Does horse smell bother deer

[THERAVEN]

I was wondering if the smell of a horse would spook a deer. I don't want shooting stories of riding up to a deer on horseback. You know like seeing deer eating around either horses, cows or goats. Seeing deer at a salt lick etc. The reason why is, if it doesn't why not hang your clothes in a horse stall to help rid your human smell. If your boots have stepped in the manure wouldn't that help.

[buck460XVR]

No. the smell of horses or the smell of cattle does not bother deer as long as they are used to that smell being in that area. When I milked cows, and bow hunted on the farm, I always wore barn clothes under my camo and stepped in maure piles to cover my scent and it worked well. Doing the same thing farther north in the large forested tracts of state land where cattle were non-existent, it would make them snort and stomp just like human smell. As long as the smell is in the right place, you're fine. Kinda like the smell of humans and dogs to urbanized deer........

[shortwave]

Agree with ya buck.

Deer get used to seeing/smelling certain things that are the norm in their surrounding little world.

Horse's and cattle are prevalent around here. Neighbors boy (now in his 40's) hunted deer off a mule when he was in his teens for a couple seasons and claim's you could literally ride up and almost stick a gun in a deer's ear and kill it. Took the fun of hunting out of the picture so he quit using the mule.

Wildlife also get used to seeing farm equipment in the fields as well. I've been working in the field on many occasions, been done in one end of the field and had deer or turkey come out in the open field with me.

They also get used to smells such as smoke from chimneys or trash burning barrels as well as the sounds and smells of chainsaws in timber country, etc...

...but I don't think you'd be to successful hunting deer with a chainsaw.

[jmr40]

...but I don't think you'd be to successful hunting deer with a chainsaw.

I've actually read of a hunter years ago who left a chainsaw idiling near his tree stand. He claimed the deer would eventually get curious and come to check it out.

[MLeake]

Given the numbers of deer that used to graze in our horse paddocks back in GA, I'd have to say that no, deer aren't particularly bothered by horses in general.

Deer were not fond of one particular horse that my wife was training for another owner, though; that horse loved charging at full gallop into the deer, or into groups of wild turkeys, and watching them scatter.

[alex0535]

I have been advised to purposely step in some horse manure, some that has been there for a while because its less of a mess.

Your boots then smell like horse manure, and you leave a less alarming scent trail.

Apparently horses don't bother them much, I have heard about people being able to walk up on deer riding a horse and get much closer than they would have been able to off the horse.

[kraigwy]

Horses graze with deer/antelope/elk all the time out here. From my front window you can watch then eat my hay together.

Out back you can see them drink side by side out of my water tank.

I've ridden right up to deer in my back yard.

No sir, deer aren't spooked by horses.

West of town where I hunt antelope there is a pretty large horse ranch. You really have to be careful as the antelope get right in there with the horses.

You can get on the opposite side, using your horse for cover and get pretty close to antelope. Thing is antelope don't know how many legs a horse has.

[SPEMack618]

My family raises cattle for profit and horses for pleasure on the platch of land that I generally hunt on.

The deer are immune to the smell of cattle and horses, think nothing of grazing with the cattle nor making use of the horse's salt blocks.

I worry occassionally about the ethical considerations of hunting deer there.

[kraigwy]

I took this picture about two minutes ago from my front window.

Nope deer arn't afraid of horses.

[Hunter Customs]

I agree with the others, I don't believe the smell of horses or cattle spook deer.

There's been a few times I've rode fairly close to deer but it was because the wind was blowing hard enough that they did not here me coming toward them.

The deer do pause and watch for a moment but once they see you moving toward them they perceive that to be a threat and take off running as most prey animals will do.

I have had deer come in my dry lot and lick the mineral block with the horses standing close by in the lot.
Also had a doe in my round pen once, don't know what her plans were.

As for covering your scent one of the best things I've found is cedar trees.
I've built ground blinds using cedar branches and also have cut me a depression back in a cedar tree, if you sit still you will be amazed at how close the deer will come to you.

My brother done this one time and set in one of them fold out chairs, the kind you set down in.
It was colder then heck that morning, he got all comfy setting in the chair, the cedar tree blocking the wind and he fell asleep.

Well he got to snoring and believe me he can snore.
He snored so loud he woke himself up and when he opened his eyes he sees an 8 point buck standing there looking at him not 20 yards from him.
So he sits still until the deer decides to turn and walk away from him and when he felt the time was right he raises his rifle and fills his tag.

I bet that deer never heard a cedar tree snore before.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

[sc928porsche]

It dosnt seem to bother them much if the cows have bells on either. Just a personal observation

[shortwave]

As for covering your scent one of the best things I've found is cedar trees.
I've built ground blinds using cedar branches and also have cut me a depression back in a cedar tree, if you sit still you will be amazed at how close the deer will come to you.

You are so right about the cedar tree's Hunter.

There are cedars spotted throughout this and surrounding properties. Bucks will tear these cedars up every year with rubs during pre rut.

I've got one that's about a foot in diameter and it gets hit every year to the point it's rubbed halfway in two. It won't be long this tree may be dead.

If there's a cedar sprinkled amongst mostly other tree species, it's a very spot to post up in chances of catching that pre rutting buck.

[fatwhiteboy]

As Will Geer told Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson, "Elk don't know how many legs a horse got!"

[egor20]

Other than Christmas the only other day our boarding farm is closed is the first day of deer season.

To many Idiots see there are deer on our property but never notice the big 3' X 3' yellow and black signs every 100 yards that says

NO TRESPASSING
NO HUNTING
NO TRAPPING

So yea we have deer around our horses.

[Gunplummer]

Back to the chain saw thing. I did logging and land clearing for a while and chainsaws will bring in deer in the winter. They know there will be tree tops to browse on. Like the others said, deer get used to the equipment and would at times start browsing at the edges before we left for the day.

[shortwave]

Have seen the same Gunplummer.

I'm surrounded by woods and have heated with wood for many years. The deer that hang out in this area are used to running chainsaws and log splitters as well.

Have been on one side of the yard cutting and splitting and had deer on the other side of the yard eating flowers out of the garden. There has always been a lot of logging,select cutting etc. done in this area and I too, think the deer start relating to the sound of a chainsaw and fresh tree top browse.

Far as deer getting used to things, many years ago, when I lived in the city, I lived near a Metro Park (Blacklick Woods for those familiar with Reynoldsburg,Ohio) and the deer were very over populated. Park is in the city limits in a very populated area surrounded by housing. NO hunting of any kind.

With people feeding the deer and the deer getting used to seeing many people everyday, the deer got to the point of not fearing people. Was nothing to be walking the kids on one of the paths and have to stop no more then 20ft. or so from a half dozen deer browsing along the same path. When you started to continue to walk towards them, they would move just off the path into the woods maybe 10-15 ft or so, wait for you to walk by and come back out for more browsing.
Unfortunately, the deer herd got so large, the Metro Park officials decided to do a big relocation of deer that turned into a huge fiasco with more deer dying then surviving the move.

All that was a bit off topic but deer will get used to about anything if they see it on a daily basis.

[hogdogs]

The smell of man doesn't spook deer either... The smell of the Hoppe's #9 on your gun scares them... I can walk down a 2 track whistling Dixie and deer will cross in front of me, stop, look at me and wag their tail as they walk off...

Let me carry a gun and I can set up all covered in leaves etc. and be busted right off the bat...

Brent

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Scent from horses, cows, chickens, & goats show no ill at ease effects on deer that I know of.

[Edward429451]

I've heard that Deer are actually attracted to the smell of coffee. Can anyone shed any light on this one way or another?

[Gunplummer]

It must be true! I was caught by deer many times with a thermos in one hand pouring coffee into a cup I was holding in my other hand.

[markj]

They like the smell of my garden.... they eat everything if I leave the gate open. My tractor is another they ignore, atv not so much.

[ripnbst]

Originally Posted by hogdogs

The smell of man doesn't spook deer either... The smell of the Hoppe's #9 on your gun scares them... I can walk down a 2 track whistling Dixie and deer will cross in front of me, stop, look at me and wag their tail as they walk off...

Let me carry a gun and I can set up all covered in leaves etc. and be busted right off the bat...

Brent

I actually think there is some truth to this. I try and keep as little oil on my hunting gun as possible when going into the field. Taking it to the range is a different story.