# Deer gone "Nocturnal" ?



## FAB (May 26, 2013)

I have seen this phrase used many many times and for the life of me I don't understand it. 
Deer are basically nocturnal feeders in the first place . Usually coming to fields or feeding areas in late afternoon or near dusk. 
I have said this before but still feel the need to repeat it and I expect I will get some rebuttal or even stern criticism but here goes. Deer can't go Nocturnal and disappear from the planet, they are still there. Doing what they have done all summer eating and laying around until something or someone disturbs them. The problem comes when you choose to set in a treestand and I do have five of them, all day after the magic 7 A.M. until 11;30 A.M. time box. If I haven't seen a deer before 11:30 A.M. I get down and start still hunting. I have killed many deer from the ground with the bow by walking up on them. If you are quiet and have controlled you scent as well as you can then the first thing the deer will do is stand up and look at you. A deer will always identify and locate a perceived threat with at least two of it senses before it flees to escape. It will have to see and smell you or hear and see you or smell and hear you, you understand what I am saying . This explains the deer walking by your stand and you shoot and miss with a shotgun and the deer stops and starts looking for whatever made the sound. You will usually have a short window of opportunity for a shot and you have to be ready and take it quick. My brother and I practice this in the off season at a 3d range that has many McKenzie targets situated though out about a 100 acers of woods. We walk through the wood not on the paths and the first place we see a target from we have to shoot from with in 30 seconds. Now we talk with the owner of the range first and insure there is no one on it and he lets no one else on it until we return to him with a we're clear. 
But the whole point of my rambling is the deer have not gone anywhere they are still there and laying in the brush waiting to be move out of it. And no they don't leave the area if you jump one out, they are basically big rabbits that will run a ways and then come back later. Except during the rut when the mating urge will take a healthy buck on a miles long look searching and chasing. So if you are not seeing deer in a place you know they are there then you are on the other side of the brush from him and you at both watching for each other, somebody's got to move and he won't so that leaves you. But he is there somewhere. 
This is just my experience of the last 60 plus years of hunting for the rascals.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

Some deer do in fact go completely nocturnal during certain times...game cams prove it...going nocturnal and disappearing from the planet are two entirely different things...lol...yes they are generally nocturnal but so is 80% of the wildlife...time of year represents a lot too.


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## FAB (May 26, 2013)

Shad Rap said:


> Some bucks do in fact go nocturnal...game cams prove it...going nocturnal and disappearing from the planet are two entirely different things...lol...yes they are generally nocturnal but so is 80% of the wildlife...time of year represents a lot too.


Not saying they cut don't cut down their daytime movement , I'm saying move him he is still there.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

FAB said:


> Not saying they cut don't cut down their daytime movement , I'm saying move him he is still there.


Right...but he went nocturnal...they do it...nocturnal has never meant completely disappeared...at least to me...of course the deer are still there...unless they are dead from EHD.


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## caseyroo (Jun 26, 2006)

It’s not a matter if they are there or not. However, they do change their patterns prior to the rut. This goes for does as well. This nocturnal period is also referred to the lull. Call it whatever you want, their behaviors change significantly for a 2 week period. We should be coming out of it anytime now.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

I disagree on your perceived senses thing...I've proved that theory wrong several times...I've had countless deer spook and flee from just seeing me alone...and no they didn't wind me or hear me...and I have also had countless deer wind me without seeing me or hearing me...those deer didn't stick around either...they left just as quick...


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Been my experience, during this time of year during pre-rut, when the weather cools off for 3-4 days and only gets in about the mid 50's during the day and 30-40 at night the deer get up and move more during the day. Especially the Bucks. Often I feel the only reason the does are moving more during this time is because the Bucks are aggravating them and flushing them out from bedding areas scent checking.
Then it warms up for 3-4 days making them all lay down again.

Have found that if I'm gonna hunt during those warming trends, my best luck is gonna be(if I'm gonna have any) is in a stand close by a known doe bedding area or a water hole. I may just catch a cruising buck scent checking bedded does or going to water after those few days of his extra travel during the prior cool days.

Looking at the extended forecast, looks like the temp. is gonna fall again so activity will most likely pick up again.

A couple things we all know, the closer to actual rut, the more movement there will be regardless of temp...
...and, if this first rut is not all that, the one about 30 days after the peak of the first one will be good.

Far as whether deer spook or not if they see or wind me, have found that that just depends on what they are used to seeing,hearing and smelling.
Example of that is, I've been in the field on the tractor and had deer come out in the field right with me. Was using a chainsaw cutting a tree down on one side of the house, had to walk to the garage to get some fuel and on the other side of the house in the yard, three doe were under the persimmon tree eating. They looked up at me and continued grazing. Also, my hunting clothes I use around here are smoked scented from the outdoor boiler burning. Why? Cause deer around here are used to seeing tractors, people in the woods cutting firewood and smelling the smoke from all the wood burning stoves in these parts.
On the other hand, I've hunted more remote areas where the deer aren't used to seeing people, hearing strange noises or smelling these smells. And most of the time, if they saw, heard or winded me I never saw any parts of them but a big white flag.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Back in 1975 when I first started bowhunting a guy I worked with said to me "If you want to just see deer stay on the ground and keep moving. If you want to kill deer get in a tree and sit still."
I've got to say that's been pretty sound advice. Yes I've killed deer while stalking or hunting ground blinds but most have fallen while in a tree.
When folks mention deer are nocturnal I equate that to normal movement. So far this year we get a handful of deer pics during daylight on our cameras compared to the hundreds we get at night. We're not set up on feeders and food plots, our cameras are in the woods overlooking trails and scrapes. If I just want to see a deer I can walk a few areas and I can catch glimpses here and there. If I want to shoot one (especially with all these leaves still on) I have to stay in a tree.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I've heard this old adage. "You can fool a deer's eyes twice, it's hearing once, but you can't fool it's nose, not even a single time!" A deer doesn't have to see you to know you're in the woods. And if it winds you, it probably won't "spook" wildly into the next township. It simply won't go where you are! It will just detour around you if you are in it's way.

Deer can be pretty cool customers. I once had stand in a travel corridor between a feeding and bedding area in a state park, and I established a mineral and bait site there. One day 2 doe were on the bait when somebody about 100 yards away, but on the other side of the road, touched off a shotgun blast at a rabbit or something. I jumped, the deer did not! The only reaction was when one eventually picked her head up, looked in the direction of the blast, cocked an ear this way and that, and went back to feeding!

And I do agree that deer act like big rabbits, circling back to where they started. A fact that was acted upon regularly by my buddy's friend. My buddy likes to help others succeed, so he'd regularly offer to be the "driver". His friend was supposed to be the "stander", but he'd do just like the deer! He'd circle back around 300-400 yards behind my buddy. He killed a lot of deer that way!


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