What are they afraid of?

[Pedaling Fool]

A response in the "Our Bear Story" thread got me thinking. I've noticed that bears, but especially deer (check-out this photo (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15506&original=1&c=member&imageuser=6936)) are almost fearless through SNP. The reason seems self evident, but why don’t they exhibit the same behavior through GSMNP?

I know the deer through GSMNP are not as timid as in areas where hunting is permitted, yet it’s nothing in comparison to SNP deer. Why?

[Rockhound]

I watched 3 baby deer for a good 10 minutes from a distance of about 10 feet last year while hiking out of Fontana. Seemed pretty tame to me. If there is a difference i would suspect it might have something to do with the paved road system throughout SNP. With it comes more people. With more people the wildlife may have grown more accustomed to human presence and even come to rely on humans as a food source. As for the bears, I know of 1 hiker this year who had his pack stolen by a bear in the northern section of GSMNP near mount Cameron and just north of the GSMNP at the walnut mountain shelter a bear has gotten at least a dozen food bags this year. The bears i saw in SNP always seemed to be running away.

[Wilson]

Probly, Cause people feed them all kinds of crap. They're hooked.

That's the case in a few state parks around here....has little to do with hunting or not.
Many areas no hunting is allowed and the deer act naturally wild.

[Wilson]

Nice pic...she looks like she wants a piece of bread.

[Pedaling Fool]

I watched 3 baby deer for a good 10 minutes from a distance of about 10 feet last year while hiking out of Fontana. Seemed pretty tame to me. If there is a difference i would suspect it might have something to do with the paved road system throughout SNP. With it comes more people. With more people the wildlife may have grown more accustomed to human presence and even come to rely on humans as a food source. As for the bears, I know of 1 hiker this year who had his pack stolen by a bear in the northern section of GSMNP near mount Cameron and just north of the GSMNP at the walnut mountain shelter a bear has gotten at least a dozen food bags this year. The bears i saw in SNP always seemed to be running away.
Fontana, that's basically GSMNP, I'm sure there are some deer in GSMNP that may behave like ones in SNP, but not in the numbers, why?

I doubt the paved road system is much of a factor, cars usually kill deer.

According to GSMNP website it is the most visited park in the country, but regardless, I'm sure the difference in numbers are irrelevant, they are close enough to be not much of a factor.

Probly, Cause people feed them all kinds of crap. They're hooked.

That's the case in a few state parks around here....has little to do with hunting or not.
Many areas no hunting is allowed and the deer act naturally wild.
Why don't the visitors feed the deer in GSMNP? Are GSMNP visitors smarter(rhetorical). Or does GSMNP do a better job of enforcing the "Don't feed wildlife" rule?
I don't know much about either park, but I've been through both a few times. The only thing that comes to mind about the behavior of the SNP deer are all the waysides/campgrounds I see through SNP. However, GSMNP has campgrounds/restaurants, but the AT doesn't go too close to them. So do the deer act more like SNP deer in those areas in GSMNP, anyone know?

[Wilson]

I've seen many "tame" deer in GSMNP. Cades cove was unreal. Some of that may be due to being conditioned to the constant human/car presence in the best place for them to forage.
Many there literally ignore you. Some look for handouts.
Away from the roads, they spook just like any deer should naturally do.

I hate to see deer by the side of a road looking for someone to throw a handful of cheetos out the window.
Closer to me at Stone mountain state park they do that till some ass poaches them.

[RadioFreq]

Your deer reminds me of Hypnotoad on Futurama. :eek:

[Ashepabst]

two young deer came through CS#13 (sheep pen gap) when i was there in May. they came right up to us at first ... ~5-6 feet away ... and hung around for a few hours, foraging around our site ... a welcome presence following our more imposing visitors the night before. I've come across deer in the park before that seemed fearless, but I've never had one walk up to me.

[Incahiker]

I have read many stories posted by hunters saying that young male deers are extremely inquisitive and will actually follow hunters down the road and let the hunters pet them while the deer smells them. One guy posted this with pictures, and it was off season so obviously he didn't kill the deer. Other hunters began to post the same thing has happened to them.

[rockrat]

I think it probably has something to do with the fact that there are still places in the GSMNP that wildlife can live without being intruded upon by people who feed animals. The fact that the SNP has skyline drive and many other roads for the type of people who would feed animals to recreate on is also a factor. The last factor would be that SNP is a better habitat for these creatures in terms of elevation, climate, and flat areas to bed down in.