I don't think they can read the "recently sprayed" signs. It seems they don't seem to mind the poison on the westside, at least from my observation. The slash doesn't seem to deter the deer too much either from using the cut. Invariably, a couple of years after a cut, there are well defined trails thought the cut that circumvent the worst areas of dangerous walking, and allow relatively easy movement. I assume that most of that movement takes place in the dark because in a panicked run from predators during daylight, they are just as likely to die of a slash caused broken leg as by way of a predator.
The forestry industry has done studies on animal traffic in cuts and found that over a certain size, side to side, the deer tend to restrict their use to the peripheries, and use the central areas much less. I'm just guessing on the number, but I think that the limitation in size is about 100 yards across before they stop using the central areas, at least until some hiding cover fills in. You could google this and come up with the real answer pretty easily.
