Althouse: The ever-vigilant deer.

August 31, 2026

The ever-vigilant deer.

That's Meade's video in the morning twilight yesterday. I was walking up ahead of him and moving slowly and quietly. Because I thought they were tolerating me, I stopped. I thought maybe they would approach me, which was dumb, because it wouldn't be good for them or for me. Habituation is bad for them, and as for me, I don't want their ticks (or hooves). But it was my stopping that caused them to panic and spring off. I thought stopping was completely nonthreatening, but I thought about it from their point of view afterwards. I should have continued moving slowly and quietly, keeping in my lane on the path. To stop was to show interest in them, and that crossed the line. Too much!

30 comments:

Humperdink said...: Deer seem to be herding up now. I ride my 4 wheeler by them without stopping. I want them to get used to the sound and the visuals so they don’t panic later.

Two Amish families moved in nearby. Good neighbors except for deer hunting.; 8/31/26, 9:08 AM
Curious George said...: "I don't want their ticks"

Then stay out of that tall grass.; 8/31/26, 9:09 AM
Curious George said...: "Humperdink said...

Two Amish families moved in nearby. Good neighbors except for deer hunting."

Deer hunting is required for a health deer population.; 8/31/26, 9:10 AM
gilbar said...: while you were moving; they were terrified, and frozen in space*.
(deer think if they don't move, you won't see them)
When YOU stopped, it was clear that you saw them, thus they ran.

frozen in space* this is why, when a deer is standing in the road, they just stand there waiting to be hit.. you see, deer are stupid; 8/31/26, 9:11 AM
rehajm said...: …they do get used to humans as part of their environment but it isn’t necessarily bad for them or you. Small groups are happy living in our community neighborhoods, finding sanctuary in small wooded areas, feeding on lawns and landscaping as well as the tender native trees and shrubs. They’re hunted on property too- the wife just went on a deer count night where it's decided how many can be hunted. In places like Monterey where there’s no hunting and few predators they don’t run from people at all…also they work in traffic- that’s bad…; 8/31/26, 9:15 AM
rehajm said...: …supposedly their eyesight isn’t great so that’s why they sometimes freeze. They’re inconsistent too, as here sometimes they run off, or do nothing, or get stompy and bellow then run toward you before turning off into the woods; 8/31/26, 9:17 AM
Disparity of Cult said...: Deer hunting - required.
Puppy mills - not required.; 8/31/26, 9:27 AM
Not an oldster. said...: Bambi, by Felix Salten.
He's a german jew, ann.
Read it aloud to meade.
It's time you start reading real books by real authors, ma'am.; 8/31/26, 9:37 AM
Not an oldster. said...: Lol... yeah, deer freeze cuz their sight is bad...

What a salon you have assembled.; 8/31/26, 9:38 AM
Curious George said...: "you see, deer are stupid"

Ron White on deer hunting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdApyFlf6DU&t; 8/31/26, 9:39 AM
Original Mike said...: "But it was my stopping that caused them to panic and spring off. I thought stopping was completely nonthreatening,"

We frequently will stand just feet away from the deer in our yard up north, checking each other out for minutes at a time. I'm usually the one who disengages from the encounter. This year, as it has been in the past, it's a doe and her two fawns. There's also a spike buck this year.

I'd expect the deer in Madison to be much more skittish. In our case, the deer are very used to us. They see us all the time and we've never been threatening.; 8/31/26, 9:39 AM
Not an oldster. said...: This is a

Show Your Stupidity open thread?

And they think the deer are the dumb ones? Shout out to meade for not putting syrupy sugar on his venison here...

His pop songs over the nature sounds doesn't add value. Way to learn, lil fella. We ll get you putting venison on her table yet...

Or ducks.; 8/31/26, 9:41 AM
n.n said...: Will she move? Will she do something... entertaining? This is boring.; 8/31/26, 9:41 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Obviously, movement toward them, combined with staring at them and stopping and starting is predator behavior. Our cat uses the Althouse technique.; 8/31/26, 9:59 AM
Smilin' Jack said...: Sometimes a deer will wander into my backyard when I’m sitting out there, look at me for a moment, decide, “Meh, that dork’s not going to do anything”, and commence munching on my shrubbery. They really should be more cautious. Venison is yummy.; 8/31/26, 9:59 AM
Humperdink said...: I said: “Two Amish families moved in nearby. Good neighbors except for deer hunting."

Curious George responded: “Deer hunting is required for a health deer population.”

Living in deer country for the last 40 years or so, I am aware of that. However, the Amish have a way of obliterating the local herd. With typically 8-10 kids they need meat and lots of it. Why butcher one of your cows when you have free meat wandering your property? Traveling through Amish country one thing stands out - very few deer.

When one of the Amish families moved next door on 50 acres, I jokingly said to the patriarch: “Well there goes the deer population”. He wasn’t amused. He knew what I meant.; 8/31/26, 10:06 AM
n.n said...: It's an AI. A feminine gender model. Is she armed. Yes. Legged? She hasn't moved.; 8/31/26, 10:18 AM
n.n said...: Let's moo-ve on. That's not funny.; 8/31/26, 10:19 AM
Aggie said...: Herd animals that graze to live, have eyes on both sides of their head, so they can see virtually all around themselves. Their eyesight isn't as sharp as ours, but they can see all kinds of movement. Predators have their eyes aligned so they can perceive parallax, and can judge speed and distance to target.

When an herbivore sees one eye, they interpret the distant figure as another herbivore. If they see two eyes, they see a predator. When the predator stops, and is looking at them, they will often flee. Try turning your head next time, and look at them with only one eye.; 8/31/26, 10:27 AM
Narr said...: Do the Amish hunt with muzzle-loading smoothbores?

I imagine that deer parents teach their kids that if the two-leggers stop, they're taking aim.; 8/31/26, 10:29 AM
n.n said...: The wind has shifted. The sunshine has abated. She must be one of those new green deals.; 8/31/26, 10:45 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Will she move? Will she do something... entertaining? This is boring."

They jumped as soon as I stopped. No waiting to see what I'd do next.

"We frequently will stand just feet away from the deer in our yard up north, checking each other out for minutes at a time."

I suspect yard deer are different from woods deer. More habituated. It's best not to participate in habituation.; 8/31/26, 10:59 AM
boatbuilder said...: Where I live, the best way to approach deer is wearing clothing made by Footjoy, Nike and Peter Millar, driving a golf cart and holding a club. Doesn't bother them in the least.; 8/31/26, 11:09 AM
Humperdink said...: Narr asked: “ Do the Amish hunt with muzzle-loading smoothbores?”.

Only in muzzle loader season, but with rifled barrels. In other seasons, they use high powered rifles with state of the art scopes. In archery, they use compound or crossbows. Forget the primitive crap. They do can their meat.; 8/31/26, 11:09 AM
Original Mike said...: "I suspect yard deer are different from woods deer. More habituated. It's best not to participate in habituation."

"Yard" is a misnomer. The house is in the woods.

As to participating in habituation, we don't have a choice. We live there. Time and again we walk out the door and the deer are just standing right there.; 8/31/26, 11:11 AM
Not an oldster. said...: Lol.... SCARY tag?
Are you fucking kidding me? Deer are threatening like rabbits...

Your inner jew is showing.; 8/31/26, 11:29 AM
Humperdink said...: My friend tells me if a deer comes up on you, or come up on deer, never look them in the eye. Look off center of his eyes. I thought he was nuts. He was correct.; 8/31/26, 12:30 PM
Original Mike said...: "My friend tells me if a deer comes up on you, or come up on deer, never look them in the eye."

We certainly make eye contact with "our" deer.; 8/31/26, 1:13 PM
rehajm said...: …deer evolved right along side humans. They’re still wild. We’re the domesticated ones…; 8/31/26, 1:15 PM
rehajm said...: …but I don’t speak for all y’all…; 8/31/26, 1:16 PM