Something a bit different that has worked multiple times for me when still hunting.
I discovered this one Spring when turkey hunting. I was headed towards a gobbling Tom, not being all that stealthy as there was quite a bit of distance to cover, when I caught movement. It was a herd of elk, around 20 of them. They were bedded about 75 yards from me and all stood up once they caught my movement. I instinctively crouched when I first noticed them. They stood looking as if they were trying to identify what the movement they'd seen was and whether it was a threat. I decided to test out my hen yelps on them and so gave them 3 or 4 yelps. Half of them immediately bedded right back down and the others started grazing.
They had alerted to some movement but hadn't identified what I was. Once i gave them a non threatening sound to associate the movement to they calmed right down.
I've started keeping a turkey reed in my mouth when still hunting. If I happen to have a deer see me before I see it and it starts to stomp, blow, or leave, I just give it a few soft yelps. This is always from a crouched position, as I always drop to a knee when I first notice a deer that is close by, it helps as they pick off the standing human form much faster.
I've had this either calm them down completely or at least stand long enough for a shot about 75% of the time. The times it doesn't work I think they've already fully identified what I was.
For stopping a deer I like to just use a soft, neutral doe grunt. Since it isn't an aggressive call or rut related it seems to play more on their curiosity/social instincts and so they stop but are calm.
I like the fresh turned dirt idea, I will be trying that when ambush hunting.