That deer video everyone shared? Saw it happen in real life and it was staged

I live near the Smokies and last fall I drove past a spot where a crew was filming one of those "deer walks up to a car" videos. They had a handler with a bucket of corn just off camera, luring the deer in. The deer wasn't wild at all, it was a semi-tame animal they used for hire. The car window was already rolled down before the deer ever came close, and the driver had a treat in their hand. I watched them do three takes before they got one that looked "natural." That clip now has 8 million views and people are leaving comments about how magical and rare it is. Has anyone else actually caught a viral animal clip being filmed and felt like you were seeing behind the curtain?

2 comments

2 Comments

dianal948d ago

The whole "magical and rare" thing really gets me. I saw the exact same setup near the Blue Ridge Parkway last year. A friend told me these handlers charge like 500 bucks a day for that "wild" deer. The car window is always pre-rolled and you can spot the treat in the driver's hand if you look close. So if you see one of these videos and the deer looks TOO calm or the driver doesn't seem surprised, it's almost certainly staged. My advice is to look at the deer's ears and tail - a truly wild deer has its ears perked UP and alert, not relaxed.

thomas_martinez8d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, @dianal94 you totally blew my mind with that ear and tail tip! I actually read this article once about how deer body language is super obvious once you know what to look for, like how their tail goes up as a warning signal. It's wild (no pun intended) how these handlers can make it look so real though. I remember watching one of those viral videos where the deer just stands there calmly eating an apple and thinking "that seems off" but now I know exactly what to check for next time. Definitely gonna be looking at ears now before I share any of those videos!