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The Sounds Deer Make & What they Mean

This is from my book The Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, it is copyrighted.

Whitetail Vocalizations and Communicative Sounds
Through research by several top deer biologists we know white-tailed deer use different sounds to keep in contact with each other (contact); to express alarm and distress (alarm/distress); to solicit attention from and respond to does (maternal) and fawns(neonatal); to express dominance/threaten other deer (agonistic). Deer also make sounds associated with courtship and breeding behavior (mating).

Alarm/Distress Calls
The Alarm Snort is an intense blowing sound produced by expelling air through the nostrils, best described as a loud WHEW, or whew-whew-whew. Deer that see or hear a disturbance but cannot smell the source often use repeated low Snorts, foot stomping, head bobbing and tail flipping, possibly to alert other deer of danger. The head bobbing and foot stomping may be used to startle a predator into moving and giving itself away. A deer's sense of smell is thought to be independent of conscious discrimination, and deer that smell danger usually snort, then flee while flagging their tail.

The Bawl is an intense call used by deer in distress, often when caught by a predator or trapped. The sound is a loud baa. Does often respond to the Bawl by running toward the sound of the call, presumably out of maternal instinct.

Agonistic Calls
The Grunt is used in three different forms to express dominance or to threaten another deer. It is also used to locate other deer, which causes them to respond by coming to the call, or to announce their location by returning the call.

The Low Grunt is used by both does and bucks throughout the year. The call sounds like a soft guttural err. This is the first level of aggression, used to displace lesser deer. If the lesser animal does not move it is usually rushed and may be kicked with a forefoot by the dominant.

The Grunt-Snort is used most often by bucks during the breeding season in more intense situations. One or more snorts are added to a grunt; err-whew. The snort is produced by exhaling air through pinched nostrils.

The Grunt-Snort-Wheeze is the most intense form of an aggressive call. It consists of a grunt-snort followed by a drawn out wheeze of inhaled air through pinched nostrils. The wheeze may sound like a whistle.

Social Contact Call
The Social Grunt is often performed by members of a doe group after they become separated, and it may help the deer stay in contact when they can't see each other. In one study only females performed this call. This call is longer than the Low Grunt and can be heard by humans as far as 100 meters. It may attract bucks during the breeding season. It is produced with a rising and falling pitch; err-ERR-err-ERR-err-ERR.

Maternal/Neonatal Calls
The Maternal Grunt is a low, quick grunt performed at short intervals when a doe approaches the fawn's bedding site. The fawn generally leaves its bed and joins the doe; it is audible to humans for only a few meters. It is a low-pitched err.

The Mew is used by the fawn when it wants attention, or is given in response to the maternal grunt of the doe. It is a high-pitched meew or eeu.

The Bleat is the fawn version of the Bawl, given by the fawn when it wants urgent attention, when it is hungry, or when it wants care, and may be heard as far away as 100 meters by humans. It is a high-pitched eeee or meee.

The Nursing Whine occurs while the fawn is nursing or searching for a nipple. It is produced in a rising and falling pitch ee-uw-ee-uw-ee-uw-ee-uw

Mating Calls and Sounds
The Tending Grunt is a low grunt used by bucks when pursuing an estrous doe. It may consist of a single short grunt, several grunts or a long drawn out grunt. It is probably given to alert other deer of the presence of a dominant in order to keep them away; and to attract does. It is a low pitched er, errrrrr or err-err-err-err-err.

The Click is a clicking sound bucks may make when looking for of following estrous does. It sounds like someone slowly running a fingernail across the teeth of a comb.

The Flehmen Sniff is a low sound produced during the lip curl, when air is inhaled to bring urine in contact with the nose or vomeronasal organ, allowing the buck to determine the breeding readiness of the doe.

Although several call manufacturers, writers and speakers claim there is an Estrus Doe Bleat or Doe Mating Call, no call of this nature was noted in the scientific studies I have read. These people may be referring to the Social Grunt. Because security is essential to doe survival, does probably do not use a loud call that might alert nearby predators.

I hope some of you can put this to good use.

Goe bless,

T.R.

This isn't much fun - unless you ask some questions guys ...Somebody has to have one

I have a grunt tube & a can blatt. Which is the best to use & how do I use it ? I was going to look on utube, but I don't know if those guys know what they're doing or not. I would appreciate your insight.

Because no two deer sound alike, most calls, provided they are in the right range, will sound like a deer. The trick is so use them as deer do, which is gnerally short.AS O look at the specs for each call in the book, what strikes me is that most times they are less than a seocnd in length. So, use it for as short a period as you can, but do not end it abruptly, which is an indication that something is wrong. I rely heavily on a doe social contact call because it does not spook deer, and will attract most bucks), which is slightly longer than other adult calls, because she wants to be heard, and to be found. Make it farily loud and about 1 second in length - after you have blown it softly a time of two, so you don't scare, or overly alert any nearby deer you do not see.

If you see one of the better known call mkers on YouTube, teaching you how to blow a call, it sholuld be okay.

God bless,

T.R.

Rickwrench, The can bleat you can easily figure out how to use it, and you can usually use it in all stages of the rut. Same thing for the grunt call.

Yes, the can is easy enough to use & I've heard deer making that noise in the woods. I was wondering if a grunt call would be better - I'll have to be sure to use it right & not sound the alarm.

Doe making clicking sound

I was in my treestand last night and had a doe about 20 yards away. She had 2 little ones with her that had moved on, but she remained in front of me. All of the sudden I hear this clicking noise. It is definitely coming from her, there was no question on that. My question is, why was she making that noise and what does it mean. Right after she started making that noise, it sounded like another deer was walking towards me, but I never seen it. Can anyone tell me about this noise she was making and why? All the posts I read on hear say that a buck makes that noise. I'm confused!

Thanks TR. Good info right there.

I know this is old but I do have a question in case OP is still around or someone else can answer. I have been living on my farm for 4 deer seasons now. I have hunted A LOT but I have never heard a deer make a single noise other than blowing at me. I have never had luck with grunt calls probably because I have never heard a deer make sounds before. Watched a lot of videos before I used it so I am sure I was at least sounding like a deer and not something unnatural. Not once did anything ever respond to my calls. I have never heard a fawn distress call or a doe bleat. In the past 4 years the only things I have ever heard are squirrels, turkeys, ducks, hawks, owls, and coyotes. I dont hear deer. Is this normal?

Quote:

Originally Posted by X_Rayted35 (Post 4165421)

Turn your hearing aids up?;) jking...lot of it is timing, some you have to be paying attention and or close enough to hear the vocalizations.

By timing I mean during rut you will hear more sounds. Ive seen fawns bleat but they were 20yds away and I barely heard it. If a wind comes up or leaves rattle you probably wouldnt hear it if you werent paying attention.

Buck grunts are still rare for me to hear. Again with wind/trees rustling etc its hard to hear unless they are relatively close. Some otc grunt calls scare off deer.