Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
mheichelbech500 ClubPosts: 4190Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 amFacebook: Location: Charlestown, IN Status: Offline
Dog senses vs deer senses
Opening my garage this morning and as often happens, neighbor's dogs probably 450 yards away start barking. Coming out my back door, another neighbor's dog 100 yards away starts barking.
If a dog can easily sense all that, what can a deer sense as we approach our hunting areas and stands? How much does this alert them to hunter presence and potentially alter their movement? Even when we are trying to be careful?
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"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby headgear » Mon Aug 29, 2016 5:06 am
I imagine there are an untold number of deer and large bucks that heard, saw or smelled me coming at one point or another. With that all said if you can keep the wind in your favor and go stealth mode you can really sneak up on them. Not that they don't hear you but if you move slow enough they aren't concerned. I have harmlessly bumps hundreds of deer, many I could have shot with a bow. Not to mention sneaking anywhere from 10 to 40 yards on mature public land bucks. When you have time and patience you can get right on top of them.
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby Stanley » Mon Aug 29, 2016 10:55 am
One word "wind" The wind is your ally, on a calm day it is so hard to anything without getting busted. On a windy day you can get away with murder. This is really pronounced in ground hunting. You have heard me say this quite often give me a windy day and I'm happy as a pig in mud. Killed a lot of good bucks on windy days over the years.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
JoeRE500 ClubPosts: 4579Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:26 amLocation: IA Status: Offline
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby JoeRE » Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:13 pm
Yea Stanley, I have heard many people say they see the most big bucks on windier days...makes me wonder if its mostly due to the wind (more noise and less variability) allowing for hunters to more often get to their stands undetected.
One thing I would say, I think on average dogs are smarter than deer (bigger brains for their size).
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby <DK> » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:45 pm
I think they move more and farther on windy days bc they are able to use their best ability w scent checking longer distance consistently. Calm days they have to rely on sight, hearing and thermals - which are less consistent and predictable. Maybe it is an insecurity thing...Thoughts?
As far as dogs go, mine is not fixed and he reminds me of a buck w his domener. We had a pinned up dog one time, everytime we walked home she would bark when we got about 200 yards away. Impressive
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Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby Stanley » Mon Aug 29, 2016 3:35 pm
My thoughts are a buck can move around more and be detected less during windy days. I am most certain I see less overall deer movement on windy days. I do see good big buck movement on windy days. I'm not convinced it is because they can smell things farther away though. My reasoning is; I see many big bucks moving with the wind at their back.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Aug 30, 2016 1:11 am
Stanley wrote:My thoughts are a buck can move around more and be detected less during windy days. I am most certain I see less overall deer movement on windy days. I do see good big buck movement on windy days. I'm not convinced it is because they can smell things farther away though. My reasoning is; I see many big bucks moving with the wind at their back.
agree - personally I believe stronger/gusty winds disperse scent quicker - slower steady winds move the scent further downwind
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby <DK> » Tue Aug 30, 2016 2:31 am
That makes more sense... Isnt the thermal effect damaged w higher winds and if the scent is dispersing more before it can reach the buck, then windy days really are a feeling of insecurity so he moves to a new location or moves from higher elv to a lower elv? Point - why we see bucks on windy days? Should I start a windy day poll? I don't want to jack his thread...
Last edited by <DK> on Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Aug 30, 2016 3:20 am
I think a mature buck will scent check an area similar to a dog by circling downwind. My house cat will lay in the house in a spot where it can watch the kitchen and living room. I've seen it perch itself also so it can see better like a deer will use elevation.So are cats similar also?
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mheichelbech500 ClubPosts: 4190Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 amFacebook: Location: Charlestown, IN Status: Offline
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby mheichelbech » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:19 am
One other interesting thing I have observed hunting behind my house is on one day I had deer around me, neighbor pulls up his driveway, opens and shuts his door and the deer go flying, another day (maybe because it was closer to dark and dark), I had my kids slam my truck door, blow the horn and holler and scream and they still stayed around. I finally had to have him walk through the woods with a flashlight to get them out so I could exit my stand. Go figure...
[ Post made via iPhone ]
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby Stanley » Tue Aug 30, 2016 4:36 am
mheichelbech wrote:One other interesting thing I have observed hunting behind my house is on one day I had deer around me, neighbor pulls up his driveway, opens and shuts his door and the deer go flying, another day (maybe because it was closer to dark and dark), I had my kids slam my truck door, blow the horn and holler and scream and they still stayed around. I finally had to have him walk through the woods with a flashlight to get them out so I could exit my stand. Go figure...
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Great observation.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
Re: Dog senses vs deer senses
Unread postby headgear » Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:06 am
One time I watched a doe feed 20 yards away from my dog going crazy, dog was on a chain and the doe knew exactly how far the dog could reach. After a while the dog just gave up and the doe kept on eating like she wasn't there.
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