Do Deer want to be hunted?

[Nicodemus]

This has the makings of a Disney movie

They already did. It was titled "Bambi".

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

It is not the impact of the core-lokt they value. It is the lack of, it is the survival of the game. Do you not think, that a giant buck that has seven years of survival doesn’t have some sort of satisfaction from winning his game? A mama doe that has reared more fawns than other doe has some type of respect? Have you ever watched deer play in an open field? Do you not believe they have a hierarchy among their subordinates and peers. I know that there is a hierarchy in deer and I believe it is coveted among them. I think deer enjoy the sport as much as we do... they live to prove it.

I have known for many years that without a doubt, all of the deer in my areas have a hierarchy of sorts and it reminds me very much of actual people of various ages and how they do things together. Sometimes, it is in a playful setting and I have seen 4-8 deer running and playing out in the pasture just like a wild bunch of kids frolicking from one end of the 400 yard long pasture back all the way back to the other numerous times in a row. They all have a reason for actions and re-actions etc especially if the situation gets more crucial such as a coyote or possibly a person may be seen or even winded as well. I have also sat in a ground blind and watched deer that were walking around me that were only 10-15-20-30-40-50 feet from me and I was able to hear some of the sounds that they were making back and forth to each other. Some of these sounds were more like a soft grunt, a louder sounding grunt, a "low growl" of sorts and some were like a very low sound of the bleat of a small goat/calf/etc and some sounded more like a squirrel bark of sorts.

I have seen things happen just like clockwork such as the ONE buck that you might be seriously hunting will be able to know exactly where you might be hunting at a certain time of the day in a particular stand on a certain day. He then tends to take a somewhat alternate route just like humans that might know that the local bridge is out and they need to make a detour instead. I think that in many cases, the does and possibly other animals around that area have ways to offer some types of warning signals against possible danger to other deer and especially the actual big buck of these woods.

JUST THINK HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAID TO YOUR SELF. THAT BIG BUCK WAS HERE ONLY AN HOUR BEFORE I GOT INTO MY STAND THIS MORNING. HOW DID HE KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO BE LATE THIS MORNING? ANOTHER THOUGHT IS MAYBE HE SHOWS UP ON CAMERA AT ANOTHER STAND THAT YOU HAD HUNTED JUST THE DAY BEFORE. THE DEER ARE SO SMART AND EDUCATED THAT THEY ACTUALLY DO PLAY MINDS GAMES WITH 99 % OF PEOPLE OUT IN THE WOODS EACH DAY.

Most people don't realize just how much that deer actually communicate with each other. I have literally seen it 1000's of times on my trail cameras as deer verbalize with each other and other animals of the woods with various sounds and actions etc. I have stated that before while posting various trail camera photos of deer that seem to be talking a type of language while being in front of my cameras. What is really fascinating is to be able to watch hundreds of photos on my computer screen and as I scroll through them and then speed up the forward arrow and it looks more like a video of sorts as these deer really do look like they are talking back and forth as such.

Many times, I have also seen deer make various noises in communicating with other wildlife that is near to them such as turkeys, crows, squirrels, raccoons, and even coyotes. One of the biggest advantages to a deer is listening to all of the birds in a given area because they ring the alarm bell as dangers enter into a certain area.

This is one of the biggest reasons that I actually enjoying just being in the woods and seeing nature first-hand much more so that actually hunting the deer as such.

DEER 'R' SMART AND SOMETIMES....HUNTERS 'R' DUMB !!!

 

[Blackston]

They already did. It was titled "Bambi".

That’s what I was getting at

 

[Mako22]

Yeah sure deer like dying as all animals do..............

 

[baddave]

Missed a buck three times one morning.
First shot was 10 yards if that under my stand.
This buck in my thoughts was already mounted and turned to the left before this shot ever left the bow.
So he skipped off a little and at about fourty yards he stopped so I aimed real good and shot again. Thinking bullseye for sure this time. He ran ten yards fell over hard and I’m thinking ok gotcha sucka, I’ll mount you to the right. About then he gets up and runs off. So I’m replaying all what happened and waiting to go retrieve my stud of an eight pointer. I notice I’ve got only one arrow left. I got down walk over to the first arrow and don’t see it but know I probably missed. Couldn’t find the arrow then or the second arrow I thought for sure had drilled him but no blood was where he fell. Turns out he tripped over a smashed down old fence. Still thinking I’m tracking a wounded buck I get prepped to shoot again and walk up to him bedded down. He didn’t see me so time to fling one more I thought and of course my arrow flies high between his rack. He stood up at twenty yards and just stared at me broadside for about a minute. Sad thing was the day before I had just switched from a four arrow quiver to a three. Never did find that second arrow or the buck or a drop of blood so yes that buck had himself a great day laughing at me.
The second arrow bout killed me trying my best to find it and find out what happened. For all I know it was two bucks playing games with me.
I’ll never know for sure. All I know is either one was already on the wall just not real sure If I mounted it left or right or both.

i don't believe i'd a told that one brotha

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

i don't believe i'd a told that one brotha

That was early days of my bow hunting. Probably 20 years ago.
I’ve just now today gotten over it.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Years ago when I was married to my first wife, her daughter/my stepdaughter was about 6yrs old, we went to McIntosh preserve down below Whitesburg, down around the picnic area/ranger station there was a doe that had lost her fear of humans, due to people feeding it, the doe came walking right up to my stepdaughter looking for food, but started licking her hair ? I guess for the taste of salt ? this was in the summer , I thought that was the strangest thing I'd ever seen, but kinda cool at the same time.

I have a young buck that stays in the yard now. It let me pet it the first time it saw me. Now i have to chase it out of the garden from time to time but i usually see it once a day eatin weeds near the hog pen. Crazy as heck! Doesnt seem to fear humans at all. This aint no suburban deer neither. I hunt and most of my neighbors do too.

 

[Mark K]

I seriously hope this is a hook, line, and sinker thread. Other wise, I hope the OP doesn’t actually own a gun and is seeking treatment.
Animals don’t think. Animals don’t reason. Animals are built to survive. Whether it’s from humans or ants. They are in tune with their surroundings and know what’s out of place. It’s just survival. They don’t enjoy anything. They just do what they were made to do...survive.

 

[MFOSTER]

Just go over to North Korea and walk around,I’m sure you would have about the same fuzzy feeling.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

I've always felt that the different animals learn to understand the vocalizations, behaviors or cues of other animals. I.e. the buck pauses 80 yards away in the thick and changes course when he hears the squirrel barking to the woods that ole 2 legged and his boom stick is sitting in the human nest again. I firmly believe it in fact. The crows cawing, the squirrels barking, the turkey fleeing from the sight of you flinching or turning your head. They read it, hear it, see it, and understand it all. It always cracks me up when someone posts a picture of the target buck at the stand they didn't hunt like it was some coincidental stroke of misfortune. That buck knows 99% of the time with 99% of hunters.

I believe it too.
They live it.
We just hunt it part time.
Animals have fun too but not while we’re shooting at them as food.
They have no clue we like their antlers so much.

 

[Smokepoler]

Dang, somebody might want to see what's burning in that campfire.

 

[Nicodemus]

They show a lot of aggression. Ever see one all bristled up? Look at those ears in the second picture.

 

[Smokepoler]

Great pic! I grunted a good buck in years ago that walked in bristled up like that,ears laid back. You see different kinds of attitude and interactions/vocals with deer but I cant buy into they have deep enough thoughts to ponder and enjoy the elusive hunt. I think it's all survival and reproduction driven.

 

[Mark K]

Well I might have to take back part of what I posted. My son killed a deer last year that apparently LIKED to fight. He looked like he had been in some knock down drag out fights and then came in to rattling with his ears laid back. He was looking to tangle!!
As far as deer having fun...it looks fun to us but I think they just do it because they can. I’ve watched fawns feeding beside a doe and just take off running a big circle covering about 3 acres then go back to feeding around mom again. No reason whatsoever for them to do it other than just way too much energy.

 

[BE5544]

Definitely. If they didn't want to be hunted, they wouldn't dress like deer.

 

[doenightmare]

I think Ole Harry has a baby trout on a downrigger and is just bumping along with the trolling motor. Well played Sir.

 

[HarryO45]

I seriously hope this is a hook, line, and sinker thread. Other wise, I hope the OP doesn’t actually own a gun and is seeking treatment.
Animals don’t think. Animals don’t reason. Animals are built to survive. Whether it’s from humans or ants. They are in tune with their surroundings and know what’s out of place. It’s just survival. They don’t enjoy anything. They just do what they were made to do...survive.

So you don’t believe that a deer doesn’t enjoy a fresh natural pile of acorns? You don’t believe that deer have personalities... you believe they are survival robots? Do you own a dog?

 

[HarryO45]

I think Ole Harry has a baby trout on a downrigger and is just bumping along with the trolling motor. Well played Sir.

I am more of a woolly bugger kinda guy.

 

[Mark K]

So you don’t believe that a deer doesn’t enjoy a fresh natural pile of acorns? You don’t believe that deer have personalities... you believe they are survival robots? Do you own a dog?

No I don’t believe deer wake up in the mornings thinking I sure hope there’s a fresh natural pile of acorns where I’m headed this morning. And no they don’t have “personalities” like humans. Now Disney gave them personalities, lol, but in the real world they don’t. They get up each morning only knowing to survive and eat...and breed at certain times of the year.
And yes, I have dogs. Not sure what that has to do with deer though.

 

[Blackston]

I’ve seen a pack of curs get cut down and some not make it on a few nasty bo hogs. The dogs that made it didn’t even send flowers Can you believe that