squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Has anyone else noticed that squirrels will let you know when deer are approching?I have noticed the past few times i have been out that they will start barking and looking in a certain direction and i will watch that area and shortly later a deer will be in that area has anyone else noticed this or am i losing it?

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

squirrels tell me when I'm losing it because I think them running through the leaves are deer approaching.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Ya, I was hunting two days ago and a squirrel made a funny noise and shortly after four deer enter the area.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

I have never noticed that, but will pay more attention now. I wish I saw as many deer as I do squirrels and chipmunks. Really hate the chipmunks.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Ya I listen for them all the time

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Yep, old Indian trick. Listen for the squirrels to start their barking and keep an eye peeled. Something is coming through the woods. May not be a deer, but something is definitely out there. Blue Jays will also give a clue.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

When I see squirrels barking, I pay attention too. But I usually just end up seeing more squirrels than before. [&:]

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

flyinfeathers is absolutely right. Its not a bad idea to grunt if you here nearby squirrels barking. You never know what's lurking.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

All squirrels do for me is annoy the sh** out of me because they make so much noise and I eventually get tired of looking around at the sound because I almost know it won't be a deer. Maybe I'm just not as observant as you though.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Squirrels bark at hawks, owls, fox, coyote, deer or anything else that startles them. They also bark when they get close to me.

So yes, when they bark, something is around.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

They oughta outlaw them da*& squirrels.

In reality, whenever I hear squirrels barking I'm always on alert for what might be coming. I've actually thought about this and look for deer whenever I hear the squirrels but never see any whenever they sound off.

I've heard the same thing about crows though...that whenever you hear them sound off, be looking for deer.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Well thast a new one I will deffinatly be calling and keepin my eye's peeled next time that happens

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Agreed. Also the crows will tell you.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

I disagree on cows, I have had first hand experience lol. At my grandmaws, the field ligning there property they have cows, and i hunt in the ravine, with a field in front of me and behind me and those field's border woods. The deer do not come from the field infront of me from the woods, till the cows go behind me. I personally dont think they like each other. But that is just my experience.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Last year, on a particular property that bordered fenced cow pasture, I noticed that EVERY time I heard the cows mooing I would see deer movement within 5 or 10 minutes. I don't know if they were on the same eating/sleeping schedule or the movement was making the cows nerveous or what. But I hunted this property for a week during the rut and I'm telling you it happened every single time!

You will also notice in rural communities that the dogs will start barking when they sense/see the deer movement.

I think this time of year the squirrels are 'barking' for territory, food,or breeding (I'm no squirrel expert.)
There is a distinctly different sound they make when alerting to deer. It is more of a 'bitching' than a barking - as if the squirrel is chewing the deer out and warning the deer to stay away from his acorns.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Including us when we approach---the deer are warned as well, when the squirrels bark.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Yes classified, your right on the money. I've noticed this many times. They are a great alert system but they can dime you out as well! I like to make my presence known to squirrels so I don't surprise them, it makes them less likely to freak out at you. Great thread.;)

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Guys, I'm a big believer in listening to the blue jays. In my neck of the woods, they are the tattletales. Almost every deer I see, I can hear the blue jays screaming before I see the deer. Happened first day here. I could hear them screaming in the apple orchard and within minutes a doe and a button buck walked out of there.

With the squirrels, I haven't so much noticed the bark, but more when they move quickly out of an area. I always look back to where they came from and a lot of time will see a deer or fo or something moving thru.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Ditto, when the jays start screeching I go on high alert.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Those dang squirrels have busted me way more than they've ever helped me bust deer. I hate it when they stop nearby, make eye contact with you, and then start barking away like crazy!

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

i get pumped when i see the squirrels, because that means that they dont know your there and i feel that i may make the deer feel a little better about entering the area. Also crows are a good indicator but not alway. Crows will usually follow coyotes as their eyesin the sky.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Knight and Hale have always said to pay attention to squirrels because they will often alert you to approaching deer.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

I tend not to pay any attention to the squirells but pay all attention to the blue jays they are the biggest tattle tales in the woods. When a blue jay screams you know somethings commign and they will sometimes follow whats comming in.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Thanks fellows,
Makes sense to me.I never thought of that before.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

classified..deeze nutz....you arent loozin it..you speak words of IRON...its true...its damn true

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Well it makes me feel better that i am not the only one who thinks this way, but i told my wife about what i thought and she told me i need to spend a little less time in the trees and come back to earth.I DON"T THINK SO.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

One thing I have learned when hearing leaves rustle is to listen for the sound of a breaking stick. Once you hear that, something heavy is walking, and it usually is a deer. (or another hunter) Squirrels, chipmunks, mice etc never break twigs when they go scampering around.

Of course, deer sometimes don't break any either...

I always like to see squirrels around because it tells me that the animals are active, and there is food in the area the deer are after. (unless the nuts are pignuts)

-c_str()

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Its funny what some of you wrote about blue jays. When I was a kid my dad and hunting partners always said when the blue jays start squawking pay attention because they squawk at bucks.
Honestly, in almost 40 years of hunting and lots of it, I've never seen a blue jay squawking at a deer. Never, not once. I always think of that when I hear them andthey always seem to be just squawking at each other.

Dab

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Not just squirels, but all wild animals have 1000x better senses than us (all but the brain) so i am suprised that more people do not pay attention to whatever: be it squirels barking, other deer looking in a direction, blue jays or other birds acting up somewhere, etc. They WILL tell you if something is near if they sence it. Also, if the woods suddenly goes dead, then there may be another preditor around be it human, coyote, fox, hawk etc.

RE: squirrels tell me when deer are around.
 

Wonder why squirrels bark at deer anyway? They certainly aren't a threat.......competition for food maybe?