ORIGINAL: DennyF

I was wondering if anyone else had these kinds of experiences, if it happens more in the farming areas or also in the big woods. Our farm country deer grow up living with humans and hear all kinds of noises, including gun fire and cars back fire.

Yep. It's mostly farm country with some large woodlots where I hunt, although there are some big woods not far away. Deer are used tonoisytraffic on the gravel roads, trucks, tractors, chainsawsand ATVs. My cousin cruises around with his Polaris all year long, dragging outlogs and cutting firewood. I've already driven up within 30 yards of deer with my ATV and it seldom spooks them, IF I let it run and don't get off.

I've watched deer feeding during deer season once the hunting pressure has subsided and most of them pay little attention to anything but filling their tummies. A nearby shot will cause them to raise theirheads, but if they don't see or smell something that causes them further alarm, they usually go back to feeding again.

One year I popped a big doe feeding with her fawns, from a ladder stand. They were totally unconcerned about anything but food and that was late in the morning of the first Wednesday. Since concurrent seasons, that's my "earliest" doe yet. Only did that because the next morning I had to take an elderly uncle to town for hisdoctor's visit,knew I wouldn't get out much that Thursday and wasgoing home Friday.

In my experience, farm country deer quickly go back to normal once hunting pressure slacks off a bit, especially ifweather is a factor. They're already used to lots of human presense in one form or another.

The deerthat live in the woodlot out back here at home, are even more tolerant of human presense and even dogs.Our lab barking out back seldom keeps them from the apple trees.Once they figure out he can't chase them, they go back to eatin' apples again.