Deer are known to be extremely cautious creatures and even the slightest sounds can spook them. However deer often freeze up when cars are riding by. Are they scared and freeze up or are they curious and waiting to see what will happen?
In: Biology
Scared perhaps and also waiting.
Deer will run fast away like you said. But they also will lay completely still if a potential predator is nearby and they think that the predator doesn’t see them.
Once they feel they are spotted they will likely take off.
I’ve had deer do this many times. Young fawns especially will lay still even if their mom runs away (possibly drawing predators away). They’ll lie and wait for mom to return.
Animals like deer have finely tuned threat detection systems meant to help them escape a predator. A branch snapping in the woods will set them off because they understand that can indicate an imminent threat and the best response is to flee.
Cars are foreign and alien to them. They don’t recognize an oncoming vehicle as an imminent threat, and so will be more inclined to stop and assess the situation before fleeing- sometimes too late to avoid the vehicle.
Deer also can learn what is a threat, and what is not, and let the curiosity override innate instinct.
There are several campground in the PNW that have resident deer populations that are wild, but know people in the campground are not a threat. They seem to also recognize dogs as not a threat.
I had a chance this summer to be present (and record) wild western mule deer walk right up to people, eat out of their hand, still in a posture that was hesitant, but curious, while dogs are nearby.
The mother deer was very willing to come close, while both this years fawns, and last year (now 1 year old) were both hesitant and stayed away, their instinct overpowering curiosity.
Compare this to Nara, Japan, where the deer seem entirely domesticated in all but sleeping inside on a pillow.
It’s hard for predators to notice things that don’t move and the deer sees the car as a predator so it freezes by default as a defense mechanism. Consider your day to day experience and how many times you have noticed wildlife right in front of you only when it has moved.
Deers in particular with sudden bright lights dilate their pupils to an extent where they can’t see anything – so they stand still in effect and get run over.
They do also try the hiding in plain sight thing, people often search fields before harvesting due to young deer lying in the grass waiting for the adult ones to return.
I can’t remember where I heard this, so I can’t be sure if it’s true.
They freeze because they are suddenly blinded by the bright light.
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