forddeerslayer: ya i know it sounds like doing the opposite of what we should believe. in and around season i am almost sent free and sneaky, but when it comes to off season i want to act less like a hunter and more like a simple passing by of a random person. elk in colorado have learned the difference between hunters and hikers. hikers are noisy and smelly wearing flashy clothing. the elk will stand there and watch a hiker go by but will freak out when the catch a camo'd hunter sneaking around. from my experience the same thing happens with deer, another example is when the farmer comes out to feed his cattle, all the turkeys for a half mile come running at his tractor. when any farmer goes through his field as he would do on a regular basis the deer will just watch him but not be too conserned.

you never want to accidentaly sneak up on a deer and scare him at 20 yards, it freaks them out, but if he is able to hear you comming from a quarter mile away he will have plenty of time to identify you and keep a comfortable distance and know that you are no danger to him. to me it is all about nocking on the door before you walk into his house. you don't want to be returning often cause they will just find a place where they don't have to move out of your way eventually.

i am sure everybody has their own opinion on this but i consistantly see5-7 year olddeer with acouple boon and crockets on my propertiesevery year butto do that you have to keep them feeling safe and secure.