Hi, I hope everyone had some success this season! Random question--I was able to shoot a doe this past Sunday (two were grazing, I shot the bigger of the two). Once I hit her, she ran off out of view, but I had her general vicinity in my view. Since I couldn't see her, I watched the other doe (the one I didn't shoot) and how she behaved. She walked right toward the dead doe very cautiously, then stopped. Once she know that something wasn't right, she wheezed, then ran off. I interpreted the wheeze and running away to indicate that she knew the deer was dead. Has anyone else experienced this? On another note, many times I have been gutting a deer and had other deer watching me do this. Has this happened to anyone else? Seems like I should just act like I'm gutting one, as a way to lure others in! Thanks!
Back in November while dragging an 8 point up a very steep ridge in WV, we stopped to rest, looked to our left back at the flat, and a young doe was trotting towards us, ending up only 20 yards away. IMO, it was pure coincidence and had nothing to do with the gutted deer. Deer had been running back and forth through that flat since daylight. Does often blow at a dead comrade recently culled from their midst, too. Glad you connected on a doe this season!
Whitetail can be as curious as a cat sometimes. They don't know what just happened and wonder why the other deer they're with isn't acting normally. Seems like once they smell blood, then away they go. I had an encounter with a very curious doe one morning a few years ago. I was rifle hunting an open area that consists of ag fields down low and up top, with a long, steep hill between them, all wide open except for two brushy draws where the deer bed for the day. I was walking a field edge at the bottom of the hill before shooting light, I was intending to climb up the hillside and sit about halfway up where I could watch for good bucks coming from the upper fields down into the draws to bed up for the day. Before I got out of the lower field I noticed a doe pop out of cover below me around 60 yards away. I dropped to a knee before she looked my way and held still, I mainly just wasn't wanting her to blow and spook any bucks in the area. Apparently, there was enough light for her to notice there was a "blob" where there shouldn't be, but the wind was in my favor and she couldn't tell what I was. Rather than just putting distance between herself and the unknown blob, she instead started bobbing her head and walking towards me. She got around 8 yards from me and then stood there for a good minute bobbing her head and stomping her hoof. She finally trotted off into the field about 50 yards, then stopped and gave me one last look before she started feeding her way towards the other side where another draw with good cover was located. Not the reaction I expected at all, you'd think they'd just put distance between themselves and something they couldn't identify. Neat encounter though. I think their reaction really depends on what they smell or if they see something they can for sure identify as danger, otherwise they're curious instead of spooked.
Ive had all kinds of curious deer come to check out what was going on. One time i had to pee really bad. As soon as i climbed down at dark i couldnt hold it anymore and it was all i could do to wrestle through the layers to get ahold of the main drain. While peeing i heard deer running towards me. It got too close for comfort so i turned on my headlamp. About 5yds from me was a mature doe bobbing and weaving her head at me. She spooked but didnt run far. Unfortunately she spooked in the direction i had to walk out so i kept bumping her the whole way out. I've had many instances of other deer watching me gut a deer. Kinda sucks. Further imprints the fear of humans into their brain i would bet. Really sucks when its a does fawns. I try not to do that, but sometimes it just happens.
