Will Shotgun/Handgun Practice Scare Deer?

[BHay]

I need opinions from the experienced hunters. I live on 60 acres. The house sits at one end of the property and the yard is about 8 acres. The rest is woods and fields. I hunt in the woods but I also have a home gun range next to the house. I've lain off shooting for fear of scaring the deer. Does anyone think this is over the top? I need to practice with my slug gun and I'd like to do it mid-day on my range. Should I go ahead and use my range or drive 45 minutes to the gun club?
I'm looking to avoid the drive and get better practice by staying home.

 

[TNboy]

More than likely it won't hurt anything, especially if you shoot there the rest of the year. I kind of try to lay off shooting at the house a couple of weeks before deer season starts. Sighting in and doing a little shooting is one thing, going through a case of ammo in an afternoon is another. Can't tell you how many times I've shot one deer, stayed on stand and another one came along a few minutes later, or the many times I've taken a deer when others were standing around and they looked around and went back to grazing. I know my answer kind of contradicts it self, just use your best judgement, I would shoot a little and not worry about it.

 

[Pacsd]

I've seen deer grazing around when gun shots come from a distance. All I've ever seen them do is look around and put thier heads back down.

 

[drsfmd]

They grazeon our skeet fields while we're shooting... if they are accustomed to the noise, no worries.

 

[wankerjake]

I've lain off shooting for fear of scaring the deer. Does anyone think this is over the top?

I don't think you need to cut back. My personal experience is that more often than not, deer and elk don't seem to pay any attention to shots unless they are directed at them. I can't imagine they would leave permanently anyway. Shoot when you want to shoot, and if you aren't hunting then who cares if they leave? I bet they'll come back later when the shooting dies down if they like that spot.

At the range I used to shoot at outside of Tucson, I almost always saw deer tracks right on the range. Even the ones completely surrounded by large berms. I didn't see them during shooting hours, but they were sure in there during the night.

 

[Grumulkin]

I live in the middle of 100 acres. One day, I was in back of my house shooting my braked 7mm/08 handgun. I had taken several shoots at my 100 yard target when, out from behind it, walked a quite unconcerned doe.

 

[BikerRN]

I shot a buck at 300 Yards a couple of days ago and the spike under the next tree never budged.

BikerRN

 

[lizziedog1]

I am surrounded by public land and live in an area that tolerates shooting and shooters. There are also quite a few deer around here. I guess, like many other things, they get used to it.

 

[Sav .250]

Why stop now ? Better question is ....have you been seeing any deer?

If yes, I`d say your "home gun range" is having little or no affect on the deer.

 

[308win]

I have shot groundhogs from ranges of 75-400+ yards while deer were in the same field and the deer were not disturbed; in fact if the shot was from a further distance they would not raise their heads from grazing.

 

[Grumulkin]

There were another couple of instances I can think of:

1. I took one deer out of a herd of probably 8 to 10 from about 360 yards. When I went to tag it, the other deer didn't leave until I had approached to within about 150 yards.

2. A couple of time I've taken 2 deer in quick succesion with a single shot rifle. The second deer obviously didn't hightail it out of there.

 

[BHay]

Thanks all. I really have very little hunting experience and appreciate the number of unanimous comments.

Cheers
Brian

 

[Gunnerboy]

Thiers a guy that hunts around my place that is known for his box of ammo per critter so i would say if 19 shots dosent scare it away when your shooting at it then you should be fine

 

[jmr40]

Last time I went to our local range there were 2 does grazing between the 200 and 300 yard target stands. I know they were there while I was shooting a string at 100 yards because caught a glimpse of one through the edge of my scope right after firing a shot. I had to wait a few minutes before continuing.

I've had a flock of turkey do the same thing in the past as well.

They get used to the shots and aren't alarmed by it after a while.

 

[kjg]

It don't bother them one bit, if you never been in front of a round that one will scare the crap out of ya it'll crack snap or pop, depending were it's aimed, that will wake ya up! The deer don't seem to mind thunderstorms unless that crack from a bolt of lightning , will light the strongest of animal or man and send ya aruning

 

[iblong]

If you shoot often they dont seem to mind.
I have a rifle pistol range in back of the house and shoot there at least once a week,because I keep it mowed the deer love to feed on my range.
Often they will be out there grazing within 15-20 minuets of me vacating the range.Last summer I was reloading mags and the wife called me and said dont
shoot as there was a couple of does standing at my 100yd target just out of my line of sight.

 

[1911Tuner]

Not if they're used to hearing it year-round. They come to accept it a normal sound in their habitat. I've seen deer standing on one end of a firing lane while people shot centerfire rifles 50 yards away...and never flinched.

Anything that they don't recognize as normal, everyday sights, sounds, and smells will spook'em.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

ill give you two answers. Ive been at camp and shot hundreds of rounds playing around and have had deer come in and eat bait while i was shooting. But then it seems like as soon as the shooting starts come deer season the deer go into hiding. I would be though that its more the smell of the hunters in the woods then the gunfire.

 

[suzukisam]

to be clear I wouldn't shoot because i'm paranoid and don't want to do anything to disturb the deer, however having said that....

I have been at our local conservation range at lake city and seen the range need to be shut down more than once because deer started walking across the berm..

 

[7mmstalker]

While living in Anchorage, we would shoot at a range near the edge of town. At least once each season, a Moose would casually wander across the rifle range, of course a cease fire was called.
Everybody had a few minutes to get all worked up about hunting while waiting!
Not deer, but as a teenager my dad took me out to logging roads for target practice often. One evening we were blasting away at pinecones and popcans using 357mag and some other noisemakers. Three rabbits showed up about 10feet left of our targets.
Hard to believe those revolver rounds didn't spook them.

 

[AKElroy]

Practice has never spooked deer in my experience. Unfortunately, the others in camp don't share my view, so when they are in camp I nix the practice. This is why I generally have more fun when the season is over.

 

[tmccray45]

At the shooting range I use in central Maryland, there is a herd of 14 deer. As the sun is setting, they come out into the 100-yard range and commence their evening feeding. Rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders are going off all the time and they never bat an eye. The last time I was out there, I needed to go out to change my target and had to actually walk in between them to the target. Several times, I had to stop my firing because they were either too close to my target, or were walking behind it.

So, in my experience, I'd say "No" deer don't necessarily are spooked at the sound of gunfire.

(We are convinced that they have a calendar that they consult so they can disappear when deer season rolls around.)

 

[Gondo]

I have used deer for targets. They don't run at all, so if you don't hit one it probably won't scare it off.
gondo

 

[BCCL]

My 8pt Buck last year, was shot less than 100 yards from the backyard shooting range at my relatives house, that we shoot at year round.

At least 5 other deer have been taken in the last 3 years all in that same area.

They also ride 4-wheelers year round in these same woods, it's amazing to me what deer can get used to, to the point it doesn't seem to frighten them.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

At the local range during black powder cartridge or military rifle matches, we have had to call cease fire as resident deer wandered across the range between the 100m and 200m ranges. Deer accustomed to gun fire are, well, accustomed to gunfire.