Daytime Sanctuaries!

[Native Hunter]

Another thing I have wondered about - this year a neighbor put a dog kennel 10 feet from my property line at the edge of my woods. The dogs stay in the kennel, but bark all the time. I know that does and young buck are still living in those woods, but I also know that in the fall when mature bucks move into the land that they use these woods too. I have no idea if it will affect that or not. I do have another preferred bedding area (a small thicket) between two NWSG fields, and it is so far removed from the dogs, I'm not worried about it. But you always hate to lose any advantage.

 

[Native Hunter]

It's got to be a matter of frequency of association. Consider town deer or the deer that a farmer sees every day when spreading manure in the fall. When I lived in Duluth, deer would walk up the sidewalk about 6 feet from my apartment patio. They would keep a 50 foot radius from people, but the presence of walkers or patio sitters didn't spook them much. What was really neat, I had a crab apple tree about 15 feet from my patio, and I watched a doe vacuum green apples off of it in July. I tried eating one in October and darn near turned inside out from how bitter/sour it was. I gained a real appreciation for the deer palate from that experience.

If a deer doesn't see a person more than once a month or more, it could generate a little more alarm. But where they have to interact, they develop associations of danger and non-danger beings.

I agree. I can't prove it, but I think in this area there is some degree of people shooting deer out of season. If that is the case, it would explain why our deer seem to be so easily alarmed by human presence. With that said, I do seem to get a lot of daylight pics at my food plots and the thicker areas at the center of the property.

 

[SD51555]

We stay in a cabin on the ten next to our forty. The guy next to the ten we stay at has had a small army of barking dogs for years. It annoys us more than anything. We have never seen those dogs on our cameras, and we still see deer tracks not 75 yards from those chained up dogs on our trails. Now, the neighbor next to our other neighbor, we frequently had those dogs on camera running deer. But ya know, that's not a problem anymore ;)

 

[Native Hunter]

We stay in a cabin on the ten next to our forty. The guy next to the ten we stay at has had a small army of barking dogs for years. It annoys us more than anything. We have never seen those dogs on our cameras, and we still see deer tracks not 75 yards from those chained up dogs on our trails. Now, the neighbor next to our other neighbor, we frequently had those dogs on camera running deer. But ya know, that's not a problem anymore ;)

Glad to hear that the problem is solved!

 

[dipper]

Another great point about the city deer, that's a monkey wrench that spoils all the deer whisperer theories. I know because I hit him with it, and he got pissed. Wanting to compare bone on the wall.
Like it's been said for the average guy with a 40 who wants to shoot the biggest buck possible, these consultants have a place. We don't need mechanics because we can work on our own vehicles. We've educated each other because there isn't any secrets in our hoppy.

 

[bat man]

Areas of human activity become great access points. Roads, driveways, cabins, areas where the kids get to 4 wheel. The deer on my place avoid areas of human activity during daylight which lets me use them for access. If the deer goes by at night and smells my boots, he is okay with it because it is expected. The deer have me patterned. Guys always ask how to keep deer from using their access trails they cut. You would have to use them to the point the deer associate them with humans and avoid them.

Sanctuary to me a is place the deer have learned humans will not go, and once they pattern you, they will play the game.

Took 3 years for the deer on my place to run into my property instead of the neighbors when I bumped them. They learned where I don't go in daylight and know its safe.

I typically hunt my east property line for grouse every Friday evening. I can sit on stand a watch the older deer on the place who know the game hole up in a plot 70 yards from the east line and wait for darkness to cross my grouse trail heading to the ag field to the east.

My cabin was vacant for 6 years before I bought it, and it was quite common to see deer by the driveway coming and going the first year. Now that we use the drive a lot its rare.

Sanctuary is a must where deer have options.

 

[Jameson]

A place that I used to hunt had a beagle kennel next door almost on the property line. The dogs never got out (not hunters, but breeders) and the deer used the dog's barking as a 6th sense. The deer took to bedding maybe 75 yards from the kennel with a large cattail swamp behind them. If the dogs got barking it alerted the deer of activity and they were able to bound into the large cattail sanctuary very quickly if they wanted. A tough, and not very peaceful place to hunt.

 

[Native Hunter]

A place that I used to hunt had a beagle kennel next door almost on the property line. The dogs never got out (not hunters, but breeders) and the deer used the dog's barking as a 6th sense. The deer took to bedding maybe 75 yards from the kennel with a large cattail swamp behind them. If the dogs got barking it alerted the deer of activity and they were able to bound into the large cattail sanctuary very quickly if they wanted. A tough, and not very peaceful place to hunt.

Thanks for the info. I usually don't enter from that side, so all may be well.

 

[Native Hunter]

These deer picked an unusual daytime sanctuary.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ic-san-francisco-golden-gate-bridge/15182721/

 

[THunter]

I guarantee you with our deer the quieter you are and the more sneaky you are the more suspicious they get. They are used to hearing crap going on around them all the time. Just don't stop and stare at them and they'll usually hold tight. Now, there are a few areas we don't go into regularly, or need to, but when we rabbit hunt, the sign of deer spending a LOT of time in those areas is readily apparent.

 

[dipper]

These deer picked an unusual daytime sanctuary.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ic-san-francisco-golden-gate-bridge/15182721/

The bridge is just directing their movements. Surprised these guys haven't though of bridges yet....maybe that's coming next.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

When I go into check cameras duringhunting season I just stroll right up at normal pace. If deer see you sneaking crouched over and moving slowly...they immediately perceive it as predatory behavior and they bolt.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I used to hunt with gun & bow on some state land where coal mining operations were going 24-7. Blasting & heavy equipment noise day & night. It didn't seem to bother the deer at all. It's what they were used to. Back in the 1970's , 80's & mid-90's there were lots more deer, so there were ample opportunities to watch them from in a tree stand. When blasting, the deer would plant it's feet & "stiffen" , but go right back to eating or walking as it was. There were HEAVY trails going up the sides of the strip mine pits that were planted with crown vetch, birdsfoot trefoil, & clover. Deer would eat any time - day or night - despite the dozers, loaders, & draglines.

I agree with Bat Man and Phil. Deer pattern us and if they are used to us walking in a certain way, or at regular intervals ( daily routine ), or plowing/harvesting, etc. with no apparent threat to them, the deer look at us as just another part of their day. The same thing was observed at the mining operation.