, whistles, even the "hey deer".... he wouldn't stop for a shot all mornin.
Next mornin I took mah son ta that stand..., TRUE STORY NOW,... It got light and there was a big doe eatin acorns under the 2 big water oaks at the branch. Sure nuff she looked across the branch n got nervous and ran our way doin 70mph!!! Then the big 9 pt jumped the branch and took up after her!!!
Before I could get out a meeehhhh or a merrrrr I fumbled for mah binos and knocked my stanley thermose outta the buddy stand and it hit every metal ladder rung on the way down!!! The buck stopped ta look at it and my son killed him!

 

[sea trout]

This morning I killed a deer. I sat there for a few minutes and another one walked up and I shot it. That was pretty dumb.

You really got one this mornin??!!!!

 

[Danuwoa]

You really got one this mornin??!!!!

Two. I shot one and then I shot the other one.

 

[sea trout]

Two. I shot one and then I shot the other one.

Awesome!!!

Even if the 2nd one was dumb I bet it's gonna be good!

 

[mizzippi jb]

Any deer I want to kill that walks within 40 yds of me with muh bow in muh hand is stoopid