Originally Posted by
DocD
LOVE IT!!!! Maybe that explains it!!!!
Here is my opinion
I have hunted many years also, I don't believe deer are smart, nor are they going to get smart, deer are creatures of habit, & these habits are controlled in part to weather, feeding areas, bedding areas, landscape change, & the rut. & last but not least Hunting pressure. All but the last can be an advantage to the hunter. remember, deer don't do much, they eat, sleep, and well you know the other///, Hunting pressure is your enemy, if you want to improve your odds try and hunt where others are not, even if it means across the road, I don't know if I would call it smart or not but deer become very alert when under pressure. if you hunt in areas where there is a high degree of pressure, the hunter has to get smart!! get out early, stay out late, Scents should become your friend. spend time in the woods, get to know their habits.
I do understand we all live in different parts of the country, I hunt some areas where I won't see another hunter (or very few) all season, Most of my hunting today has low to medium pressure area. I don't think deer are getting any smarter, I think sometimes people take the "Hunt" out of "hunting" JMOP Doc
The Deer have gotten smarter, I used to be able to siut in my stand in the afternoon and see many deer come out early into the corn and soy bean foelds, I could take my pick. Now they wait untill agter dark or after legal shooting time and are back in way befor daylight. The days of getting to your stand a hour befor daylight and catching the deer comming in to bed are gone, at least where I hunt and live. And no need to tell me what I may be doing wrong, Im a deer hunter through and through, I live to hunt deer. I know all about scent's, scent free, the wind directions, deer patterns and anything to do with deer. We hunt some properties that receive very minimal hunting pressure by us, and the surrounding properties the same. The deer just know after opening day that it's time to hide, if not after the start of bow season. Dont get me wrong in our hunting party, about 6 of us, we all got at least 3 deer each this season. But we worked our butts off for them, I know it's not suppos-to be easy and I dont expect it to be. But years ago we would pass on a hundred deer in a season, now if we pass on one or two were wishing we never did. Plus were finding the big old 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 year old Bucks have become total nocturnal and unkillable, and the adult does are the same way.
On the shooting a big old doe thing, I will take one if she's past her prime, or alone with no fawns. And it's not like I'll shot one the first time I see her alone with no fawns, it's because I have seen her many times alone, but also I love to eat venesion.
(BP)