Bird hunting, Deer hunting, and practice ranges, do they mix?

[stelmon]

How come when the gun season starts up all the deer run and hind, but when people sight in there riffles or go bird hunting the day befor riffle season, it doesn't really bother the deer?

[JasonTheOutdoorsMan]

that is a good ??. i think it is one that no one can answer but the deer it self. just good luck getting that out of them:D. maybe they have that feeling that u will not hert them and feel ok and not thretened. but when gun seasion come and ppl start to shot at them they get scard (i know i would be if thousands of ppl came after me witha high powered rifles). it will be good to see what others think about this. just my $.02 worth.

Jason

[Bob S]

Maybe it is all of that shooting the day before that makes the deer scarce on the opener. I sight in my rifle at a shooting range. Not in the woods the day before the season starts.

[Aspen Hill Adventures]

Probably some of the rest of you saw this tonight too, but on one of the outdoor shows on PBS ( I forgot WHICH show) showed a skeet competition going on with several deer feeding in the field in front of their shooting stand. There were two shooters firing volley after volley and the deer just fed and flickered their tails as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. If I had not seen it myself I would have never believed it.

But then again, my neighbor (and other people I know with LOUD neighbors who shoot constantly), is always shooting and I still have deer consistanly on my property. My livestock is also not bothered by the sound of gunfire either. In fact one of my horses decided to stand next to me and watch me shoot a rabbit last winter.

[Moe]

I've wondered this for a long time and I think it is probably because of all the noise people are making opening morning in the dark and all the human scent. Plus... people shooting at them too! :eek:

[Sarge]

If I am in the woods and hear someone walking by, or shots in the distance, or even someone crashing around and talking, I might be irritated, but never frightened or intimidated.

On the other hand, if I hear (or more acurately sense) someone sneaking up on me, my whole being becomes alert and the "fight or flee" instinct becomes active. I have no doubt that the same process is in Deer and is a hundred times more acute than mine.

[Slugshot1]

Aspen, I saw that on Trost's show last night. Was pretty interesting. They had to be getting sprinkled with shot.

I had my own experience while sighting in my muzzleloader behind my house one day. It was just after the regular gun season. So you would think deer would be pretty skittish. I shot about 12 times I guess. After I finished I thought I would walk over this small hill and just take a look to see what I could see. Darn if I didn't kick up 4 deer not 75 yards from where I was shooting the .50 cal. The gunshots didn't phase them, but my presence certainly did.

[Joe Archer]

I think Moe hit the nail on the head. Deer are alarmed by scent. When there is scent in combination with other factors (noise or motion) the deer become more nocturnal. Yes, bird hunters leave some scent, but not nearly the amount of human scent that millins of hunters take into the woods on opening morning. <----<<<

[Slugshot1]

SFK, gives new meaning to the term buck pole! :D

[shooter921]

People being the the woods, the human scent, and being shot at. Thats gotta be it. Two years ago I had three deer come in and I took one of them the other 2 ran for a maybe 25yds and stoped. I think it just spooked them a bit, but when they seen me walking towards the downed deer thats when they ran.

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