Are deer just getting smarter?

At least two of the deer that came straight in were a minimum of 6 1/2 years old. They were rutted up, they were not worried as much about survival as they were fun. Thats my point. They can let their survival instincts down at times, but they dont have a lot of true intelligence to work with. But, their instinct to survive is very keen. Wild turkeys also have incredible survival instincts. Half the time they will jump away from their own shadow. To me that is not to be confused with great intelligence.

We will agree to disagree. No biggie.

 

Haha, no...no biggie but interesting conversation, so thanks for that.

If you ever get an opportunity, go into a pen with "friendly" deer or turkeys that are "safe" to be around. Interact with them on a personal basis a few times and then evaluate your opinions on intelligence vs habit/instinct. Maybe your opinion won't change but I expect it will.

Again, thanks for the discussion.

 

Interesting discussion and I apologize if this thought was thrown out there but I feel a couple things may be a few of the many reasons why deer may be getting more "elusive".

1-They are simply growing older, hence their survival instincts more mature...hence much harder to kill. Think of it this way, the let em grow mentality while still not a thought of many is being utilized by more and more every year....meaning the age structure of the herds are more than likely changing slightly. Anyone who has hunted for any length of time can tell ya how much easier it is to kill a 2 1/2 year old compared to a 4 and older year old. Not only are the bucks getting older but they are all some people are hunting for anymore....meaning even older does in the herd...which we all know are some of the most smartest creatures in the woods and at times are ridiculously keen and sensitive....keeping their groups of does in cover longer and waiting till darker possibly.

2-I think guys are getting so caught up on technology some are losing the art of hunting in general. I can remember many a set this year overlooking some trails that within 100 yards of me had trail cams on them (some places 1, 2 and even 3 cams "near" me)...I would see tons of deer and none would appear on the cameras amazingly though. Cameras only capture what walks in front of them and triggers them...I have faith and trust in my ability to choose stand locations that I don't stop hunting a spot if pictures point elsewhere but self inspection and scouting tells me they should and sometimes are there.

3-Some people don't even remember seeing does or single yearling deer after a hunt as they only remember the one or two big bucks they were paying attention to...tunnel vision syndrome.

 

It sounds like some folks think deer are getting wiser (smarter) because of their encounters with humans, but this just isn't the case. I've hunted whitetails in parts of Alberta where some deer have never even seen a human, but they are still very hard to kill. They're used to a pristine enviornment where an occasional farmer is all they see/hear, and that will be from a half mile away. Deer simply adapt to their specific needs in a given area.