farm activity vs hunting disturbance

[bjkpharmd]

I've been meaning to ask this for quite awhile. How much are deer patterns disrupted by fall farm activity? Most Iowa deer see tractors, combines, trucks as daily farm activity. Lots of them also see folks cutting wood, fixing fence, etc. So the question is that human scent and activity are a part of their life. If someone needs to cut wood, mow with the tractor, or whatever shortly before hunting season, how does that change things? Why would a big buck ever be taken after your farmer friend tells you "I jumped a really big one right over there" & sure enough 1-2 days later you shoot it.

 

[horst]

Good post pharmer.One of the farms I hunt when they combine the corn I like to sit on one end of the field when they combine with my bow.Ive noticed something, if the deer come out the side of the corn, no matter how many trucks, tractors, wagons and people are there, they dont panic.They simply wander farther down the field in front of the combine and cut back into the corn.If they happen to come out the end im sitting on and they happen to see me crouched down by myself, motionless, they head for the next county.Its happened every year Ive hunted there, i watch the deer do the same thing.How do they know that the 4 other guys in the field are harmless but the one guy on the end is a threat???

 

[Ghost]

Pharmer......I think deer get used to what ever seems normal to them in their environment. I think they also have a very keen sence of what is a danger to their survival and what is not. I can share a few examples from what I have experienced with farm activities and how deer react.

I heat our home with wood and chain saw wood in the same timber I deer hunt. One year I sat a morning stand, cut a load of wood in mid day, showered and killed a buck from a tree 50 yards away that evening.

Deer patterns may change with farm activities if it changes their food sources and/or bedding security, such as taking out a corn field in the fall. IMO day to day farm activities don't disrupt the deer. It seems to be normal to their environment.

 

[Songdog Ranch]

One of the places I hunted this year had a lot of road work and a new bridge put in. Hence heavy equipment, trucks, humans, and a lot of noise and smell. I took a doe off of the property and my brother took a 10 point off of it.
We didn't really notice any hugh difference in their movements except that they would wait a little longer to come out of the timber.

 

[mole]

Take this for what its worth. I talked with a man several years ago who was doing research on this topic. His theroy was that humans give off a pheromone when we are hunting. This scent is different from when we are just walking through the timber or in this case working in the fields etc.. He believed that the deer and other game can smell this pheromome and react in the appropriate manner.

Maybe there's some truth to his theroy. Think about how mant times we see a big buck during the summer and he doesn't react at all, but see him in the fall with a bow in your hand and he's gone for good. Again this isn't science, just some guy from Kentucky telling me his theroy. Has yet to be proven that I know of.

mole

 

[buckmaster]

there was a deer that when the combines came by he would just walk to the fence line and bed down. but you stop that combine and the deer is gone. my guess that tractors bother deer about as much and cars. and they obviously dont stay away from the highways.

 

[Maggs]

Funny part about those vehicles is that the deer can recognize a certain one. Don't believe me? Ask any farmer & they'll tell you about the deer standing & watching them as they check on cattle or fencelines whatever. Then try to drive your vehicle in the same place and watch them scatter. One place I hunt the farmer thinks it should be so easy to kill a deer because they just stand and watch him go by. When my truck pulls in all I see is white flags. Yep, those whitetails are awesome animals! Maggs

 

[BW]

I try not to get into the science of these things because it makes my head hurt.

I can only relate to my experiences of many enjoyable hours in the woods with deer. I don't believe we part time woodsmen can begin to understand everything of the full time woodsman (deer). I have come to a conclusion that most generally deer do not see us as much more than a temporary inconvenience as long as we do not continually pursue them.

I think they adapt to our habits very well. My first mature buck harvested came from the same location in which the landowner had finished chainsawing firewood 10 minutes earlier. I also jump deer quite regularly in my adventures but I do not make an event of it and go about my business only to see the same deer 45 minutes later. Granted I believe we can impact their immediate behavior by soaking the woods with our scent and bumping a wise one too many times, that is just part of the challenge of the hunt. I do not believe we can run them out of the woods when they have their business to attend to.

Many times when you observe them they seem to know how to measure "threat" by scent, sound or sight and will respond as needed to the situation.

I have always hunted in Iowa around row crops and cattle and have never felt any activity related to them has caused me any permanantly negative hunting experience. As a matter of fact, I have had my presence covered up by cattle or farm machinery activity more times than I can remember.

Deer do what they have to do. We do what we want to do.

BW's rules of bowhunting:

1) Deer can sense your thoughts and know if you mean them harm. So I always enter the woods thinking that I am their best friend.

2) The greater the bowhunters shooting skills, the farther away the deer will stay.

3) The closer the deer gets, the greater the amount of shaking that occurs at the bowhunter's knees.

We are to share this earth. Have a great year!