Will deer avoid site of recent kill?

[Cove]

Last Sunday I shot a deer that expired & was field dressed within a few yards of my stand.

This coming Saturday I plan to bowhunt during the firearms opener and would like to use that same stand.

Question: Will deer avoid the trail under my stand, where I field dressed a deer 6 days earlier? I got rid of the entrails but there was, of course, a lot of blood etc in the area. What can you experienced hunters tell me?

[Jack Peterson]

Here's from my experience. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I've hunted a few patches of land on the second weekend. The reason I hunted on second weekend was because someone else hunted the same stand on first weekend. Well, I've seen numerous gut piles within 50 yards of me, and it has never once stopped deer from walking through.

I don't think it really matters. Especially with does and fawns. They're really dumb! Maybe older deer will stay away, because they know someone's been hunting that spot, but I really don't think they'd stay away because of bloody leaves.

Jack.

[Bear55]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. It might depend on the deer, the young deer probably won't care. An older buck might be a little more cautious but more so because of the scent you left in the area or comotion you caused when you pulled the other deer out. After 6 days and the rut heating up I don't think it will matter all that much, especially if there is a hot doe in the area.

[hockeybc69]

I put a camera over a pile of scraps after I butchered my deer a couple years ago.

I was amazed at the curiousity of deer. I had bucks, does, fawns all walk by and really investigate it. Several times the deer even nosing the pile.

Now would I be able to say they werent a little heightened in anxiety? They seemed pretty interested, but surely very unclear about what they were seeing. LOL

[thatoneguy]

More than one season I've shot a second deer within a few yards of the gut pile from my first deer. It doesn't seem to bother them at all, in my experience.

[forcedtowork]

Last year on opening morning I shot a deer 10 yards from stand and gutted it right on the spot and left the pile, including my pile of puke. I had deer come in the next night and walk right past the pile and not even think twice about it.

[mnbuckhunter]

Agreed with the rest - my experience says they don't seem to care.

[fishinfey8]

Two years ago I took a nice mature doe on the 2nd weekend. Just as I finished gutting the deer (which made alot of noise ), a basket 6 came flying in all interested and scared the cr-ap out of me. He came within 10 yards before noticing I was there. They don't care if there's a gutpile from 10 seconds ago IMO...

[matchset]

i put my cuddyback over a gut pile and got pics of a buck!!!

they don't seem to care, but they could be trickin us! jk jk

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I shot a buck at 9am on Saturday of 3rd weekend last year, gutted it, and a buddy jumped up in my stand. By 11am he shot a doe directly over the gut pile.

[buddha]

I too have shot a deer within feet of a kill the night before. Shot a doe at 4:30 on Saturday and a buck only 10 ft from the gut pile at 7 the next morning.

[blue_healer_guy]

its refreshing to know somebody else out there pukes while gutting deer to!

[BobT]

It might depend on the deer, the young deer probably won't care. An older buck might be a little more cautious but more so because of the scent you left in the area or comotion you caused when you pulled the other deer out.

Oh, I don't know about that. Last year my daughter took a six and and eight out of the same stand on opening day about 5 hours apart.

Three years ago my nephew took a 200lb 10-pointer on opening day. The following Saturday my brother dropped a 210lb 11-pointer from the same stand. Both deer were shot and dropped in the same place.

Five years ago my brother dropped an 8-pointer where he stood on opening day. The next day he dropped another 8 in the same place. The second one almost fell on the entrails from the first. In fact, we had to move it so we had room to work when we dressed it.

[TruthWalleyes]

We dropped 5 deer out of the same stand last year in one weekend, None of which were bigger bucks, i don't think any of which were bucks...So i don't think it bothers them...I just typically drag the deer a little ways off the trail before gutting.

[paceman]

Over the years I have shot numerous deer from the same stands with gut piles present. I think they are curious and come to investigate the gut piles. Maybe somebody should market a gut pile scent.

[pulleye16]

Same here as with most responses. Numerous deer taken where other deer have been shot. Actually in our large party in the past, I can't remember a year that we haven't shot multiple deer on one stand...And the biggest deer taken was shot one day after a doe was shot and cleaned not more then 20 yards away!

[psepuncher]

My neighbor pulls the guts out at home and disposes the contents in the trash.

I just don't see any reason why you shouldn't leave viscera out where you killed an animal as it's only natural.

Like others just watch how you conduct yourself as that's what is unnatural to them.

[bogwalker]

Bodies of dead animals and body parts are a natural thing in the deers world. No big deal.

[Finlander]

Parts are parts!

[shortfatguy]

I shot a doe one year with my bow. She dropped right on the trail about 30 yards from my stand. I sat in my stand about an hour and watched 4 other deer come down the same trail. First was a doe and fawn, then a lone doe, followed by a basket rack 8 point. All 4 of the deer stopped dead on the trail and stomped and stared at the dead doe before they turned around and headed back in the direction they had come from. And the trail they were on was about 30 yards from a field they feed in. So I wouldnt say it has no effect on them at all. I do not think it will keep them away all together but it is something they dont seem to like.

[FrontenacPike]

It is not a smell that they associate with danger.

[Cove]

Thanks, all you guys, for the comments. I conclude I need not abandon what is a dynamite stand because of a kill 6 days prior. As for the last post, I wonder if it is more unsettling for other deer to come across a dead, but intact, animal than it is to come across a gut pile? I have had the experience of watching deer come across a dead dear which I was delibertly waiting for (not wanting to press too soon after the shot) and saw a nervous doe. I love the forum.

[BobT]

Or maybe it was your presence they were sensing.

[Dahitman44]

I would say no. We have shot and gutted deer in the same place only a couple a yards away and it doesn't seem to matter.

[JIvers]

I would say go ahead and hunt the site of the recent kill.

I've watched numerous deer approach fresh (as in killed as little as three hours before) gutpiles, and they do one of two things: sniff at the gutpile and continue what they were doing, or ignore the gutpile and continue what they were doing.

I've never seen deer react with alarm to the site of a fresh kill. Not what you would expect, but that's my experience.