Is scent and pressure really that big of a deal?

[Possum]

I’m starting to think scent, noise, pressure doesn’t matter as much as I used to think. I know most hunters live by the “little pressure and little scent as possible” way of hunting but I see evidence that deer and even mature bucks will go about there business and pay little attention to human activity.
Here is a couple examples: I have a wireless trail camera on a trough feeder in our deer camp. 15 ft away is our skinning post. Last night daughter shot a doe at dark. We quartered her up there next to feeder. My son peed next to feeder. Both kids were playing with corn in feeder. Last night 4 different bucks came and fed at the feeder including a 3.5 yr old 7 point and a 4.5 yr old 9 point.
Also yesterday morning we are sitting around fire in camp talking, drinking coffee. We head off to stands at 6:50. Wife stays out by campfire until 7:15 and goes back in the camper. At 7:20 I get a picture from the feeder in camp of a nice buck. Wife goes back outside with a loud 2 year old little girl and the buck just walks behind camper like they weren’t even there.
I have many of pictures of mature bucks that came to a food plot shortly after I was there. I’ve ridden up on deer within 50 yards on a four wheeler and watched them go back to feeding and slowly walk off. I’ve had my scent blow straight to a herd of does and them never smell me.
Obviously I know it matters some. I know little pressure is better than high pressure. But instead of worrying about it all the time I’m just going to hunt and have fun. If the kids want to talk while we are walking out of the woods or if somebody has to pee, I’m not going to worry about it like I used to.

 

[ProAngler]

I'm 100 percent with you on that one. Two recent examples: hunted a low spot one morning and went around clearing a a bunch of shooting lanes afterwards sweating like crazy. Also walked all over the place looking for sign. Two hours after I left I had a big buck on cam in the same spot. Similar situation moving a stand: went all up and down this bottom hanging a stand in 85 degree heat then hunted it and saw 3 deer that afternoon. One came directly down wind. I had already been in the woods 2 days sweating. I also don't use any scent spray or anything like that. Just be in the right place at he right time and see them befor they see you.

 

[tree cutter 08]

I guess it just depends on how much activity is normal. In places that humans never go 9 months out of the year then all of a sudden show up, yes deer will change patterns, especially mature deer.

 

[Possum]

I guess it just depends on how much activity is normal. In places that humans never go 9 months out of the year then all of a sudden show up, yes deer will change patterns, especially mature deer.

I’m not disagreeing with you, but is there any evidence that that is true? Other than what we’ve always been told and what our feelings are on the subject? I’ve always been told that and always believed that but now after years of heavy trail can use, and my own observations, I’m not so sure.
I think I’ve just always assumed mature bucks are easily pressured. But I’m starting to believe by default bigger bucks tend to be more nocturnal. Because more nocturnal deer are going to live longer. There may be an equal number of mainly nocturnal does that will live to older age as well.
I’m just curious how it can be proven that pressure changes a mature bucks pattern.
If I put a trail cam in a spot and went back a year later I’m betting the mature buck patterns changed with the absence of human activity.

 

[JustUs4All]

I agree with tree cutter 08. I live among my deer. They watch me come and go. If I am where they expect me to be doing what I normally do they pay little attention. If I am in the thick stuff in the creek bottom they pay lots of attention.

 

[ProAngler]

I’m not disagreeing with you, but is there any evidence that that is true? Other than what we’ve always been told and what our feelings are on the subject? I’ve always been told that and always believed that but now after years of heavy trail can use, and my own observations, I’m not so sure.
I think I’ve just always assumed mature bucks are easily pressured. But I’m starting to believe by default bigger bucks tend to be more nocturnal. Because more nocturnal deer are going to live longer. There may be an equal number of mainly nocturnal does that will live to older age as well.
I’m just curious how it can be proven that pressure changes a mature bucks pattern.
If I put a trail cam in a spot and went back a year later I’m betting the mature buck patterns changed with the absence of human activity.

There actually was a study done with gps tagg d deer in South Carolina, that showed bucks would avoid an area that was recently hunted for about 3 days by out a 60 yard difference conspired to normal travel patterns. I may be off a bit off on the number from memory. But that should be pretty close. I'll try and find it

 

[ProAngler]

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/b...woods-equals-three-days-pressure-mature-bucks

 

[Possum]

I agree with tree cutter 08. I live among my deer. They watch me come and go. If I am where they expect me to be doing what I normally do they pay little attention. If I am in the thick stuff in the creek bottom they pay lots of attention.

Again not disagreeing, just asking questions. Is there any evidence that a buck would completely change his pattern due to say, jumping him up in his bedding area?

 

[tree cutter 08]

Read lots of study over the years about pressured bucks. On was locally back when Burton was a wma. A buck was collared and recorded. When Burton wma was opened, the buck would move over to swallows creek area. When it was over he would move back. Recorded over and over same pattern. Lots of similar gps study's. At the house, I can walk around, run the tractor within 20 yards of them and they just watch or pay no attention. Go sit in the deer stand and they will bust you like always if the wind is wrong. No way to prove anything but that's my personal experience.

 

[Possum]

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/b...woods-equals-three-days-pressure-mature-bucks

Cool study. So I read no difference in behavior between 1.5 yr old bucks and mature bucks. And bucks would only avoid an area for 3-4 days after it was hunted.

 

[Possum]

Read lots of study over the years about pressured bucks. On was locally back when Burton was a wma. A buck was collared and recorded. When Burton wma was opened, the buck would move over to swallows creek area. When it was over he would move back. Recorded over and over same pattern. Lots of similar gps study's. At the house, I can walk around, run the tractor within 20 yards of them and they just watch or pay no attention. Go sit in the deer stand and they will bust you like always if the wind is wrong. No way to prove anything but that's my personal experience.

Yeah but tagging one buck is hard to draw a conclusion. Also is it possible the buck moved because of the rut and not because of deer hunters?

I get pictures of bucks on some land I hunt in Habersham and they always dissapear when season rolls around whether I’m hunting in there or not. At same time, some other land I hunt starts pulling new bucks in around start of deer season and that property gets tons of hunting pressure. The only difference I see is the Habersham land has very few does and the other land is loaded with them. I believe many times bucks dissapear when deer season starts and we blame ourselves for putting too much pressure on them when they could have moved off no matter what.

 

[Mexican Squealer]

I believe they get conditioned to activity and scent that are constant. One of my farms I'm at all the time, driving all over etc. The deer will just stand around and wait for you to drive by/move on then go back to what they are doing. My other tract is left totally alone except for hunting season. The deer are far more wary and responsive to human intrusion on that tract.

 

[ribber]

In my novice opinion, there's a lot of variables involved and it would be difficult to proclaim all deer react the same in all places.
I think in a 'wild' setting, like deep in the woods, river swamp, bedding areas, etc. deer are much more likely to spook. And, less likely in more human frequented areas like houses nearby, public roads, farms, etc.
I think they 'get used to' humans in some of these areas, but are much more in tune with natural surroundings like when you're walking into that river bottom to get in your stand.

 

[across the river]

Again not disagreeing, just asking questions. Is there any evidence that a buck would completely change his pattern due to say, jumping him up in his bedding area?

Yes , there are several studies. He is just one of them.

https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2010/11/29/what-pressured-bucks-do/

 

[T-N-T]

So you ask for examples against your theory and when given, you disagree with them?


I say a mature buck will change his habits if he is not used to human activity in an area as well. But I don't need to prove it to anyone but me.

 

[Possum]

So you ask for examples against your theory and when given, you disagree with them?


I say a mature buck will change his habits if he is not used to human activity in an area as well. But I don't need to prove it to anyone but me.

Where did I say I disagreed with anyone? I was just asking a question. I pointed out times where I observed deer not seeming to care about human pressure and wanted to see if anyone could back up the widely held belief that mature bucks leave an area or go nocturnal at the smallest amount of pressure.

Sorry I seem to have put you in a bad mood about this

 

[Killdee]

Deer using corn or feed are more apt to visit a feeder around human scent and be more tolerant to trail cams, also they are less wary at night since they know humans tend to not be around. My Bro in law bought a river house across the river from a wma. When they have hunts he sees quite a few more deer and many swimming across from the wma. There was a good article in GON some years ago about a radio collared buck and how he moved away during hunts on a state park.

 

[sghoghunter]

Again not disagreeing, just asking questions. Is there any evidence that a buck would completely change his pattern due to say, jumping him up in his bedding area?

Here's my opinion on your question. I live in a real small and hunt a block of woods behind my house. For the past 3 yrs I have been running cameras as well as feeding stations yr round. Every yr I'll have one mature buck that will stay close up until archery season starts then he goes somewhere else. I only go back there to pour corn and check camera and do that in the middle of the day once a week. I'm a firm believer in deer getting use to people and vehicles going and coming to where it don't bother them but if their not use to it they will haul tail and change their patterns and may even leave

 

[beginnersluck]

My take on it...I think that for the most part, deer get used to scents, sounds, etc...but in saying that, they get more cautious when scent is heavy and hasn't dissipated much. I think they also get accustomed to their surroundings.

 

[Permitchaser]

https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/b...woods-equals-three-days-pressure-mature-bucks

Thanks for the link I read all the articles, some I knew and some was new to me