Does state of mind impact hunting?

Okay, this is NOT musing on hocus-pocus 6th sense sort of stuff, but purely biology.

I was thinking about when I most often actually see animals in the blind. While probably purely coincidental, it seems I actually see more animals when I am very relaxed and not overly excited.. say if I am reading a book, browsing on my phone, etc. Even when holding very still, it seems the more amped up I am and the more I am anticipating, the higher the odds the animal stays in the brush and doesn't come into view. That got me thinking about how show dog handlers often chew gum or mints in an attempt to mask their breath, stating that their dog can smell hormones like adrenaline and that'll throw them off their game. Apparently this is also a factor in how police K9s can seek out the right target - they're smelling the perspiration and all the hormones in it. Similarly, I've read when training a dog to trail wounded game, you want to harvest blood (and some people say hooves) from an animal that knew it was in big trouble before it dropped.

So, do y'all think it's possible that deer and other critters are able to pick up on that? It seems sort of doubtful because they aren't trained or companion animals specifically bred to be in tune with humans... but prey animals have their own adaptations to avoid predators, I would imagine. Anyone?

Or, when you are wound up, you give off more stink, more pheremones, and shift and stir a little more than most?

I see more deer when I'm hunting. That's all I've noticed.

If you re relaxed the deer are also relaxed

Check barometer when you re in the mood and keep track of what deer show up that day

If I am hunting a feeder/food plot it depends on how hungry they are that day. Like Sneaky, I see more deer when I hunt than sitting in the house.

I've seen lots of deer upon waking from a nap. 'Course, with the snoring now, don't notice quite so many.

as said in first post that done gone missing... Think ya might be on ta something... Good thread ...

I was sleeping in the AZ desert and awoken by a cold wet javelina nose on the bottom of of my foot. I never had one walk up to me awake.

Mark

Sig22, that's possible. Maybe it's just me or that I've only taken about 15 deer total, but my heart rate goes through the roof even if I'm just watching one scraggly doe I am always careful to be very still and quiet, though.

To date, I have not seen a single deer from the couch... unless you count those Cabella's video games.. Seriously, I see y'alls point and it probably is just time spent increasing odds of seeing anything. Gotta wonder, though.

Colt, I did see that your post went missing. Weird...

I've seen a lot of deer from the couch inside the house at the deer lease. I just drive right by them on the way to a blind. I'm not sure why.

I like this post

It is like a I try to explain to others, it is a game of numbers. Where the mind part comes in to play is the state of contentment for me. If you enjoy some of the other aspects of being alone in the middle of nowhere and watching nature unfold around you, you will spend more time doing the same. Your odds improve over time.

Waxing prolific while I drink strong winter ale

A watched pot never boils. ....probably applies to deer hunting too.

In Africa our Bushman trackers said to never look directly at game until ready to shoot.

Mark

Like mentioned earlier i think barometric pressure, has some validity. I havent tracked it, but a falling barometer has been not as good. As a rising barometer.

When you are relaxed and in "tune" with nature you are able to notice more of what's going on in front of you. The more amped up you are the more you start making deer out of trees, stumps, etc.... it seems life in general works this way in that the more you want something to happen ASAP, the longer it takes to happen with a higher stress level attached. That's been my experience.

As long as you are still, move slow and in the right wind position, I don't think it means anything. Countless deer have been taken while the shooter had a case of "buck fever" and never knew what hit them. I would also think that animals of prey, would be much more in tune to senses regarding body language and scent from prey animals, just based on how they are geared.

I do believe non prey animals can tell by body language though if they are in immediate danger, easy to see when a full, vs hungery lion passes a herd of "whatever" in those African videos.

If you are hunting correctly, (i.e., playing the wind), then 'state of mind' should not matter. If you are hunting poorly and your scent is wafting over the target, then sure, maybe it matters if your ramped up pheromones carry down wind.

I don't know that I see more animals when I am relaxed, but I have definitely noticed that most of my prey "appears" where I am not looking, like it just got beamed in from the mother ship. I can't be looking at a stop to my right, scan left and then scan back to the right and a hog will have magically materialized right where I was looking 10 seconds prior. Sometimes, they just seem to materialize in the middle of a great big field, but NOT when I am looking at the spot where they appear.

The "not looking directly into their eyes" thing is real - as every bowhunter knows. IDK about the other stuff. Kinda fun to think about though.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Edit: as Western points out animals of pray do have a 6th scents... Yet this posts tis worth cool thread...

My personal state of mind won't have the tiniest impact on whether or not a deer or other critter show up in my field of view. The right state of mind will however allow me to enjoy where I am and what I'm doing. And, as the OP mentioned, a good book, comfortable chair and a cup of coffee do a lot for my state of mind, even if, as it has happened a couple of times, deer or coyotes have smelled my coffee and left.

you seem to contradict your first sentence with the rest of your post

ive always heard the "eyes look for eyes" thing and I definitely think animals and humans both can feel when they are being looked at, probably more so in prey animals.

Don't look at me why your saying that

This is how I harvest the majority of my Animals

The difference would be the assumption most deer hunting is done from a blind, or stationary position, I could have articulated it better.

Any professional spotlighter will tell you to look for the eyes.

if those eyes have a beard attached the mission gets aborted with quickness

Interesting to see everyone's thoughts on the topic. I wouldn't think spotlighting really counts... yes you're looking for eyes but the light seems to have a disorienting effects. It does seem we (and maybe other animals?) can "feel" eyes on them. You ever stare at someone and they turn around and look back like "What?" or the other way around? I have to think that it is usually our peripheral vision taking it in or some other subtle cue that our brains don't quite filter out like whitenoise, but we aren't fully conscious of either. Great mysteries of biology!

In 2013 I was going through a divorce and hunting was a grind. My focus was not there for the details that up the chance of success. It was hared to sit still, focus and basically do anything right. My state of mind affected me more so than the animals.

Closer to your question. My biggest buck ever came in to about 7 yards from the tree stand and stood broadside. If your theory had merit. That deer would have detected me.

how did your hunting go that year? successful?



or maybe you were thinking about coronas and beaches that day...

So looking at their nose or ears is okay?

I would be willing to be the issue has more of what the deer sees of you than what you are seeing of the deer. If the deer can spy two eyes looking at it (regardless of where you are looking on the animal, but people tend to look at faces), the deer may spook.



So people and animals are psychic?

IDK all the physiology. But predators when stalking will avoid direct eye contact with their prey at almost any cost. There is something to it IMO. At close ranges while bowhunting the animal the outcome is almost never favorable with any mature animal if he ever makes direct eye contact.

I don't know man, sure, we are all psychics.

Stare at an animal or lock eyes with them and they seem to feel it, even if you are some distance away. Try watching deer, but not staring directly at them. They seem to be more relaxed and hang around longer when you aren't putting the evil eye on them. If you are around an animal that can dominate you, you don't want to lock eyes with them either. It seems to bring out the attack mode in them.

When hunting in the blind, the most deer I see is right after waking up from a great nap! If I don't see any deer, I go to sleep, and here they come. BTW, what year is it?

I watch deer for hours and hours, staring directly at them because there isn't anything else to watch. They don't seem to care one iota.

Not me...I usually see more driving up and down the road....seem to never show up at the stand when I'm in it....

I tried crossing my eyes when looking at a buck once so I wouldn't be staring right at him. It worked - except I was seeing two bucks and shot at the wrong one.

You're on the wrong place, buddy. We can't run them off when we want to.

my 2013 season was not enjoyable, shot a button buck that I thought was a doe. Spent the whole season off target as I forgot that I changed the scope setting for my left handed daughter. The deer that came broadside at 7 yards while I eas in a tree stand freaked me out he was so close. I had a hard time getting my release clipped. Up there in the tree sweating and full of adrenaline. The buck just stood there looking off into the distance.

You want to stare into her eyes?

Maybe, knowing you I'd need to give her the Mick Dundee squeeze though, ya know, just to make sure