Do guns scare deer?

[Tigerpaw]

A dumb question I know. I just did not know how to word it. I am wondering what you all think about upland game hunting and its effects on deer. I hunt about 300 acers for deer and I would like to start hunting it for other game as well. Haveing shot guns go off while hunting birds ect. seems like it would run the deer out or make them nocternal as does gun season. What is a good way to ensure good deer hunting as well as useing the land for other hunting as well?

[Boltejector]

Guns immediately scare deer but eventually they do return in time to their former area.

[Hoss]

I read that the sound of a gun is the hardest noise for a deer to pin point location on...Im sure it scares them or startles them but the BANG itself is the hardest noise for them to pin-point

Hoss

[Guest]

Only when you are shooting at them. I've been archery hunting with doe down twenty yards away from me and pheasant hunters on the other side of the hill blazing away with 12 gauges and the deer barely stop to look up from grazing. Its sort of like you see all kinds of squirrels when you are not squirrel hunting and so forth. They know when they're being hunted or if you are after something else.

[cdngunner....]

Hey Tigerpaw How are things up in Schmittville?????

I had one occasion where I actually shot at a deer 3 times (long story, always take the ammo you sight in with )

From personal experience they do get startled, run maybe 30 or so yards and then stop to look around what all the noise was.

The movement of someone swinging their gun to get a shot is more scary to them then just the noise.

I am in the midst of trying to prove/disprove a theory of mine. I have noticed that if only one of the deers senses is "triggered" they normally dont get scared off. but once two get triggered they are gone. This applies to gun shots.

I have witnessed a buddy empty a mag at one (always use your own guns)have it run away and have another standing further back that he had another two shots at. (always sight in before the hunt).

Anybody else notice this, especially in the southern ontario area. I have had numerous run in with deer during turkey season. In full camo I have been as close as 20 feet to deer while I was walking out of the bush. Another one interupted me while I was reliving myself on the way out (about 30 feet away) It just stopped for a few seconds looked at me and just continued walking away. No panic, No hurry!

[Golden Eagle]

Not so much in my area. We have plenty of Squirrel and Rabbit and Pheasant hunting all Fall and they tend to get accostomed to it. They might run to the next woodlot but not far if jumped aaadn return to there home area shortly afterward.

[Partikle]

Do guns scare deer?

As my buddy would say, "not if it's a head shot"

Only kiddin, I also think they are scared initially but come back later.

Nick

[Allan]

I too have taken 3 shots at the same deer. It was the first time I had ever been deer hunting. After the first shot, he turned his head left, after the second shot, he turned his head right, after the third, he walked away calmly. All three shots were at about 30 yards.

I was using sabot slugs in a smooth barrel. The slugs come out like a knuckle ball. I was a slow learner in those days.
Some say I'm not much faster now.

Another time I took 3 shots, but I missed with 2 because I was shaking too much. Luckily, he would stop only for a moment and continued to walk closer. At forty yards, I breathed deeply, took aim and he went down.

Another time, (again I was shaking too much to hold steady) a beatutiful 8 pointer strolled toward me but turned a bit early. My 50 yard shot with a slug clearly missed, and the buck just continued walking.

Another time.. well let's just stop there and get to the point. If the deer do not have a lot of hunting pressure, they (as mentioned) cannot pinpint the loud BOOM, and will generally walk away. That's what I have seen about 4 times now. I'll bet if a deer was to experience a branch flying off the tree beside him after a gunshot, it would quickly learn to associate BOOM with danger.

[huntin1]

Only when you are shooting at them. I've been archery hunting with doe down twenty yards away from me and pheasant hunters on the other side of the hill blazing away with 12 gauges and the deer barely stop to look up from grazing. Its sort of like you see all kinds of squirrels when you are not squirrel hunting and so forth. They know when they're being hunted or if you are after something else.

They are not scared of the gun even when you are shooting at them, it is the person in conjunction with the sound of the gun that scares them. I once shot a deer out of a group of three from inside my blind. I was shooting a 50 cal muzzleloader, the deer were within 50 yards. At the shot my deer dropped instantly, the other two stood around for awhile looking, and then walked slowly away unfrightened. I don't believe the noise is what bothers them, but the combination.



huntin1

[wabi]

We were checking our muzzleloaders the Sat. before the late season a couple of weeks ago. If you picture the capital letter L the target was at the junction of the two lines. We were at the end of the long line (100 yards) and the deer feeder is at the end of the short line (40 yards). We set up the target then went back to the bench and fired a 3-shot group (this probably took 10 or 15 minutes as we were in no hurry). Walked down to the target to look, and a doe was at the feeder calmly munching away. (you can't see from the feeder to the bench because of trees)
Sure didn't scare that deer!!!!!

[mtbyak]

I use to bowhunt less then 1/2 mile from a gun club & every day at approximately 3:30pm someone would be out there shooting.
I watched many, many deer just grazing away in the field in front of my stand & never even flinched when a shot was fired at the club.
So I would say that they do get very accustom to the noise & it does not bother them.
If the habitat is good for them why leave

Shoot Straight
Kirk

[Woody Williams]

I think it startles them if shot in close proximity of them.

I believe that the deer moving a lot during firearm season is more due to the increased number of humans in the woods.

I've had deer feeding below me when a hunter just on the other side of the ridge cut loose with a 5 round volley. Scared the pee jabbers out of me, but the deer never even looked up.

[Philip W.]

I wouldn't know. I only see one deer at a time and I always kill it with my first shot.

I agree with Woody. As long as they don't see a muzzleblast, hear the hunter or are too close, I don't think they register it.

[Tigerpaw]

Thanks guys that puts me at ease conserning hunting my land for upland game and not scareing the deer off. Looks like there will be some good bird eating this year!

[Kenton]

I think it is not the noise you make as much as the where you make noise. As long as your not majorly intruding in their bedding area, they wont care. It could also be possible to get deer to become more aquainted with gun shots. Could come in handy during gun season.