Deer are smarter than you think (2024)

By Alan J. Heavens

I’ve never been interested in animal husbandry, so it was with interest that I recently learned that deer – which don’t actually qualify as domestic animals, even though they live in our neighborhoods – mate in cold weather.

That information is courtesy of Bobbex, maker of what it describes as natural deer repellents. Mating makes deer more active and aggressive, and a greater threat to humans, pets and suburban landscapes, the company says.

Moving to the city won’t help. In some city neighborhoods, there seem to be more deer than people on some mornings.

Deer, it turns out, are smarter than many people give them credit for. They quickly learn where to find easy sources of food when the weather gets cold.

“Unless deer are given a reason to change their browsing trail, they will continue to visit your yard,” Bobbex’s Nora Kwochka said.

Though a fence can be a sure way to keep deer out of your yard, you probably can’t build one high enough.

Deer can jump 8 feet. Many municipalities limit suburban fence height to 5 or 6 feet.

Deer have a better sense of smell than humans do – nearly as good as a dog’s. Canines have about 300 million olfactory receptors. Whitetail deer have about 297 million, while humans have only about 7 million.

That strong sense of smell helps deer find food and detect the presence of predators in their environment.

So I guess what Bobbex is saying is that deer are naturally smarter than we are – and that you might need to do some research to get one up on those whitetails.

Contact Alan J. Heavens at aheavens@phillynews.com or write him at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia Pa. 19101. Volume prohibits individual replies.