Re: Lots of hunters here...
Link, with my limited knowledge and experience, I will try to answer your questions, (but remember, these will just be my opinions, and you know what that is worth
).<br /><br />#1 - Since I am not a scientist, I can only speculate. Deer, as in most wild animals I have witnessed, are very proficient at picking out movement. When I first started hunting, I used to dress head to toe in blaze orange, and deer would walk right by me. There have been many times that I have been dressed head to toe in camo, and they have spotted me immediately too. So, from my experience, I would say their color vision is very limited.<br />.....and, imagine that you came home, and someone placed a new lazyboy chair in your living room, most likely your gonna notice it. Now imagine a deer, he uses this land daily, he knows every tree, and rock, and bush, ect, ect. All of a sudden you show up, and to him, you look out of place. You are essentially in his bedroom.<br />.....and remember that a deer can smell 10 times better than a human. There are air currents that we cannot see that will blow our scent directly to the deer.<br />so, in summary, I believe a combination of some or all of the above is why the deer are capable of picking the hunter out.<br /><br />#2 - I have also heard of "freak" does that will grow antlers. This is very rare. Why this occurs, I am not for sure.<br />I believe antler restrictions are a good thing. Why shoot a little spike buck when you could just shoot a doe. If you just want meat, shoot a doe, let the little bucks grow up so they can reach their potential. I will say also that when I first started hunting, a spike was a trophy to me. As a grew older, I realized that if I let the little spike walk, then he might be a good 6 or 8 pointer the next year. What makes me mad is the hunter who year after year after year shoots the small buck. Eventually you should raise your standards. Again, if I just want meat, then I will shoot a doe. We do not have antler restrictions here.
<br /><br />Antler size is basically based on three things, genetics, location, and available forage.<br /><br />#3 - I can only speak for Indiana, but our gun season starts during the peak of the rut, (mid November here).<br /><br />Remember, these are just my opinions, so they are worth approximately what you paid for them.
<br /><br />Have a nice day
.
