mjbass

Quick question. Will the presence of a fresh "gut pile" effect the normal patterns of deer movement in the area?

I hunt public land and it appears someone has taken a deer in the location I was planning to hunt. Should I continue to hunt this area or is it "spoiled"?

BowHuntingFool

Hunt it! I don't think gut piles affect deer movement!

BowHuntingFool

By the wa, Welcome aboard!

mjbass

Thanks, by all accounts this loks to be a good resource. Thanks for the reply. Tried the caht but nobody on it.

Proff

mjbass, hunt it. In my younger days I would drag a deer a long way away from the kill scene so I wouldn't screw that area up. I have since realized by experience that it won't hurt a thing. My buddy likked a doe right by one of our stands once and was by himself and in a hurry. He gutted it right there. I hunted that stand that afternoon and had a few does and fawns around for about a half hour and it didn't bother them in the least. Then right before dark and had a decent buck come in and actually smell the gut pile and just walk away. That day I became convinced that it wouldn't hurt a thing. Now we gut them where they fall. Usually the gut pile is gone in a day thanks to all the coyotes, fox, coons, possum etc. HUNT IT!!!! and good luck!

Passthrew

hunt it, it wont bother the deer at all, like Proff said, I have had a deer come in and sniff a gut pile left from a morning hunt, I dont think they feel like they are in any danger from the smell of guts

Bob H in NH

I don't think the gut pile effects them, but it might attract things that will effect them such as coyote or maybe bears

--Bob

adams

I've shot deer out of the same stand on consecutive days before with the gut pile within sight. If the sign is good I wouldn't hesitate to hunt it.

1865

Two seasons ago I shot a nice buck opening morning and dressed him where he dropped. That night my brother shot a doe out of the same stand about 10 yards from the gut pile. We dressed her right there. The next morning I shot another doe, standing between to two piles from the previous day. If one more deer had walked up to the gut piles that weekend I'd be rubbing innards on myself before every hunt!

Stump_MN_Hunter

Another vote for....HUNT IT. Like many others, I've shot deer right over gut piles from a deer that was shot the day before and even that day. I don't think deer equate a gut pile to danger.