Do Deer have good memories?

[Phantom]

 

 How long will the deer continue to visit an area after a food source is gone before they change their route? Imagine hunting land far from your usual location where you rarely visit before the hunting season. You decide to plant clover or find a spot with acorn trees, but there are no acorns on the ground anymore. Even after the attractant is no longer there, will the deer still frequent the area based on their memory of finding something they liked there?

[Bucksnbows]

It has been my observation that they quickly move on to another food source. But I do see black bears do what you describe. In fact, my NJ bear bait barrel hasn’t seen bait since mid December and we still have bears checking it out several times each week. 
 

That’s food. As far as if deer have good memories, I would say a big yes!  You make one mistake in a stand and the deer will be on high alert every time they come near that stand.  I’ve seen that many times over the decades. 

[GreeneHunter]

I know that if myself or my son " infect the area " ( my property)  by hunting too much during Bow season when it comes to Gun season we hardly see any deer during the day , trail cams are showing them only moving at night ! Unsure if that's memory or just adjusting to less pressure at night !

[Caeden4]

I've never hunted the deer on my property, but I'm out there daily so my scent is everywhere. The deer now seem to be used to it and not perceive me as a threat. They hardly look up when I walk by. Contrast that with my wife who is never outside and if she so much as opens the door the deer take off immediately. I'm not sure how that would translate to behavior around food, but similar to greenhunters experience, it would seem to suggest they remember. 

Edited June 30, 2024 by Caeden4