GMMAT

I know I'm still kinda new to this.....but observing a doe tonight made me come up with a theory on "deer looking up".

I ain't buying it.

I had a doe come in and bed down about 60 yds away, this afternoon. When she got up...she walked directly to my tree. She sniffed the ground around my tree and must have smelled where I laid my stand down when I was getting ready. She would stick her nose in the air.....seemingly trying to catch my wind. She circled around and around my tree....doing this over and over. If I'd moved....she would have pegged me. BUT.I don't think it had ANYTHING to do with her "looking up". I think it had everything to do with her trying to wind me. She was around me for 50 minutes. I guess you can learn a lot by NOT shooting them.

Anyways.....anyone agree with me? I just don't think they have the cognizant ability to "learn". I just don't see them "learning" to "look up" for hunters. Do they pick a lot of hunters off trying to get a wind (when they detect an entrance trail of actually DO catch a hunter's wind)? Surely. Do they achieve this by "looking up"? I just don't think so.

buckmaster

I dont think they "learn" to look up.

But if they smell you and look up... you might be toast.

So yes I agree with you.

virginiashadow

Jeff, the buck I arrowed tonight saw something he didn't like before I shot him. I was 18-20 feet up with a great background. He was upwind of me. He walked to within 20 yards of me and stopped. He looked around and then immediately looked right at me. I was wearing my UltimateCamo outfit today but he saw something. He kept doing the neck up and down thing but I wouldn't budge even though my leg was shaking for over 2 minutes. He circled upwind of me and tried to get downwind. Luckily he wasn't too concerned about me, but he plain as day looked right at me when I was 18-2o feet up and downwind of him. Luckily he didn't think I was a threat because I had on some great camo!

Hunter_59

I know what you have experienced and this is "sniffing" the air to try to detect you due to some stimulus that she picked up on, but this is completely different than when a deer walks in completely down wind and picks up on a "visible" difference in the surroundings. If you have chosen a tree that is too small or not enough leaves to conceal the "blob" effect, deer, especially does, will pick up on this and look up at you. They may not react to it, unless you move, but she definately recognizes the change in her environment.

WesternMdHardwoods

You shot a buck tonight?? Wheres the thread about it???

virginiashadow

Going back in the morning to get him. Decent little 6 point. A good buck for my area.

WV Hunter

Jeff....I am certainly no biology expert, but based on my experiences I will have to disagree with you to some exptent. That deer may not have looked up...but I have seen them an inordinate amount of times walking through the woods I hunt, looking upfor no apparent reason. As if to scan the trees for predators. I can't explain why....I can only say I know they do it, at least where I hunt.

Now don't get me wrong, they certainly don't all look up. But I have noticed many of them doing it over the years, usually the older deer. When I first started bowhunting over 20yrs ago, I can honestly say it was different. They rarely looked up unless you gave em a reason. I don't know if its possible for it to be genetically ingrained in them or not....but by gosh, it feels that way sometimes.

First time out this year....in a stand I rarely hunt - big old doe with little ones walks by and is looking up in the trees. ? She looks right up at me. She didn't like it,but I never moved and the wind was in my favor. I couldn't believe it. Leaves, background, no movement, and shes looking up at me! And why was she walking along looking up? She didn't spook but sure did stare me down a good while before moving on. I can't tell you how many times I've seen them doing it. In a couple of my spots I can see them coming from quite a ways once the leaves are off, and its actually comical to watch them look around and up.


Virginashadow....what gives - wheres he at!!!!

WesternMdHardwoods

Cool way to go man, hope all works well for ya in the morning!! Looking forward to pics!!!


OK sorry for the hi-jack!! Now get back on topic!!

Germ

Jeff come hunt Northen MI, they walk through the forest looking up

gri22ly

You've got it, its all about logic.