Curious deer or sign of trouble??

This has happened on two of our trips, one last year and one this year. . . we've set up camp had dinner cleaned up everything its just about dusk and a curious deer starts roaming around our camp. Actually not just around our camp right in our camp probably withing about 5-10 feet of us at times. Now I'm not afraid of the deer per say but it is unnerving to me that they are that brazen. Do you think this is a sign of them being fed and that the bears may be the same way? The deer look very healthy so being rabid is slim and they show fear if you make a loud noise or fast movement at them but then they come right back. Both occasions we've been on the more popular trails so I worry about ignorant people feeding them. Has anyone else had any experiences like this? This has happened in WV in the Seneca area and Ottercreek area.

Possibly fed, possibly just tame, or the other possibility is salt. Those of us not the fairer sex have
a habit of "watering trees" instead of finding a privy, and I know I've had deer very interested in licking urine. Yeah it's nasty but kinda natural. Here in alberta where there's lots of oil exploration, they cap old well sites all over and often there's lots of dredge up and oil mud near where the well head was that is high salt content that deer will also hang around and dig/lick up. Makes the right old well sites handy places to hang around on the downwind side if you like venison }8->

They do love salt. We were hiking in Glacier and had to first shoo a deer away so we could put the tent up at our backcountry site. Then were awakened in the middle of the night by two mountain goats licking the shoulder straps on our packs leaning up against the vestibule. We brought them inside (the packs, not the goats). The sound of their tongues a foot from our heads on that material was very strange.

I had a young doe in a very remote corner of the San Gorgonio wilderness carry off my shirt that I had worn on the hike in. I found it up on a hill above camp the next day. It was undamaged but probably licked clean. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I have hunted in this same area before and judging by the condition of the trail in, had not been used that much so I don't think it was a fed deer, just young and naive.(like me <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)

Given your description, it sounds like the deer are simply accustomed to humans. I experienced the same thing at Glacier NP...a couple does hung around the campsite and didn't mind direct, lengthy eye contact and got within 10 feet or less. Here around my place, the same thing happens although they don't approach as closely and are a bit more skittish when they have fawns with them. But the bucks bolt as soon as they see me.

Decades ago I had the ironic experience of hand feeding supposedly wild deer the tobacco stripped from cigarette butts...at a Baptist chruch camp in Texas. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

FB

You got to wonder about baptist church camps. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I hand fed deer when I went backpacking in Yosemite (hey, I was 11 at the time). They were in the parking lot at the trail head and everyone was giving them food by hand.

Thanks I feel much less uncomfortable about their friendliness now. I think you're all correct in that it was the attraction to salt because we did notice that it was eating the ground near where we uh...peed <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> and it crossed our mind at the time but I had never heard of them doing such a thing...very bizzaro.

Thanks as always for the great info. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just well adapted I would say. The deer in our neighbourhood aren't very shy at all. The Bucks still are, but not the Does. I don't think its because they are fed. People with gardens try and keep them away, but they keep coming. We see them every night. They don't need to be fed to adapt. It is sufficient that the area is safer that places where there are more predators or they are hunted. Animals seem to be able to adapt very quickly. I can see a large deer presence as increasing the local bear population, but not make the bears less shy of humans. That would be a separate issue I should think.

We females urinate on the ground, not on the trees, but I've often seen deer watching me, waiting for me to move away so they can go after the salt. They don't seem to care that I'm on a low salt diet!

In sensitive alpine areas, it's often recommended that we "go" on bare ground or rocks so the deer, elk, mountain goats, etc., won't damage the vegetation.

Sometimes deer are just curious. I had one come up while I was napping and start pawing at my tent!

I had deer come right up to me a Judy Springs Campground,Spruce Knob,Wv and they practually came right up and watched me cook my dinner. It was quite comical thinking that I might have to share my supper.

I do agree and think that deer was just looking for salt and was used to seeing humans around. But the deer in my backyard,will come up and eat the apples,while the kids are outside playing. When it comes fall deer do become more skittish thou.

In Lassen Volcanic NP, I have passed a buck less then 10' away from me along the trail and in camp the next morning a couple does kept circling my camp. The fawns kept there distance and were shy/skittish. Also in CA, while on my last trip to the Marble Mountains, when Pooch was still alive, we had a buck come within 20' or so of us. Pooch was paying special attention.:) Also on the Marble Mts. trip, I noticed one day that a doe was pawing where I had buried my spent toothpaste.

This young doe came by everyday.





They ARE still WILD! never feed a wild deer and stay back. Every year people are injured and have been killed by deer who become startled. Those cute little feet can rip you up. Their MO is to rear up and kick and slash with their front feet. One time we were at Convict Lake and doe came through camp with her two small fawns. That mother must have sensed that we were not a threat because she left them at our camp and went off to feed. The babies stayed there untill the mother returned for them about a half hour later.

Clever moms and dads never miss an opportunity for free day care.