Do deer remember things?

ROVERBOY

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Nov 27, 2011
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moss,tn
Just wondered do ya'll think that deer remember things very long? I know they have great survival instincts. They know where the best food is too. I wonder if they remember bad things, like being shot at or something traumatic .
 

THEdonkey0515

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Jul 10, 2014
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cumberland
They was a old man who hunted with us on a lease for years.... he set in the same tree for years only really hunted muzzleloader and very little rifle, and would only shoot bucks.

He decided to get off the lease a couple years ago, and that spot went untouched all year long hadn't been hunted in over a year. on the last day of rifle that year I decided to hunt it I went close to where he always had a tree stand and set on the ground.

4 doe came by walked up the ridge then by his tree the 2 bigger doe stop and looked right up at his tree like they was looking for the Ole man before passing right beside it.
 

casjoker

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Nov 17, 2015
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Yes, I would say they have the ability to remember and learn from past lessons. I hunted an area in NJ years ago that was bow only. Lots of pressure in the area. I swear the first thing those deer did when walking out of a thicket was lookup.

Also, in an area, I hunt in Indian the deer there sprint the frost 100-150 yards of the field. They have been doing this for 10 plus years in so I would say that is learned behavior.
 

fairchaser

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Sep 13, 2011
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They remember the important things that pertain to their survival and safety. If they didn't, well they would become extinct or only in zoos. What I find remarkable is how they know the difference between unsafe humans and safe ones.
 

jaybird62

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Oct 23, 2006
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Lewisburg, TN
Yes they do. The deer on my farm know the difference in my red truck and anything else. My tractor and 4-wheeler, too. Deer hear shooting all the time, too. I had two 2-year-old 8-pointers feeding at 250 yards in a food plot yesterday evening and I whacked a varmint at 40 yards. They were still feeding at dark 20 minutes later when I slipped out. It makes a difference in whether I walk to my stand or my wife drops me off in my truck. You can drive my truck within 20 yards of a bedded deer and they don't get up until muzzleloader season. They get a little skittish during hunting season and won't tolerate the truck closer than 50 yards, though. If I'm walking, wearing orange and carrying a gun they'll leave if they see me.
 

dr

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Feb 24, 2003
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USA
I've heard they have short term memory to a degree. I've found that most of the time gunfire doesn't bother them too much, if they aren't hit. I shot a wild boar 75 yards from where a doe was feeding, she didn't leave, and barely paid any attention to the hog, or gunshot. A well known deer hunting writer said that deer are exposed to thunder, lightning, loud cars, and other noises on a daily basis, and would be a nervous wreck if they panicked at every sound.
 

BSK

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Mar 11, 1999
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Nashville, TN
They remember the important things that pertain to their survival and safety. If they didn't, well they would become extinct or only in zoos. What I find remarkable is how they know the difference between unsafe humans and safe ones.
Triple agree with this! Deer have amazing memories for things they consider dangerous. Anything else is probably in and out of their minds in seconds.
 

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