How do they know?

[rayman]

Its the same every year. All summer, we watch deer behind the house eating passion vine (May-pop vine). You can't run them off. The dogs bark at them from our side of the fence and they scarcely bother to look. I cook on the grill and they just stand and stare. Now that bow season is a few days off, they haul tail if you so much as walk by a window. I have not so much as shot a firearm in the yard yet. The only difference is I put up two feeders a few weeks ago, and that did not seem to have an immediate effect. I'm not suprised because it happens every year the same, I just wonder how they know. Maybe its an automatic responce to the days getting shorter. Maybe my nieghbors do something to give it away. Maybe they really do know that hunting season is about to start.

[agingcrossbower]

Oh, they are sneaky little critters.

[Raymond]

I believe that it is us as hunters tipping them off by being so generous to them, .
Raymond

[robertyb]

Same here. A couple of mornings ago I looked out the window at first light and 4 does and 2 fawns were in my food plot out back. I walked from my back door to my car to get my binoculars and as soon as I turned around to get a better look they all threw up their tails and ran like the devil was chasing them into the thickest stuff around and did not come back out. Usually they just stare at me when I do that unless I start walking towards them and then return when I go back in the house.

[vixenmaster]

We knowed they don't reason as in thinkin. I do think they know the seasons are changin the weather is coolin at nite, their coats are sheddin from summer to winter. So those old enuff to have survived a Huntin season are already becomin more alert. The fawns will be dumb fer abit longer, i see some already about faded spots. UUmmm nice n tender cut them up wid a fork!

[IronNoggin]

... I just wonder how they know...

They simply get their Hunting Synopsis sent out to them a week before anyone else!

Cheers,
Nog

[HIGHBOW]

We knowed they don't reason as in thinkin. I do think they know the seasons are changin the weather is coolin at nite, their coats are sheddin from summer to winter. So those old enuff to have survived a Huntin season are already becomin more alert. The fawns will be dumb fer abit longer, i see some already about faded spots. UUmmm nice n tender cut them up wid a fork!

I would have to disagree on the reason part. I think deer can reason to a point that they learn patterns, scents and sound enough to know when they start hearing a lot of practice shots or squirrel hunters that it wasn't normal 2 weeks before that and the association of a 4-wheel with that new deer feeder suddenly being filled up that was empty. Get my point?

[wabi]

Not sure the practice shots bother them. Several years ago I thought I'd try a new inline muzzleloader at 200 yards. To get 200 yards we had to place a target in the field beside the food plot where I also have a feeder. The shot was down the tractor path, across the food plot, and into the next field. The feeder is about 12 yards to the right of that path and about 40 yards from the shooting bench.
I went to the range, loaded up & fired 3 times, then went to walk out and check the target and a doe was at the feeder eating.

[Ont_Excal]

Oh, they are sneaky little critters.