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Signals deer give

Old 11-08-2010, 09:23 PM
  #11  
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ha ha...yes I know deer signals pretty well...had the craziest thing happen to me ever...some people dont even believe me when I tell this story but it is 100 percent true. I was 16 and hunting alone, and hiddden just right blending in with the woods the deer didn't even see me. 3 doe were about 60 yards out in front of me in a very small patch of timber that is touching a several hundred acre cut down corn field. The only way the deer can hide is to run back at me where I know they bed in day time. Well, a nice 8pt was circling the does and he stopped adbruptedly and I took a shot at him so nervous and excited I missed and when i stood up he and the does saw me. Figuring they would take off into the corn field I was wrong...way wrong. They stared at me then started to zig zag closer and closer to me the buck had his antlers down headed straight at me..I shot two more times while he was running dead on from sixty yards...and missed both time i ran out of his way and had to swing my rifle at him to get him to get away from me while running past me to the woods...I walked home amazed at both the threatening situation that just happened and at the fact that it really just happened my Dad didnt even believe me until later that day when I said I think Ill hunt from my stand this time haha! Never had a similar situation happen but I carry a handgun in the woods for same situation just incase. It was instinct and i was just in the way.
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Old 11-09-2010, 05:37 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by mohunter09
ha ha...yes I know deer signals pretty well...had the craziest thing happen to me ever...some people dont even believe me when I tell this story but it is 100 percent true. I was 16 and hunting alone, and hiddden just right blending in with the woods the deer didn't even see me. 3 doe were about 60 yards out in front of me in a very small patch of timber that is touching a several hundred acre cut down corn field. The only way the deer can hide is to run back at me where I know they bed in day time. Well, a nice 8pt was circling the does and he stopped adbruptedly and I took a shot at him so nervous and excited I missed and when i stood up he and the does saw me. Figuring they would take off into the corn field I was wrong...way wrong. They stared at me then started to zig zag closer and closer to me the buck had his antlers down headed straight at me..I shot two more times while he was running dead on from sixty yards...and missed both time i ran out of his way and had to swing my rifle at him to get him to get away from me while running past me to the woods...I walked home amazed at both the threatening situation that just happened and at the fact that it really just happened my Dad didnt even believe me until later that day when I said I think Ill hunt from my stand this time haha! Never had a similar situation happen but I carry a handgun in the woods for same situation just incase. It was instinct and i was just in the way.
Sometimes those misses make for better deer stories than the hits! My most haunting memory is emptying my gun at a running 8-pt in a field one time and never scratching it.

I wonder if the deer didn't know where the shot came from? Even though they apparently saw you, I wonder if they thought the shot came from somewhere else--hence them almost running you over (i.e. the biggest danger seemed to be coming from behind them and not you).

I've shot several bucks over the years where I missed the first shot and they stopped and offered a perfect still shot because they were confused about the initial shot sound and where it came from.
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Old 11-09-2010, 05:49 AM
  #13  
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Michlw39 i agree with what you said with the doe trying to bust you. before i bought my climber i spent alot of time hunting from the ground and had does stomp and act like they were looking away and snapped back to see if i moved. they will do this several times to try and get a reaction and as long as you freeze they will typically calm down and get back to eating. any sort of movement and she will be out of there blowing all the way.
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Old 11-09-2010, 05:58 AM
  #14  
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Why deer foot stomp




We all know deer have several glands on their body. Between the hooves is a gland called the interdigital gland. This gland helps deer smell where another deer walked. It is also used to warn other deer of danger.


When a deer stomps its foot, it releases an extra amount of scent. This extra amount of scent warns other deer that there may be danger in this area.


If a deer stomps its foot by your stand and then runs or walks away, this scent is left behind. Whenever another deer approaches this same spot, even if it is hours later, it will know there is something wrong in this spot. It will be extra alert.


That is why a deer stomps its foot.
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Old 11-09-2010, 06:14 AM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by Windwalker7
Why deer foot stomp




We all know deer have several glands on their body. Between the hooves is a gland called the interdigital gland. This gland helps deer smell where another deer walked. It is also used to warn other deer of danger.


When a deer stomps its foot, it releases an extra amount of scent. This extra amount of scent warns other deer that there may be danger in this area.


If a deer stomps its foot by your stand and then runs or walks away, this scent is left behind. Whenever another deer approaches this same spot, even if it is hours later, it will know there is something wrong in this spot. It will be extra alert.


That is why a deer stomps its foot.
Interesting.

I did have an interesting encounter where a doe stomped her foot and eventually snorted and bolted...but two days later when hunting the same stand this same deer came back in (I knew it was the same deer because she was with the same yearling as before). So another question becomes how long an area remains "busted"...I'm sure it would depend on the type of deer (doe/young buck vs. and older buck).

Last edited by Michlw39; 11-09-2010 at 06:18 AM.
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Old 11-09-2010, 09:01 AM
  #16  
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I agree that they leave a warning scent, and after two does stomped, snorted and took off, two more ran up from below. Ran right to the same spot, sniffed, looked down, and right at me. Not up the hill, to my left, but right at me. It was if she left an arrow pointing to where I was. But later two different bucks came by and couldn't care if I was there or not, didn't even look in my direction. Didn't they smell the same thing. I don't know. It's amazing, you think you've seen it all, and there's always something new to make you wonder.
I've gotten to the point where I'm always looking behind em and watching each doe to see if she's signaling a buck behind her. You can tell when they're loaners cause they're really not looking around worried what the others are doing. When that happens, I look for the buck to come out of the same area with his head down, and a full set of steam, but doesn't always work. Just wishful thinking, but it puts you on full alert that anything can happen quickly and get ready.
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Old 11-09-2010, 11:48 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by Father Forkhorn
This is all very interesting. Aside from a deer looking backward along its travel route or sticking its tail up, I really hadn't given this much thought. I appreciate the answers.


Hunter 59, is it just a matter of seeing the subdominant buck act like its got something to be leery about standing bearby, or are there specific things it does?
Naturally it depends on the situation. The subdominate buck will act different in the presence of a hot doe. He still wants to breed but he knows he is playing with fire with a dominate buck close by. Body posture is everything in a bucks world. Usually the subordinate buck will always be on alert. Ears forward,eyes always scanning. If he is preoccupied with something in a certain direction, I would be on high alert.
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Old 11-09-2010, 12:07 PM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by Father Forkhorn
Yesterday, a hunter on TV noticed a doe extend her head down and out and interpreted it to mean a buck was coming in. Sure enough, he appeared a few seconds later. I immmediately realized this could be very useful information, but I know very little about it.

My questions:

1.What/how can you learn from a deer's movements to tell you it's communicating or indicating an unseen deer?

2. What exactly does foot stomping thing do or say? I understand it means a deer has seen something to make it ansty, but is it a form of communication?

3. I've heard of young bucks acting submissively in the presence of dominant ones. What do I look for?
I was under the impression that when a deer stomp's its not communication, she or he is trying to get you to move. Watch as they move their head quick, bobbing up and down. Predators love chase and that is what she mimicing, she is pretending to bolt hence trying to get you to move. Their name Whitetail say's it all. That is the warning flag, a nice bright white flag. I have had does pretend to be eating staring me down the whole time waiting for me to move.
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Old 11-09-2010, 12:15 PM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by Windwalker7
Why deer foot stomp




We all know deer have several glands on their body. Between the hooves is a gland called the interdigital gland. This gland helps deer smell where another deer walked. It is also used to warn other deer of danger.


When a deer stomps its foot, it releases an extra amount of scent. This extra amount of scent warns other deer that there may be danger in this area.


If a deer stomps its foot by your stand and then runs or walks away, this scent is left behind. Whenever another deer approaches this same spot, even if it is hours later, it will know there is something wrong in this spot. It will be extra alert.


That is why a deer stomps its foot.
Very good point, something I forgot about but have witnessed the results many times.
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Old 11-09-2010, 12:21 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by Windwalker7
Why deer foot stomp




We all know deer have several glands on their body. Between the hooves is a gland called the interdigital gland. This gland helps deer smell where another deer walked. It is also used to warn other deer of danger.


When a deer stomps its foot, it releases an extra amount of scent. This extra amount of scent warns other deer that there may be danger in this area.


If a deer stomps its foot by your stand and then runs or walks away, this scent is left behind. Whenever another deer approaches this same spot, even if it is hours later, it will know there is something wrong in this spot. It will be extra alert.


That is why a deer stomps its foot.
So what happens when deer run or jump logs? They leaving warning scent all over. I would like to believe this but Im not. Your telling me they are releasing this scent on command?
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