Do deer leave a scent from fear?

[rraming]

Anyone else have this happen, I had a doe and fawn come through that I cut off and when they got a certain distance away, momma spooked and yelled in my direction (had nothing to do with my arrow landing before her) maybe 4 times. I kneeled down to hide and waited, I started getting up 5 minutes later to find a buck just passed me, same trail, when he got to the area the momma doe was upset at, he stopped and was totally on alert, no where near me and upwind, then took off. Do they leave a scent from a foot gland when frightened or is this still unknown? The yelling she did, did no good in the wind today but I have a new spot to sit next time.

[wooddamon1]

I've seen the same thing. I remember reading about deer having glands near the hooves that secrete a scent that warns other deer...

   

[SELFBOW19953]

Years ago, they (the "experts") talked about deer secreting an ammonia based scent when they stomped their feet or bounded away, the pressure from stomping or bounding supposedly compressed the gland forcing out the scent.

[ron w]

It's call the inter-digital gland [spelling may be wrong], it's between their toes. Not sure what it tells other deer!

[rraming]

Originally posted by ron w:
It's call the inter-digital gland [spelling may be wrong], it's between their toes. Not sure what it tells other deer!

From what I saw it tells them to get the heck out of dodge!

[JCJ]

Rich:

I educated three more this morning. Lots of blowing and stomping as they were trying to figure out what the blob on the ground was.

The doe finally worked her way down wind of me and then she really went nuts.

Jay

[KSdan]

Yup- interdigital. . . however its not all about danger as the gland and others really communicate a lot of info to other deer.  Deer know other deer in the area, how long its been since they walked there, etc.  The more you learn the more I am surprised any of us can harvest deer.  Its a good lesson that every time we walk in the woods we have educated deer.

[rraming]

Originally posted by JCJ:
Rich:

I educated three more this morning. Lots of blowing and stomping as they were trying to figure out what the blob on the ground was.

The doe finally worked her way down wind of me and then she really went nuts.

Jay

Jay, at least you have not shot yet (missed a 7 yard shot on opener too, like missing a barn, it was so close, kept watching thinking she would tip over) I  saw 4 opening day and these three stalking this morning, I have got to be one of the great educators to deer in that county-ha!

[olddogrib]

That was the biologist's story on the inter-digital gland (located between the hooves) a few years ago.  My experience has been enough to confidently vote "perhaps"!  I used to leave the woods in disgust if I got busted back in my younger(and more clueless)days. Figured I was just wasting my time.  When I started sticking around I was stunned at the deer I'd been missing.  I've had them cut the trail of a spooked deer withing 15 mins. and pay no attention to it.  I've also seen them come unglued. Guess it's the difference between the "something's just not quite right" reaction versus the "bug-eyed, 4-alarm, freight-train-bound- for-Glory" response!

[magnus]

Is it possible the buck smelled some scent on the arrow that landed before her?

[YORNOC]

I had a doe bed down under my stand last year. I left her there until I had to leave.

When I had to go, I obviously had to shoo her away. She stomped a couple of times while looking up at me and I made a mental note of where.
When I climbed down, I stuck my face right into the stomp prints. I could smell a musky ammonia odor distinct to the print area. Her bed had a totally different normal deer smell.
I figured it was pretty safe to assume the interdigital left the odor.
Anyway, if I could smell it so easily.....imagine another deer smelling it.

[Cory Mattson]

to the original question - YES

I did see this more in the 70s and 80s - but we stilll see it ocasionally. Don't know or care  what it is specifically or what biologists say about it - I know it for a fact from almost 40 years of watching deer.

As deer herds have increased population I see this much less. Some of this may be from deer just not caring - thinking ok some deer ran out of here earlier but ? coast looks clear now. Also I think deer in general are less wary the higher the population is. And to a degree I think deer in urbann areas get burnt out on it and are very likely to ignore it.

in the 70s and 80s hunts were all but ruined when deer did this - I don't even know if the deer do it deliberately or it is a simpler function than that. Slowly over time deer are reacting less and less when entering an area deer have blown out of earlier that day.

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[Bill Carlsen]

"The more you learn the more I am surprised any of us can harvest deer.".....KSDan. Yep!

[JCJ]

Originally posted by Bill Carlsen:
"The more you learn the more I am surprised any of us can harvest deer.".....KSDan. Yep!

This is exactly why I try not to worry too much about any of this.

I figure if I go sit enough times in decent deer country I'll eventually get one to walk by close enough to allow me to shoot it.

[olddogrib]

JCJ,
I know what you mean.  I believe wholeheartedly in "hunting the wind".  The only problem is that if I practice it religiously, I would do nothing but move in circles in the mountain gorges I hunt. The wind eddies, pools, and changes direction about every 30 mins.  Started leaving my "puff bottle" at home....too depressing!

[traditionalman]

Yes they have a gland in the hoof and they can stomp the groung and leave a sent for other deer to know something is wrong.

[manitou1]

Yup... they leave scent via their interdigital glands... between the hooves.  And they can leave an alert scent according to biologists.