Do deer have a memory?
#11
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Alabama
Posts: 703
RE: Do deer have a memory?
I believe deer do have a memory. I also believe the bigger they are the better it is. Seriously, if they didn't, why would they spook when they smell a human? Why would they not spook as easily when they inhabit an area close to houses? How do they know that a penned dog is not a threat? And so on and so forth. Deer will pattern hunters as well. How many times have you been out riding the day after season goes out only to see a really good buck in the middle of a field. This means they have a subscription to the local DNR rule book.
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,693
RE: Do deer have a memory?
I think deer have a memory to a certain extent. However, a lot of you are giving them more human-thinking qualities than they have. Remember, they are an animal. Smart enough to learn new things but really don't have the intelligence to think too much beyond basic survival. They have built in survival instincts as we all know - hence the blow and go after they scent us. They can certainly get used to human scent and noise to a certain degree but to remember your cologne scent or see your car and associate it with killing is a stretch I belive.
Deer are kind of funny though, let me add this: I hunt a woods behind a horse barn. The deer are well used to human scent and noise from the barn. I've even seen a trophy 10 pt listen to people clang a gate and smell them 200 yards away. That's close but it didn't bother them. Let me also say that as soon as the buck got a little more down wind of me, the human scent was a little too close for comfort and he quietly and quickly hauled his rack out of there. So, do they process things in their brain saying, "the guy at the barn is beyond the safety zone so I'm fine, but the dude in the tree there 45 yards away is not cool." I don't think so.
Deer are kind of funny though, let me add this: I hunt a woods behind a horse barn. The deer are well used to human scent and noise from the barn. I've even seen a trophy 10 pt listen to people clang a gate and smell them 200 yards away. That's close but it didn't bother them. Let me also say that as soon as the buck got a little more down wind of me, the human scent was a little too close for comfort and he quietly and quickly hauled his rack out of there. So, do they process things in their brain saying, "the guy at the barn is beyond the safety zone so I'm fine, but the dude in the tree there 45 yards away is not cool." I don't think so.
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NW Oklahoma
Posts: 1,166
RE: Do deer have a memory?
I have been in a stand many times watching deer and heard a shot very close, and never saw a deer even flinch. But make a little metalic clink and they're outta there. That always kind of fascinated me.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 147
RE: Do deer have a memory?
I heard once that when a deer is spooked it will run for about 20 seconds then forget what its running for. You may find this hard to beleive, but if you think about how fast a deer can move and jump things me and you have to crawl under, a deer could get pretty far in 20 seconds. Now obviously, if you follow the deer and continue to spook it, or a dog is on its trail, it will be very aware and run for miles..