Do deer like to be petted?
Do deer like to be petted? Not usually. Deer are skittish. If they smell you, they'll run. If they hear you, they'll run.
Do deer carry diseases?
Captive deer populations are subject to state and federal tuberculosis and brucellosis control measures. Chronic wasting disease is a prion disease in deer that causes a spongiform encephalitis similar to mad cow disease in cattle. It is not present in the Pacific Northwest and it has not been shown to infect people.