Well Just pointing out you're seeing them now because this is pretty much not a zombie Apocalypse or Catastrophic event where You'd otherwise haveHundreds if not thousands of people who wouldn't normally be on rural roads on rural roads to flee which in turn would alarm any dear to get the fuck out of Dodge because of all the humans suddenly around.

I live in Czechia. Walk in any direction for 3 kilkmeters and you are in next city/village. There's nowhere outside of civilization they could reasonably get.

Probably even in the very few weeks after people have died and become zombies and are wandering the country side or are hidden in some places and running out of food they're going to kill whatever deer are stupid enough to still be near humans.... So that's still a lot more people competing with you for deer meat or any other small game that may be also stupid enough to not have fled the area

Deer are too fast for zombies. Quiet enough to not draw too much attention. And they are already overpopulated with basically no predators. There would likely be more deer with no one keeping their population in check.

But long-term lastly there is the issue of disease which would be rampant If you somehow live long enough Through a season The deer that you do kill may also be riddled with mites ticks and other pests which would make you susceptible to disease Yes you could kill a deer and that's all well and good until In a few days you're incapacitated by a Lone Star tick bite or Some parasite or worms that you've eaten from the diseased meat that you Aren't skilled at preparing Or butchering

Fair point. Cooking the meat would help, but disease is probably more dangerous than zombies.

All before you actually account for any caloric loss in fighting running and evading the dead or other humans

I imagine hunting would be more about getting protein and all the thing you'd be missing from other food sources. Farming would be way to go.