[alt text: two frames from the Lord of the Rings films, with a caption on each frame. The first caption says, "Deer when they hear a branch snap" and the image is Merry and Pippin panicking and running through the woods. The second caption says, "Deer when a 60 mph car is driving straight at them" and the image is a close up on Merry's face, where he is staring directly at the camera with a fearless expression.]
I heard it's because they literally don't have the programming to consider a predator moving at 60 mph. They don't know how to respond to something like that
The phrase "fight or flight" is common, but there are other components that get left out for reasons. One of the big ones is "freeze." People do it too. And, probably not coincidentally, are often mocked for not doing anything even though it's an involuntary physiological response.
Right? I'm sure there are memes like that about humans when they just stupidly stare at an oncoming wormhole expansion shuttle.
Yeah, when a deer encounters a predator like a wolf, its instincts tell it to run in front of the wolf at an angle. That way when the deer passes the wolf, the wolf has to turn all the way around and it might be confused. It works great against natural predators, and it kills deer who try to use it on cars.