stash59 wrote:BassBoysLLP wrote:stash59 wrote:One of the peices of the puzzle not mentioned is that both Ward and Brauker are constantly doing something daily on their property during the off season. The WTH podcast with Lee Lakosky also talked about this. Lee said that off season he has a regimine that involves going to different kill plots at least once a week filling feeders and/or checking cameras. He admits as did Brauker that this CONDITIONS the deer to human activity and odors. Because of this the deer don't spook as much when they come accross the human odors that have been diluted by their odor control systems.
Goes back to the whole topic of what kind of pressure the deer are under. This makes them react differently to human contact, ect.
In one of Gene Wensel's books he told the story of a farmer friend of his. The farmer asked Gene why as he walked from his house to the barn some nights the deer in a nearby field acted like nothing was up and other nights they blew and snorted. Gene thought that on the nights the deer snorted that it was because they smelled his freind. But when checking this out he found the opposite. The nights the deer smelled the farmer they knew it was jusy farmer Joe going out to the barn. On the other nights they didn't know for sure who it was going to the barn so they blew and snorted.
If it wasn't locked, I'd bump it.
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WOW!! That was intense in more ways than one. Ist it's hard for me to read so long of a post cause of my movement disorder. I tried to skim through the highlights. I've been wanting look up these dog studies haven't because of my movements. Dan explained alot espeacially about actual deer sightings and their reactions.
Personally I've always thought that deer can use all the smells coming to the m to help determine things.
Take swirling winds. Alot of the time the path the wind takes to an animal during swirling winds isn't a straight line. Yet the deer looks right at you. I believe they use the scent from the tree your in and the other vegatation around you to do this. Even maybe what's far behind or to the side of you. Like say a corn field. If it's smell suddenly comes to him and your scent is mixed with it he knows where to look.
No science for this just something I've thought about/wondered.
Before the Beast I had never heard about the skin cell thing. So if that's all true it would be hard preessed to beat a mature deers nose completely. Plus I've always believed that most mature bucks on heavily hunted land were kind of extra nervous or cautious by nature/personality. Yes a 1.5 y.o. needs a little luck to survive it's first hunting season but if he's overly cautious he stands a better chance.
Thanx for the thread Bassboys.
Here is my take on skin rafts. Image taken from my book.
