How elusive/ secluded can deer be?

[Bucksnbears]

This is an eye opener.
Proof positive actually.
Bout 5 years ago, I had a doe show up at a mineral site tucked in thick cover. (Camera). half her right ear missing. She had 2 fawns then so guessing she was at least 2.5 then.

This is dang near right in my back yard where I have watched 100s of deer right out the window.
I have never seen her with my own 2 eyes.
Only trail cam pics and alway after dark. And 100%.. , she ALWAYS looks at the cameras!

Over the years while bowhunting, I've had 20+ does walk by me while sitting. Never her.
The deer here are almost " tame" Yet she is a complete Ghost.
I get 1 doe tag and one " any" tag here and I will be just as proud tagging her as I would 200 5x5.
Not kidding!

She lives RIGHT HERE yet...
It is just SO COOL to observe such thing.
She's gotta be pushing at least 8 years old now. A true survivalist.

 

[Sligh1]

That’s wild!!! I’ve hunted bucks like this. Absolute ghosts. Had some I know lived in maybe a 100 acre area and never laid eyes on em once!! Had one I hunted for 3 years- saw him first time after 3 years & got him that one time. Think they often live/bed in spots u don’t suspect & just travel different areas & times than the other ones.
8 year old doe!! That’s a tough order, especially on a ghost. Stoked to see how it goes!!

 

[Bucksnbears]

It IS wild Skip. Thanks!

One thing for certain is..., nothing is certain in nature.

It is that factor that keeps me going. Always something to learn.

Nuther mention. Old black bear. Unreal how smart they are.!
I've shot close to 60 bear and have never killed a giant. For 35 years I thought, put good bait out in a good area, stay clean while sitting and it'll happen. It doesn't! Not on older bear. They are EXTREMELY cagey!

In the past 6 years or so, I have helped others shoot some true Mn biggies.
500# plus. Older 10± bears.
Only 1 taken on a bait. All others (bout 7) have been taken doing complete off the wall, never talked about tactics. But I digress.

Calling older coyotes..., nuther topic. But SO rewarding when it works.

For myself, it's just SO cool to see any certain animal in thier species that can and does learn what / what not to do to survive.

 

[Snail3496]

Calling older coyotes..., nuther topic. But SO rewarding when it works.

For myself, it's just SO cool to see any certain animal in thier species that can and does learn what / what not to do to survive.

Old coyotes! Heck almost all coyotes - smartest thing in the midwestern woods. Heard once "if there were as few coyotes as mature bucks, nobody would ever kill them"

 

[RinggoCy]

Think they often live/bed in spots u don’t suspect

This! That old dried up pond with a willow and 3 cedars growing around it in the middle of a section? Can see in all directions from that spot? Seems pretty unimpressive for sure. But you can't tell the smart ones don't find spots like that and call it home for extended amounts of time, especially when the slugs start flying.

 

[203ntyp]

The older the smarter! I always wondered how they seem to disappear during the winter with no canopy and limited cover. I glass all the barren wood lots around the farms and don't see them but come sunset there they are.

 

[tall@wide]

It seems like the old guys prefer thick water ways in ag fields, clumps of thick grass and brush along ag creeks, or ravines that are chocked with thick, grown up brush.