Living with deer

Joined
Oct 3, 2017
Messages
1,115
Location
Too far east
I have big bay windows in my house. The deer can certainly see in my windows, and they know when I'm watching them. They watch me too. They stomp their feet, snort, bob their heads. All kinds of things to scare me off.

Very fascinating creatures. They certainly learn danger, they know when I stop my truck, it's time to run. If I drive by slowly, they are less concerned, but still watch me.

I have tried countless times to stalk deer on my lawn. They know I am there immediately. No matter how slowly I walk, or move behind trees, they know I'm there.
So more recently, I started talking to them. They know I'm there, so why not. Talking to them doesn't seem to bother them, or make them more calm. I still can't get too close, or they snort & bolt away.

Certainly became a hobby to interact with the deer. Not sure I could live without wildlife on my property. Can't go back to the city... never.
 
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Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
5,210
Location
Colorado
We have a resident herd that visits up daily. They all have names. The difference is we can pet ours and they will come up to us. I can usually whistle to get there attention and then they come over to my yard. These are mule deer, not whitetail so I am not sure if that makes a difference. Does, fawns, forks or big bucks, they all come hang out. I am pretty sure that if I opened a door, they would come inside the house. I had them walk into my garage while I am in there before.
 

elkguide

WKR
Joined
Jan 26, 2016
Messages
4,779
Location
Vermont
Don't know the difference either but I have touched many mule deer but never touched a whitetail.
 

Macintosh

WKR
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
2,745
Where I live we’re definitely not urban, we get them up in our orchard, but they’re skittish. My wife’s family’s place in suburban ohio they are like yard squirrels. They still have a “bubble”. Outside their bubble it’s like nothing even makes them look up. But get 1 inch inside the bubble, all bets are off and the snorting stompwalk commences. Whitetails in general seem wired a bit (a lot) tighter to me.
 

jmez

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
7,549
Location
Piedmont, SD
They are in my yard all fall and winter. I grill just about every night. They don't even look up at me as long as I'm on the deck. Put one foot down the steps and they're gone.

Sent from my moto g power 5G - 2024 using Tapatalk
 

Brushcreekbill

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 23, 2022
Messages
191
Similar in my yard. The deer that come up regularly end up like pets. I can walk out and sit on the back porch, grill, and they don’t seem to mind.
Sometimes they will just stare if there’s no corn.
But get one step to close and they are out of there
 

Watrdawg

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 30, 2019
Messages
277
Location
NC
There is a guy on FB and he has a herd of about 30 whitetail that hang out in his yard. They go in and out of his garage and he hand feeds them and pets them. This one video there is a decent sized buck laying down next to his garage and the guy says watch this. He says to the buck. “There he is get him!” The buck jumps up all alert and ready to attack! He looks like a big dog getting ready to go after someone.
 

Brushcreekbill

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 23, 2022
Messages
191
There is a guy on FB and he has a herd of about 30 whitetail that hang out in his yard. They go in and out of his garage and he hand feeds them and pets them. This one video there is a decent sized buck laying down next to his garage and the guy says watch this. He says to the buck. “There he is get him!” The buck jumps up all alert and ready to attack! He looks like a big dog getting ready to go after someone.
the nice thing is this would save electricity.
You could let the deer walk around until you were ready to eat em
 
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