Getting Close

[buck_junkie]

I read something recently on one of the threads that has been on my mind the past two days, just like that song you hear and you just can't get it out of your head. This is the same thing, just can't shake the theory. I don't know who said it or what thread it came from but some one stated that pressured deer are harder to get a closer shot than an unpressured deer. I know from experience in one of my spots that happens to be inside city limits, ah heck, it's in the middle of town next to the hospital, those deer deal with pressure on a hour to hour basis and all three that I have shot have been 10 yard shots or less. On the flip side my other spot a 18,000 acre public land haunt has virtually no pressure. Except for the very, very, occasional bowhunter, maybe a mountain biker or a hiker once a year. These deer are extremely difficult to get within bow range and extremely intolerant of anything out of the ordinary, the city deer inundated with all the pressures of the city life are nothing to get within bow range. The city deer seem to be much more inquisitive than the public land deer. One would think that it would be the exact opposite but it's not. What do you guys think about pressure and close shots? Are they related, I don't really know except from what I have experienced in the past.

[Spysar]

There are different versions of pressure. City deer are somewhat used to people. So if a person comes around, it might be quite normal for them. When you go into deep woods, deer may not see a human most of the year long. As soon as one person stinks the place up, the deer notice easily. All of a sudden there is human smell where there never was any.

[Sam Ubl]

Well, from my shed hunting experience within city limits, those plots of woods are small and travel routes are limited to and froh from within. The deer ARE more vulnerable within these areas. As you say, humans are an hourXhour reality for those deer and because those people aren't hunting them or chasing them, these deer become immune to the scent and sight of humans - for the most part, but obviously not completely. What happens when you're shed hunting these parcels? The deer let you get to a close proximity, standing still, waiting and watching to see what your next move is. It isn't until you make direct eye contact and continue getting closer until they bound off 40-50 yards, stop again and turn back to see how you reacted. Their judging you - are you safe to share the space with?

Big woods deer, like what you're describing are most often nomadic, unless you have food/water sources in the mix - then their a little more patternable. Nomadic deer are a very difficult animal to get on top of and are not used to humans, so of course they avoid at all costs until one slips up and you catch him in the act.

[Basinboy]

Like said already. City deer are used to traffic, car doors slamming people talking and they have narrow travel routes where you can pinch them down for close shots.
Them big woods deer can be tough. Harder to find pinch points and they are very wary when it comes to human intrusion.

[Autumn Ninja]

I've hunted areas where I will go weeks and never see a hunter...and hunted areas where I see at least 3 or 4 guys walk by my stand before 9am, once I had counted 300-400 hundred gun shots by 8am I would get tired of counting, LOL.

In my experience, it much harder to kill a mature buck in these high pressure areas....but thats not dew to the pressure...its because very, very few bucks ever reach maturity.

A deer in a high pressure setting is much more tolerable to intrusion...they will react in the moment, then all is well. A deer in a very low pressure setting may alter his travel for weeks just because he encountered a humans scent that was 8 hours old....This what I've witnessed from my experience.

Give me an active farm with a moderate amount of pressure where bucks area passed to maturitie....(well defined food source, tolerable to intrusion, narrow travel routs)...Its by far the easiest hunting I've ever seen.

[BowtechHunting]

I agree buck_junkie. I had a experience in the middle of town on a 10 acre parcel, in which deer were setting in my lap with less than 15 feet between us, eye to eye, and was not even startled! I love some city hunting and they are in some sense pressure resilient.

[lungbuster]

Like said already. City deer are used to traffic, car doors slamming people talking and they have narrow travel routes where you can pinch them down for close shots.
Them big woods deer can be tough. Harder to find pinch points and they are very wary when it comes to human intrusion.

Agreed.