Why Is It....

[Mike Belt]

...that you can go to your stand in the dark and walk within 20 feet of deer that just stand there looking at you; something that would never happen after sunup. Is it because deer don't perceive you as an immediate threat until after sunup because of past experiences during hunting season, because they don't believe you can see them in the dark, or what?

 

[@fulldraw]

I think they don't perceive us as a threat until we are too close for their comfort.

 

[Hawk]

Must be because there is a lack of spotlighters close to your hunting area.

 

[plinker22]

Good question. I have no idea the answer.

However, many times deer blow at me and run off while still under the cover of darkness.

 

[Food Plot 101]

I've had both reactions. If they don't smell me I can walk until they're out of their comfort zone and they'll bounce a few steps off the hill. If they smell me they're snorting 1/4 mile away as they're running off, lol.

 

[Football Hunter]

...that you can go to your stand in the dark and walk within 20 feet of deer that just stand there looking at you; something that would never happen after sunup. Is it because deer don't perceive you as an immediate threat until after sunup because of past experiences during hunting season, because they don't believe you can see them in the dark, or what?

Bet it has to do with wether they are up or down wind of you.

 

[Urban_Hunter]

I know that is why I prefer mornings over evenings! I have a thicket to walk through before I get to my stand and it is very common to walk within 20 yards of deer in the thicket that just stare at me, then later in the morning they will come right up the hill out of the thicket. Once the sun comes up... if they see two legs standing/walking, they relocate... far and fast with alarms ringing and flags waiving.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Deer in my area seem to be super-spooky. They definitely don't stand around and watch.

 

[BSK]

...that you can go to your stand in the dark and walk within 20 feet of deer that just stand there looking at you; something that would never happen after sunup. Is it because deer don't perceive you as an immediate threat until after sunup because of past experiences during hunting season, because they don't believe you can see them in the dark, or what?

Darn good question, and one I have no answer for.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I would be my assumption that they have 100 things coming in close proximity to them night after night, they become accustomed to it. Somewhat of a built in courage, not to mention their cover blanket - etc...darkness itself. In my experiences, they do not run unless you are walking directly toward them.

 

[Kevin]

I killed a deer a few years ago that at dark I could see its eyes with my flashlight from the base of my stand. Climbed up, it got daylight, shot it at 10 yards with the bow.

Dummy.

 

[Nealmeally]

Because they know it isn't legal shooting hours yet. They have a watch for that just like they have a calendar, so they can go into "lull" in October.... :whistle:

 

[TheLBLman]

I have no definitive answer for the "why", but do know this makes a strong case for getting into your stand position before first light.

Once it starts getting light, the behavior difference of most deer is, well, the difference between daylight and dark.

 

[BSK]

My problem with the theory is, there's no such thing as "dark" to a deer. There is no time when they cannot see well. They can see just fine in starlight, so they have no concept of other animals not being able to see.

 

[TheLBLman]

My problem with the theory is, there's no such thing as "dark" to a deer. There is no time when they cannot see well. They can see just fine in starlight, so they have no concept of other animals not being able to see.

Yet it's indisputable that deer are generally "less concerned" by human intrusion under the cover of darkness, especially about an hour before dawn.

One of my theories is that lots of other animals are also "traveling" at about this time. It may be that predators do much of their hunting earlier during the night, and by this time, the deer have recognized they are mainly just traveling back to their dens. This is simultaneous to many other mostly nocturnal animals (such as raccoons) traveling to their dens before dawn.

Not to mention, that hour before dawn is also an active time for deer to be traveling from more opening feeding areas (such as large fields) to their daytime bedding area. So between traveling deer and lots of other critters, deer have been conditioned to pay less attention to any traveling animal at this time of pre-dawn darkness?

All I know is that you cannot typically get as close to deer without disturbing them as you can pre-dawn. This alone may be part of why I've found mornings a tad more productive than evenings, as I typically am on stand before dawn for morning hunts.

 

[BSK]

My problem with the theory is, there's no such thing as "dark" to a deer. There is no time when they cannot see well. They can see just fine in starlight, so they have no concept of other animals not being able to see.

Yet it's indisputable that deer are generally "less concerned" by human intrusion under the cover of darkness, especially about an hour before dawn.

I agree. Before first light, I've had deer walk right up to me as I was strapping my feet into a climbing stand or putting on outer layers of clothing before climbing into a ladder stand. They would never do that after full daylight. But why?

Not to mention, that hour before dawn is also an active time for deer to be traveling from more opening feeding areas (such as large fields) to their daytime bedding area. So between traveling deer and lots of other critters, deer have been conditioned to pay less attention to any traveling animal at this time of pre-dawn darkness?

Makes as much sense as any other theory. Works for me.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Another reason for such behavior in the darkness before dawn is that they can tell from human behavior that we can't see them. They see us behaving much like a blind animal when it's dark and over time they realize that unless we aim our flashlights directly at them, we will walk on by unaware of their presence.

 

[jlrobbins29]

Most likely because they can't see you either.

 

[Mike Belt]

It makes no difference which way the wind is blowing. I've walked to within 15-20 feet of deer, particularly when going in on field roads surrounding open fields and had deer just stand there looking at me. If I stop some have even advanced another few feet towards me. Consider human scent will send deer fleeing. Do we smell less human in the dark, lol?

 

[TheLBLman]

I sure don't know why, but I agree with Mike, deer are much less bothered by our presence pre-dawn, sometimes even displaying an approaching curiosity that just doesn't happen during daylight. Those who are getting on their stands as it's getting light, imo, are usually greatly reducing their chances of seeing deer compared to those who were already on their stands a half hour before dawn.

 

[Winchester]

I think the danger from Humans is so little and always has been In most of the deer's world (in darkness) they have come to perceive us as much less a threat at night. And while you can walk close by and have deer pay you little attn. at night, very seldom is a mature buck the culprit of the situation! Ive had a few good bucks act stupid in the dark but very seldom are they as careless as many other deer.

 

[TRIGGER]

I don't know but I had one blow at me in the middle of a field on a DARK pre storm morning that scared me as bad as a train horn would as an alarm clock. I swear I about fell over backwards. It sounded like it was in my front pocket. No doubt I would have never been able to get nearly as close in daylight. Had them scare me many times but this one stands out above all.