[AngryData]

They definitely do. Gun shots are an obvious sign for them, but deer aren't stupid and they pick up on so many other signs of predators. The biggest one being people sneaking through the woods every day, and that those people are now in more camouflaged "skin", stopped smelling like modern deodorants and detergents and may switch to oil smells that are used on guns and bows, those humans freeze and hide in their presence like predator, and they come around every year in a seasonal pattern.

Just the people who sees deer come in their yards every day being fed or munching on garden plants and flowers and such would themselves immediately notice their extra skittish nature or outright absence when hunting season starts eve if they didn't know what date it was on.

[spookthesunset]

That smell thing is probably huge. When yon get out into the wild, deodorant smells super strong. Humans have so many strong artificial smells on them (clothes, deodorant, hair stuff, sunscreen, bug spray not to mention all the other stuff around a campsite)… we must stand out for miles.

Take all that away on a seasonal basis and damn right something must be up. Animals aren’t stupid. They know you are there well before you know they are there.

[kcplate]

Reminds me of this:

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/12/22/1139781...