Talking deer

[kbgibby]

Well, sort of. Was on my stand last Saturday evening and heard a commotion with some bleats. Two fawns appeared at the edge of a clearing, looking back over their shoulders, then ran along the edge, just inside the timber, and right under my stand. Thought maybe a buck was chasing.
They farted around up on a wooded hillside near a big cedar for about 15 minutes. Then more crashing an a few snorts and mama appeared, also looking back over her shoulder. She then walked across the opening, grazed a bit just out of bow range, then started to cut back across to within 25 yds. As I brought my bow up and started to draw, the fawns bleated to her and she trotted up to meet them. The fawns both bleated real softly as they ran up to her. They all hung around for a bit then trotted off over the hill. Wind was perfect, but a buck never did show. I'd heard bleats before but never to quite that extent! It was pretty cool!

I'll be banging antlers this weekend!

Threebeards

 

[Fletch]

I've seen similar behavior. In my case a buck was harrassing the adult doe and in the process chased off the yearlings. When the buck finally decided she wasn't receptive he left. The yearlings wandered around bleating until they reunited with the doe.

 

[BW]

Deer talk is my compassion check.

Harvesting a doe with her fawns nearby can generate some real talk. Just part of the program.

I have heard doe/fawn talk many times especially after dark. The only times I have heard a buck make a vocal sound is when they are rutting or have been hit.

What I am facinated by is the communication that seems to be almost telepathic or predetermined.

Many times I see them watching a direction several minutes before other deer show up from that direction. I suppose it is just their awareness of their home turf. Kind of like when I know someone moved my drill on the workbench.

Quite often it seems like deer almost meet up from different directions at a predetermined time.

No wonder I never harvest anything, I spend too much time watching instead of shooting.

 

[Bobcat]

Last week I had a mature doe pass by my stand at about 3 in the afternoon, about two hours later I heard a real loud bleat that sounded like a young sheep, it was two fawns taking the same route through the timber that the doe had earlier, looking for momma I suppose. They took their good ole time feeding along and bleating very loudly about a half a dozen times. I love to hear deer communicating to each other.

 

[Ghost]

[ QUOTE ]

What I am facinated by is the communication that seems to be almost telepathic or predetermined.

Quite often it seems like deer almost meet up from different directions at a predetermined time.


[/ QUOTE ]

BW has some good insight here and reminds me of a great day I had in the stand one mid November morning.

I lone mature doe walks into an area of fallen trees I call the blow down valley. It's a very thick area and provides much security but also hard to hunt. The doe gets to a spot and just stops, she stays in the same general spot for at least 20 minutes. She was not feeding on the acorns or alarmed in any manner, she just acted like she was waiting for something.
The next thing I know a huge buck comes walking down the valley and is making a straight path toward her. Her tail postion and general body posture told me she was not going to be running off. The buck circled her and gave her a nose nudge and left into the thick brush. The whole time I had not noticed a second buck was in the area. My first indication was an all out 1 minute knock down, drag out battle between the two bucks. Five young bucks had now come from everywhere to witness the battle. The original buck now returned to the doe that had not moved from her original position and off they went together vanishing into the thick creek bottom.

The whole time it appeared to me that they had a predermined date that morning.

I didn't care at that point if I saw another deer or had the chance to draw my bow. I too get so involved in the drama of the hunt that I almost forget what I'm out there for. Well almost.....

 

[guitarzan]

And here I thought it was just me that watches too much and shoots too little!

 

[Fishbonker]

The first year I bow hunted I was in a stand just before dark. I was across a ravine from a good bedding area. The opposite direction from the bedding area is a farm/barn yard. I heard bleating from the direction of the bedding area and thought the neighbor had gotten sheep for a 4H/FFA project. I watched as a heard of deer moved out of the bedding area into the ravine. If I hadn't seen the deer I would have sworn the neighbor went from pigs to pasture maggots. Back then I didn't even know what a bedding area was let alone what a deer bleat sounded like.

The 'Bonker