OK so I was talking to my cousin who hunts in a bow only zone. They only have 12 acres which is a lot in that area to hunt. Its in the city limits of Gaston County which is pretty populated with housing developments and such. My grandparents and great grandparents had at one point owned over 100 acres around the area and sold off here and there throughout the years. I personally think it would be a tough hunt considering there aren't many food sources in the area other than oaks. Anyways, back to the question at hand. One of his buddies asked if he could hunt it one afternoon and he let him. He carried in his climber and set up 60yd or so away from my cousins stand. He said he watched a decent sized buck come down the trail that runs in front of my cousins stand. When he got withing 30yd or so, he said the buck looked up at the ladder stand as if he was checking to see if it was empty and then came on down. He walked somewhere around 10yd right in front of his stand and on through. He was out of range or his friend would have shot him. My stand I saw my big buck in and got busted this past Saturday was hunted by a friend of mine about 3 weeks ago. When he hunted it, he shot at and missed a doe with his 7mm. From the time I seen the doe, she was eying me and didn't let her eyes stay off for more than a few seconds. Of course it was the doe I didn't see that busted me. I am thinking she could have been part of the group my buddy shot at and thats why at 35yd she was watching my stand. Do you think they figure out where stands are and look for people (or their threat) in them?? I am beginnthink theink yes.
Yep, they definitely remember trees where they've seen threats before. Some deer will just learn to look for blobs in trees anywhere. Those are the exceptional deer tho'. Kill them when you can. So many hunters are used to hunting field edges that the deer on public land have become used to looking for hunters on field edges. I've watched many a deer stand back 80 yards-ish and scan the edges of the woods for a long, long time before getting any closer. I hunted back far enough that the deer would be looking at the trees closer to the edge while standing within range of my tree. There's a special satisfaction to killing one of those 'smart' deer.
You're asking, If a deer checks out a tree stand that it previously had contact with when a hunter was there? You bet they do. Evolution. How long will they remember? My experience....... usually the rest of the season. You're good again next season.
Yeah I agree with Christine. Have an old doe on the property the last three years, I do not care where I setup she pegs me. Not so much me but she has that extra sense that says "whoa be careful around here". I have watched her come in towards me with other deer, she hangs up out of range and allows the other deer to move in past my stand, she will then work her way around "out of range" of my stand to meet up with her little friends. I have changed stand locations and she has walked towards me and stops in her tracks. She does not run but she knows something is up and stays just out of range. I believe she is a reincarnated Bow hunter, it is as if she says to herself "if I was bowhunting where would I be". Smart old girl. Dave
Absolutely. I got busted by a doe last year, and she tormented me the rest of the year. I was set up in a stand about 30 yds outside of a honeysuckle thicket. They would funnel past me on their way to bed/feed. She caught me one morning in the middle of transitioning from standing to sitting. She got to where she would come to the edge of the thicket and look at my stand, and bust me every time. And she wasn't nice about it either- she would stand and blow for I sware 20 minutes!! She was the only deer (that I know of) that ever busted me from there. I always had the intention of setting up a stand just across from the one she knew of, just so I could kill her. I never got around to it I haven't hunted that piece this year. Makes me want to kill her again.
This past Saturday was the first time I had hunted that stand in 4 weeks. I call it old faithfull because there hasn't been a person sit in it this season without seeing a deer. There also hasn't been a single person busted on this stand either until a rifle hunter missed from it. I am planning on hunting the same trail but with my climber this Saturday. If I see her before she does me, its lights out. As for my cousin on his property, I told him to try to be more mobile if possible and to move his stand if possible for now. He wants me to go out there and walk it to see if I can put him on deer next season. I don't see myself as good at it but, apparently you guys have taught me a thing or two about getting on deer. My brother wont pick a spot without having me look it over here and another friend that has hunted here wants me to check out a place he has to hunt next season. I just want to hunt some remote public land in piece. lol
Just like most have said they 100% remeber. We try and shoot mature does early and late season with that in mind. It balances the herd and gets the educated ones out of there as well
It wouldn't surprise me that they would remember a tree that had a potential threat in it. I haven't experienced this before though
Putting up dummies actually isnt a bad idea yhey would get used to them all year and when hunting season arrives they will be clueless!!!!but if I was scouting and saw that in another stand i would laugh my ass off!!!!
