Forkhorn, yes deer communicate in countless ways, some vocal, some physical, some chemical, but they communicate in many ways. Watching deer over many years will teach you some of the methods they communicate but it is a never ending learning process.
Yes, foot stomping is a way to communicate different things. In my experience it is used to "alert" other deer, seen or unseen, that may be nearby to a potential threat. They will foot stomp to visual and odorous clues. It may be a sign that they have smelled or seen you or something else. I've seen them footstomp when seeing a coyote to alert other deer nearby.
A subordinate buck will always keep its attention on a dominate buck. It could face attack if it does not percieve the dominate bucks warning signs. So always watch a subordinate buck coming in to see if he is preoccupied with something behind him or off to one side, it may be a larger buck.
Years of hunting will eventually teach you some of the signs. Always keep your eyes and ears "tuned" to the sounds of the woods. Deer are very communicative, but very subtle in there ways.