Deer getting used to human scent?

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Brad
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Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Brad » Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:58 pm

I was reading a scent control topic and it has me wondering. I hunt a lot of public land and a little bit of private land. I have shot deer on the public that was literally on trails that people hike on every day. Do you think that deer can get to the point where they don't turn themselves inside out when they encounter human scent so often? Some of these places are literally full of trails and paths and other areas where they constantly come into contact with humans. I still consistently get on deer in these areas, with gun and bow. Do you think these deer get to the point where they wont be so worried about scent like other deer that seldom come across it? They cant run every-time because they would run from the time they woke up till the time they went to bed. I know on private land that I hunt, they get used to atv's and tractors and other farm equipment and to them its nothing to be afraid of unless it gets too close for too long, I wonder if the deer can do the same with human scent. Any thoughts?


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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Zap » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:06 pm

Of course they do.

Where it is a regular thing.

Normal activity/smells do not freak deer out.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Indianahunter » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:08 pm

I think they definitely become used to human scent, but I do not think they become indiffernt about it. I doubt you will ever find bedding close to where humans travel regularly. I also think it depends on the interaction or regular encounters they have with humans. I know in a couple of our larger state parks before they allowed hunting in them deer would come right up to campers and eat marshmallows right out of their hands. The first year they opened it up to public hunting is was an absolute massacre. I did not participate in these hunts because it just didn't seem like hunting to me any more than walking up and shooting a farmers cow would be.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:45 pm

I think educated may be a better term than; used to human scent. You can also domesticate deer I've seen it done. People raise a fawn and it will come right up to the back door and eat out of their hand. So if you are out and about in the timber and you see deer and you don't chase them or shoot a gun at them they would then come to understand you are not out to harm them. I just this week had a doe (not a fawn) at 20 yards in the timber when I was setting up a game camera. She watched me and eventually walked off. I guarantee this would not have happened a day or two after gun season. I am also sure a mature buck would not have tolerated this encounter either.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Brad » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:48 pm

This also has me wondering, when does human scent become something deer are alarmed with. I would think the first time they smell it is probably wont freak them out as they don't know what it is. I imagine for a deer to associate deer with danger would be after they have had a bad enounter(s) with humans?
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:04 pm

Brad Lamont wrote:This also has me wondering, when does human scent become something deer are alarmed with. I would think the first time they smell it is probably wont freak them out as they don't know what it is. I imagine for a deer to associate deer with danger would be after they have had a bad enounter(s) with humans?


Or when a foreign/human odor enters their comfort zone. I would imagine a deer is more willing to tolerate human scent on a walking path, or down wind of a walking path, rather than human scent that came in on a trail that trampled right through where they are bedding or staging. They are comfortable in that area because it is safe from danger such as humans.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Southern Man » Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:12 am

I don't think deer freak out on human scent until they associate it with danger and as long as the scent is where it's suppose to be. When human scent pops up in places they don't expect it, there's a problem. Too many deer are adapting to congested areas and smelling hunman scent all day long.

One farm I hunt has a tractor path running thru it. There is a lady that walked it daily. We called here "The Crazy Lady" (Too many drugs in her younger years) She'll walk and dance, laugh, and sing as she goes. I've sat in a stand and watched her come by, doin her thing, and minutes later deer cross her trail and never pay it no mind. They had to be watchin her go by. Not only does and young bucks, but older bucks too. Yet if she walked thru their bedding area daily, I bet they'd be gone.

It's the danger factor and where they smell it.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby publiclandhunter » Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:31 am

I believe that deer/animals learn through association. This means that if they smell man and experience a poor situation, then they become leery of man. Now, in a deer's daily travels, they come across varying degrees of human scent. A farmer checking fences, trail hikers, dog walkers, etc. I believe they learn predatory characteristics and can recognize an animal "on the hunt". Now, if they never smell you in their bedding areas and then all of a sudden, there is human scent there, then they will become alarmed. Now couple that with an animal exhibiting a predatory stalk (Man, canine, feline), and you now will have a deer on full alert or fleeing to parts unknown.

Do they become used to human scent? No, they just associate strength of scent with their flight instincts. Very little scent = awareness. More scent = on guard. A lot of scent = get out of here! Tolerances vary as much as individual personalities.

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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby GRFox » Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:00 am

Brad Lamont wrote:This also has me wondering, when does human scent become something deer are alarmed with. I would think the first time they smell it is probably wont freak them out as they don't know what it is. I imagine for a deer to associate deer with danger would be after they have had a bad enounter(s) with humans?


I think they would get spooky when the smell a human ir human scent where they don't usually smell you. So if they bed 100 yards off of a main trail and all of the sudden you go poking around in there, then they probably arent going to bed there any more or at least for a while.

Another scenario would be if you ware on stand and deer sees you or smells you off of a normal walking trail. Same thing they are out of there. I live in an extremely suburban area and see this a lot, deer may have no fear of you in the backyard...but jump into they're woods and they become a different animal.

Sat our local gun range. At leasts once a week they have to call a cease fire and go out on to the range and shoo away the deer that has feed its way ontothe range inbetween the shooters and the targets.

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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby dan » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:21 am

I think they fear human scent cause it is predator scent... On a couple of occasions I have seen deer turn inside out when they hit the scent of a house cat. I really doubt they once had a bad experiance with a house cat, I think they smell the predator scent.

As far as deer accepting human scent, I see that a lot. They will accept it where they expect it. I have had bucks walk right up to a trail camera that I checked daily every night, but the same buck crosses my scent trail near his bedding area and absolutly freaks.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:24 am

I think they learn by association. The first time a fawn smells a human, I don't believe it thinks this means danger. It is a new scent to them, a lot of the time they will investigate it further. Once they have a bad encounter or see their mom turn inside out at this new smell, they learn it means danger. So I also believe they can be conditioned to accept human smell, however like others said it would be pretty hard to condition them to accept human scent in their safe zones. A little off subject but related, I checked cameras this past weekend and got a bear walking by, 10 min later I got a pic of a doe and fawn. They came from the same general direction the bear left. The first pic I got of the deer they were looking towards the bear. I believe those deer knew the bear was there, yet didn't see him as a legitamate threat.
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Re: Deer getting used to human scent?

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:20 pm

I watched my chessies show me the difference between an hour or two old pheasant scent and fresh. Trainedem and broughtem up on a put and take operation. That's how I know, otherwise I would have never learned that.

So with deer I would expect they know if you just walked in or if it is an hour or two old. We got a private piece up the road. Night time activity is unreal and constant, what they shut down on is popping out during hunting hours.
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