How far away can deer spot you?

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checkerfred
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How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby checkerfred » Wed Feb 08, 2017 7:17 am

I want to do a lot more glassing of beds. How far away can deer see you? Specifically over more open terrain like a lake or wide river or even a field if you're on the edge or just inside of a tree line?


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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Feb 08, 2017 8:15 am

Depends how much movement you make or how well you blend it with your surroundings. I have had deer pick me off in open areas well over 200 yards away with wind in my favor while I was moving on the ground. Also have had deer walk by me at 20 feet while on the ground with no clue I was there when staying completely still. It's all about stealth.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby checkerfred » Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:20 am

Dewey wrote:Depends how much movement you make or how well you blend it with your surroundings. I have had deer pick me off in open areas well over 200 yards away with wind in my favor while I was moving on the ground. Also have had deer walk by me at 20 feet while on the ground with no clue I was there when staying completely still. It's all about stealth.


Let's say you're slowly walking around a huge wooded lake edge. What distance do you think would max that they would see you? 4-500 yards?
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby checkerfred » Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:21 am

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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:39 am

checkerfred wrote:
Dewey wrote:Depends how much movement you make or how well you blend it with your surroundings. I have had deer pick me off in open areas well over 200 yards away with wind in my favor while I was moving on the ground. Also have had deer walk by me at 20 feet while on the ground with no clue I was there when staying completely still. It's all about stealth.


Let's say you're slowly walking around a huge wooded lake edge. What distance do you think would max that they would see you? 4-500 yards?

500 yards would be over a 1/4 mile so that may be stretching it. They're eyesight is excellent at picking out any movement at close range but long distance is not nearly as good. The nose is by far the biggest thing to worry about. They may get suspicious over something they see but the nose will always confirm it if they are able to wind you.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:40 am

I've had them spot me a quarter mile or more in open ag land. You can get away with a lot using any terrain feature to hide your movement.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Wlog » Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:20 am

You'd be amazed how close you can get to a deer in a wide open field walking slowly straight towards them. As soon as you move side to side they'll see you.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby checkerfred » Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:21 am

Ok that helps. I'll be using a tree line or woods to break up my pattern but will try to glass from around 3-400 yards
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:28 am

checkerfred wrote:Ok that helps. I'll be using a tree line or woods to break up my pattern but will try to glass from around 3-400 yards

Good plan. I was going to suggest not walking the edge of the lake. Stay back in the cover parallel to the edge if possible.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby WV Bowhunter » Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:17 pm

Different terrain and species of deer but I had a group of mule deer bucks pick off my movement walking from over 1,000 yards away in Wyoming. I never dreamed they would see me but they did.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:26 pm

WV Bowhunter wrote:Different terrain and species of deer but I had a group of mule deer bucks pick off my movement walking from over 1,000 yards away in Wyoming. I never dreamed they would see me but they did.

In that case I believe it especially in the open country west and especially if you get yourself skylined. Mule deer are much better at this than whitetail IMO. Pronghorn are by far the best at long distance sight. I have glassed them over a 1/2 mile and they were usually already looking directly at me.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby JoeRE » Fri Feb 10, 2017 3:47 am

Yea its mostly about movement from the deer's perspective and contrasting colors. If there is snow and you are wearing non-white clothes they can peg you from 300-400 yards easy. If you wear white clothing you can often just walk within 100 yards if you are careful about moving slow, its pretty incredible. Same with just wearing drab colors when its a drab brown winter day or the right shade of green when its green out.

Things that glow to a deer, that have UV brighteners in them like blaze orange and blue jeans, make it harder too. Its just about like someone was carrying a flashlight to us.

So to answer your question, match your surroundings and you can consistently get within 200 yards or so I think if you move slow and don't skyline yourself but there is a lot of difference in terrains. Once you get in that 100 yard range deer get really good at spotting small movements.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:16 am

Yep think about how easy it is for you to spot them (I know that their eyes dont pick things up the same as ours). If a deer is walking the edge of a treeline just outside the treeline it is really easy to pick them out with your naked eye I just did it this past weekend at 700yards across a cut down. An hour later I was glassing a closer edge 300-350 yards going away from me. and caught movement of a doe walking just inside the treeline, but never seen the doe while looking at the treeline with my naked eye.

Another instance is how easy it is to get spotted in a tree if you have no cover say sitting a pine one little movement you are done where as if your in a thick oak with lots of cover and background you can get away with a lot of movement.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:27 am

I was spotted downwind in a marsh last season by a doe that I ranged at 185 yards away. She was up on a small grassy island in the marsh and saw me from that far, even though i was waste deep in marsh grass with predator camo on.
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Re: How far away can deer spot you?

Unread postby stash59 » Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:18 pm

Also depends on the time of the year. In summer I've had deer catch me moving at 100-200 yards and just go about their business as long as I stood still or appeared to not be interested in them. Or try to get closer.

Age makes a difference also.

Plus what their used to. If a farmer spends alot of time walking somewhere. They may not mind as much either. On the other hand. Even alot of open space western whitetails can be pretty skittish and pick you off from a long long ways.
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