It was mid-morning and I was returning to the house from a morning bow hunt. Like molasses, I putted along on my golf cart, stopping every few feet and surveying the heavy hardwood canopy to my right. I was sandwiched between a hay field and a four-acre stand of oaks directly 
behind the barn. It didn’t take long until I saw two does rise from their laying positions. I then noticed four more in the background – all does, except for a basket rack-six pointer. This was expected. They eventually bolted, but stopped short of abandoning the safe confines of the heavy patch of oaks. I slowly continued to the house, seeing another small group before finally exiting the area.
This has been the rule more than the exception. As a matter of fact, on the way back from the same stand, I have jumped nice mature bucks bedded directly behind the same barn – just inside the brush and next to an old trailer, no less. It’s not unusual to have deer in such places. It’s certainly common on farms and ranches, as well as suburban settings. Most deer hunters have seen and retained the memory of the majestic buck seen near the house among barns, outbuildings and old equipment. There’s something really cool about it. These wily rascals sometimes dwell in our backyard as if to mock us while we hunt areas deep in our hunting property. It seems that we often can’t see the forest for the trees – or the deer for the old tractor or cistern.
Look at suburban deer as your grandfather’s barnyard deer. Whitetails adapted to living near the house at the farm or ranch well before they did so amid suburban sprawl. They increasingly thrive in backyards and green belts behind apartment complexes, so it should be no wonder that they hide in small patches of woods and brush adjacent to the farmhouse or hunting cabin.
While barnyard deer aren’t necessarily difficult to find or pattern, they are very aware of their surroundings. They hear pets, voices, vehicles and yes – hooting and hollering from the fire pit. They also grow accustomed to a variety of smells, including the barbeque pit. They can become quite comfortable in this setting. So why don’t we
hunt them?
Well, it can be more difficult than we think. These neighborly deer can just as easily pattern the hunter that decides to pursue them. They will usually be just as sensitive to hunters invading their sanctuary as those a mile into the property. Yet, it can be done. Proceed with caution, carefully planning your entry into the area and concealing your sight and scent. Being accustomed to vehicles passing by, they can be extra leery of people on foot in “their house”.
So don’t ignore the treasures that may reside within 100 yards of the house. Further, since these sections typically hold does, they can also prove to be a gold mine during the rut – but again, don’t go in blindly. If you play your cards right, you might just score a nice buck and enjoy a much shorter trip to the skinning area – not to mention the beer cooler or coffee pot.
