Do deer associate gunshots with hunters?

[chrislibby88]

I’m sure the opinions range on this one. What do you think? Do deer associate gunshots from an area out direct sight with danger? For instance, say you shoot a doe in a travel hub, and a buck is maybe 400 yards away in timber heading for that hub. He hears the shot, can’t pinpoint it, but it came from the direction he wanted to go. Does he avoid the area? Or is it just a noise like thunder? Let us know what you think.

Obviously all bets are off in the rut when a hot doe is involved. I’m talking in general.


I think it boils down to personality and life experience. Some dogs are gun-shy and afraid of thunder, some aren’t. I think the same holds true for deer. I don’t think they directly associate it with hunters, but could learn to associate it with danger, especially if they witness multiple deer get shot in front of them.


Funny story, a few years ago on a local WMA in the middle of the most pressured bonus hunt, lots of deer die, shots all morning and evening. Late morning I had a doe and yearling come working down a dry creek bed. The mature doe was super spooky, probably been smelling humans all weekend, maybe even lost a homie to da struggle, flinched when a shot went off. I think she knew more than most.

 

[Crakajak]

Within a few hundred yards yes.I have witnessed deer run out of the woods,across pastures, cross creeks when they hear a 4 wheeler or side by side driving down a logging road.
I think mature deer are more in tune with unnatural noises.
I have seen them just look at a tractor cutting hay.

 

[Jason C]

The last time I talked to one it was a yes...lol

 

[WOODIE13]

Yes, hunters condition the deer, especially the weekend before rifle season

 

[Toliver]

I think it's what you said in your last paragraph. It's different for individual deer and what life experiences they've had. I've seen deer spook at the slightest noise or movement and I've had them stand there and then go back to browsing after killing one of their friends right next to them. When I was a kid my dad made me carry a whistle for emergencies or to let him know it was me who shot and I had a deer down. I killed a small buck one morning, blew the whistle after I had tracked and found the deer, and 3 does come out of nowhere and ran right up to me. Neither the shot nor the whistle phased them one bit.

 

[Dustin Pate]

I don't think they always associate it with danger. I have a property where a neighbor a few hundred yards away likes to shoot like WWIII most evenings. It bothers me more than the deer. Deer don't even look up when it is happening and will keep on keeping on out in front of me.

 

[hunter84]

I think any change in their environment they notice from vehicles to atv's to the presence of people in the woods and yes they will associate noise with that danger not matter if it's gun fire or vehicles or someone walking in the woods it also depends on your hunting area to what will spook them, if you hunt on a working farm I think you can't get away with more than say a wma wich has a lot less human presence in the off season.

 

[Waddams]

I put yes but there's a catch. If it's a "out of routine" sound, it puts them on alert. Anything out of routine does. At the same time, I'll give the example at Clybel - hunting behind the rifle range. They don't give a hoot about the shooting.

It's all about what they are used to. If they are used to shooting in a specific location, they acclimate, realize it's not a danger, and go about their lives. Same for vehicle traffic, people on walking or hiking trails, people whose yards back up to woods, etc.

If it's not a usual sensory input be it scent, sound, sight - they alert to it. The older ones that maybe survived a few encounters / near misses, they might especially associate a shot out of the ordinary with danger and head away from it.

Just my humble opinion.

 

[kayaksteve]

I say it depends. On a lot of things

 

[Long Cut]

Yes.

Shoot a doe off a food plot or feeder with several other deer in the vicinity with her, watch how many deer you see the next 2-3 days afterwards in that same spot- in daylight of course.

I’ve noticed it will take about a week for daylight sightings to return to “normal” after shooting a doe with multiple other deer around.

 

[dusty200001]

I say no. Earlier at bf grant I shot a doe 5 minutes later 8 point comes by and shoot him also. I think the hunter prescience whether it’s sound, smell, or sight has more to do with bumping deer.

 

[snookdoctor]

I've had 3 nanny does in front of me at about 50 yards, shot one, and the other two jump, then walk to the down doe and sniff her.
I've shot a buck drt, turned in my climber to climb down, and there were 6-8 does standing about 20-30 yards from the tree, and didn't move until I started climbing down.

Of course, I have seen deer bolt when a nearby gnat passes gas, and other unknown reasons.

They weird critters! about as spooky as horses.

 

[transfixer]

I've had deer in front of my stand grazing when someone in the club fired a shot 300-400yds away and they would raise their head and look, and go back to grazing, within a couple hundred yards they might run, but from my experience they know whether or not its close, and if it isn't close they don't care .

Many years ago we had an adjoining piece of property that was across the road from our main piece, it shared a boundary with what used to be the University of GA experiment farm, and on that farm the UGA police and I believe Athens/Clarke county also were involved, they had a gun range, where the officers would come to shoot,train, or qualify I suppose , I hunted within probably 400yds of that range, and on Saturdays it sounded like a war zone sometimes,,, but the deer didn't pay it any attention

 

[Railroader]

Deer hear a loud noise, that's all.

Thunder, truck backfiring, kids popping firecrackers, tannerite bomb, sonic boom from a fighter jet, blastin' at the new underpass by The mayor's brother's gas station, or gunfire...

Deer don't have the reasoning ability to know what happened.

But then, you have folks that believe if you wear your hat backwards, deer will think you are looking the other way...

 

[bear claw]

But then, you have folks that believe if you wear your hat backwards, deer will think you are looking the other way...

It really does work.

 

[Danuwoa]

I’ve never seen them react when I’m watching them and somebody shoots within hearing distance.

 

[cliffdweller]

Yes, seen too many mass Exoduses out of Coosawatee during the first hour of shooting light during my years working over there. Those deer immediately know something major is wrong...time to scoot across the road

 

[cliffdweller]

It really does work.View attachment 1274836

Imagine what he could've done with that hat turned the other way

 

[Crakajak]

It really does work.View attachment 1274836

Imagine the size buck he could kill if his hat was on backwards.

 

[Core Lokt]

Deer think "was that a gunshot or lightning?"