Do deer have a memory?
 

I figure that they must remember some things - like where to eat and where to sleep. They are creatures of habit. However, this year I shot a doe with my bow in the presence of about 6 (or more) other deer. One of them was less than 30 yards away and watched me shoot. I am sure a few of them watched/saw me dragging out my harvest, too.
I drove by the spot the next day and there were four does munching on the grass. I stopped and took several pictures of them and they did not spook. The following picture is from about 65 yards away. Sorry about the quality, but I can only upload 30 k pics that start off at about 1.5 MB.



I dragged my deer out past the bush on the left. I shot it there and it ran about 25 yards (just into the bush). Why are the deer there? Why are they not scared? There was a good trail of blood from me dragging it out.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

Yes, they definitely do have memories. Deer learn can learn by association (example:gunshot = threat, something along those lines) They can learn by association because they have memories.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

I have been to hunting camps where when in a popular stand the deer come out and look at the stand. If they see something there, bam, they are gone. They must remember another deer or many others being killed from that stand.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

So, are these deer unusually stupid? I was driving the same car the day prior. They watched me get out, wrestle my bow from the trunk, walk into the field, kneel down and shoot one of their sisters. I was wearing street clothes and smelling of cologne. Then they watched me load it onto my trunk in the same spot I took the last picture from.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

Nice doe. Good shot!! They must really want to be in that spot bad. Or of course they are not very bright. I try not to hunt an area more than twice in one week let alone shooting and gutting and dragging in front of them and have them be there the next day. A little odd but I've seen it as well.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

i think the can think oh a man, out of 300 times a year that he comes here nothing bad goes on, and so they have no need to fear you --if you are out their a lot--

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

I was wondering that too. I was hunting last night and when I came out there were four deer stand by my truck. Eventually they spooke and ran across the road to a small patch of timber. Will they now know to associate the truck being there with me hunting them? I know in other spots I've hunted we parked a half mile away instead of in the lane that ends 50 yards from a stand we have. By doing that my buddy saw a monster out of that stand and together we saw more deer that day than we ever have before including 3 wall hangers. I think they've figured out that if a vehicle come down that lane then there will be someone in there after them.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

I have seen it all now, a deer strapped on a trunk of a car!!!!

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

Yes I do think deer have memory I spent a week in a hunting area and saw the same does everyday and on the first day they would run by the last day they would look at me then just carry on with what they were doing.

RE: Do deer have a memory?
 

i believe they have a memory heres my observation, i have a permanint stand i built about 20 years ago .through the years i noticed their pattern changing they always end up in the same place, they just skirt the area i can cover now . and i know they arent winding me or sensing me in any way. i believe they not only are wary of this area they are passing it to thier offspring through the years i have taken many deer out of this stand . i believe they associate that area of the woods as dangerous ! and right they are for 3 weeks in november .