ORIGINAL: NY/Al
To say that a deer does not have the ability to learn is ubsurd. How would they gather their survival skills in the first place? Cant say that its instinct, or else they wouldnt need parental care at all.
Ive gotta think that they can put2 and 2 together, maybe not like humans can, but still they are not totally empty in there. You've got to give them a little credit.[8D]
I agree, but I think its just in the wording.
When someone says the word learn, to me this implies cognitive thinking and reasoning skills to come to a conclusion.
Deer are trained or conditioned to behave the way they do, some things come natural by birth, like the flight instinct....but everything comes through repitition and conditioning.
Semantics I guess, but I just dont think deer have the ability to "learn" things...again, its just in the wording to me...they obviously become wiser and more able to survive with age, as experiences shaped them into the survivor they are.
I personally have never seen a deer walking down a trail looking up....I firmly believe they sense something is up before they do this....even if it be peripheral vision. Ever walk somewhere and catch something out of the corner of your eye? To me, I think this is what deer do when they peg someone for no apparent reason...just something stands out (big blob in a tree), so they naturally look up at it.
Who knows, i certainly havent been at it as long as some of these heavyweights....so I wont get in an arguement over a topic that comes with experience...From what I have seen over the last 8 years, deer dont just walk around looking up. Might differ in other regions, just doesnt happen around here...and trust me, KY is no different from anywhere else when it comes to be absolutely pounded by gun hunters.