Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Well, I can't post a new poll so I just wanted to find out if anyone else has ever been busted by a deer for blinking when they where looking at you. The last time it happened to me was when a nice 10 pointer was wondering what that blob was up in a tree. I was looking at him and blinked. He took off like a bat outa H3||. Whenever I look at a deer approaching me now, I squint.

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Next time a deer looks at you up in a tree....Just grin at them.....Been doing it for years...you gotta let them know that you don't mean them any harm....Works even better if you just flick your tail and resume what you were doing...Make sure you don't wink at them...did that to a doe once....the buck got jealous and started snorting and rubbing a tree...Hope this helps...Good Luck

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Nope didn't know it was illeagle. Got busted for driveing 70 MPH in a 55 zone the other day.;)

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Turkey yes , deer no . They don't see that well .
They have very limited depth perception as a consequence of their eyes being nearly on the sides of their heads . It gives them about 310 degrees of peripheral but they are somewhat "nearsighted". More likely he caught a stray whiff of you .

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

I agree with kevin. deer are smart but I don't think they saw you blink!
as for squinting, i wouldn't do it, too much work. if you're that worried try camo sunglasses.

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Yes - been busted many times, years ago. Thats why I try never to make eye contact with a deer when its staring directly at me within 30-40 yrds. I will hunker down in stand or hide behind tree. I kill deer every year using this tactic. No EYE contact. If no eye contact you won't blink.

I rarely stand up in a stand but when confronted by deer while standing,I will stand stone cold still and look down so as not to make that eye contact.

I firmly believe predators often cause prey to flee simply by direct eye contact. Man is seen as a predator. The eyes of a predator put fear into its prey.

Might sound crazy but I'm stickin to my story:D

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Oh yes they can tell when you blink and dont try and stare them down either

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

I agree with the predator type response above, do NOT make eye contact, when I have one staring at me I either look at the feet or the butt end. Whenever I have made eye contact they seem to spook. I have had several deer inside 10 yards staring right at me with the head bob and all and eventually settle down and feed as long as I either stare away from the eyes or even close mine for a few seconds.

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

I never stare at a deer for the simple fact thet they will view you as a preditor and they will be alarmed. And I also think a deer can deffinetly see you blink!

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

I agree with the eye contact more than the blinking being the cause. I've had bear come in and look at me in the stand with no problem. But they disappear as soon as I make eye contact with them...and this is one predator to another. I use a leafy-cut camo head cover that has a cut-out for my eyes and a little brim. I pull the brim down over my eyes and look through the mesh to avoid the eye contact.

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

"Blinking"? No, can't say that I have. I typically shield my eyes with my bow when a deer is walking close by. I have, on the other hand, been busted for having to sit down because my legs hurt from some strange positions I have been caught in.

;)

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Years ago, I was leaning aginst a tree looking down at a swamp. I heard something big coming my way thru the dead leaves. There was a hugh rock (about as big as a buick) about 20 yda away and this buck came from the other side of the rock and stopped in his tracks. We were both looking at each other. The stare-down lasted about 30 sec when I suddenly blinked. He was off, tail held high in a flash...I guess you could say, yea, I got busted for blinking.

Since then, as others have said, I avoid eye contact. I agree with cardeer that they may look at me as a threat - a predator.

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Well - I guess I'm not the only loony toon thats paranoid about lookin at a deers eye balls.

Wonder what Jackie Bushman or Tred Barta would say

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Never make eye contact, you'll get busted!!![:-]

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

while hunting i have never been busted whatsoever.......but while i was scouting out of a new treestand spot about a month ago, i was just into the stand, and sat down and hung the binoculars up in the stand and as i put my hand down i heard a wheeze....so i looked and couldnt find anything....only to eventually find the doe with her fawn.....probably about 125-140 yards out in the pasture....im not kidding either, she barely even had a clear view of me because of some overhang of a tree.....i was really surprised at being busted there....

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Busted by a deer? No.

BUT! My wife found a woman's phone # in my pants pocket once. LOL

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Yes,
In Maryland I was in a stand. The wind was blowing very hard. I notice a buck coming down off a small ridge. He was eye ball to eye ball with me. I blinked and he hauled butt to my left. I pointed my 30-30 Stevens in a clearing that I thought he would run through. He did and I pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground. This was my best deer shot ever.
Chuck

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

not by a deer......but a jake turkey...called him in opening day with a big ole longbeard......the jake RAN to me and passed up the longbeard strutting at 40yds.....i was waiting for the longbeard to quit struttin and come a few more yards.....the jake ran straight to my feet and looked at me eye to eye...almost bumped my muzzle!! i knew i couldnt blink...and didnt....for a long time..tears poured out of my eyes.....after what seemed hours i finally blinked.....sure enough PUTT!! PUTT PUTT!!! long beard heard it and snuck away...jake stood there another few minutes

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

I got spotted bare AZZ one time. I had a 1 piece jump suit and a long walk into my tree stand. It was around 3 pm and the sun was really hot since it was early bow season. By the time I got to the stand I was sweating and the climb up the stand really got to me. I figured I would strip down for a few minutes up in the stand and cool off. The stand was down in a swamp and in the shade so it was working real well. Just about the time I started to get cold and was ready to pull the suit up a deer walked into the area and started to stare at me. I had to freeze and started to get real cold. I lasted for what seemed like an eternity and then couldn't take it any longer and moved so the deer would run away. Long story short nothing ever came back to that stand. Word must have spread through the deer community that strange things were going on in the swamp. True story.:D

RE: Have You Ever Been Busted By Blinking?
 

Never busted for blinking. When I get into a staring contest with deer, I usually squint my eyes so they cannot see me blink or see the shine in my eyes. I've been busted when slightly moving my foot to open up my shooting stance. Nothing hurts more than driving home after a day's hunt knowing you were busted for the slightest movement!