ORIGINAL: Dirt2
Just because I feel like arguing, I don't think a whitetail's sense of smell is its number one defense. I think it's vision is numero uno.
We can neutralize their sense of smell by the very simple measure (although granted this doesn't sell product for the hunting gear manufacturers) of staying downwind of the deer. Doing so converts the deer's sense of smell into a zero. Their hearing is great, granted, but truthfully all a sound typically does is raise their alert level - put them to sniffing and looking. Only after their nose or eyes confirm what their ears tell them do they run, usually.
Their eyesight is the rub. They are absolutely keyed in to movement, and we can't shoot without movement, right?
Again, I'm just being argumentative, but all this is triply true when you do a lot of still hunting. In still hunting, it's their eyesight that busts me the vast majority of the time.
Im not sure Dirtz really thinks that vision is a deers #1 sense ..he said he just felt like arguing a little ...which makes for a healthy debate .... even a deer cant see through heavy foliage or through trees ...but they can smell most everything ... yep I would have to agree his sense of smell is his number 1 defense because they could smell out a fart in a world wind...then his hearing ..then his vision ...but thats just from my experience ..
dd
