Why then is it, that deer patterns and travel routes start changing as soon as hunting season opens?
From my experience and from what Ive seen where I hunt the crops are starting to come out when bow season starts. This can change deers patterns. Plus deer naturally change there habits in the early fall (this might early enough that you dont notice it though). Also while I dont believe that just human scent from walking around bothers deer. Busting deer walking around and letting them see you might cause them to change. Where I hunt there is enough agricultural activity that the deer are pretty used to seeing humans. They run away and dont like smelling you when your on stand, butthey dont change there habits just because of seeing or smelling me a couple times a season. just my 2 cents