Deer wheezing..

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:05 am

I seem to be hearing a lot of it, and it can't be all because of me..
Last night I planted a Buck Bomb, climbed 30' up and sat for 3 hours. About a half hour before sunset I heard a wheeze, sounded like an angry one, behind me about 40 yards in the bush. My wind was absolutly not heading in that direction and I was so close to falling asleep I knew it wasn't movement either.
This is the first year I have heard so much wheezing, I can't help but think it did have something to do with me but just can't figure it out. Deer don't typically make that noise for the heck of it do they? I was just off his trail on the feild edge.
What else triggers that from a deer?

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:43 am

They know you're there. A swirling wind will carry your scent no matter how high up. They also may be smelling your trail. Do all you can to minimize your scent.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:55 am

No swirring wind yesterday, and the deer came in from the exact opposite direction I did, he was upwind of me.
I will try the string trick Bob, I usually use a wind powder and yesterday it indicated a consistant wind, no changes.
I obviously did something wrong, and it's not the first time in this location.
Usually when I hear a wheeze the deer is right beside me, so I assumed it was my presence that triggered this particular animal.

FredBear · Post by **FredBear** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:49 am

Could it possibly be a snort wheeze? It is a very territorial sound between deer. I have seen bucks have every hair stand up when you give them a snort wheeze.

huntone · Post by **huntone** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:53 am

I thought I was winded one day and it turned out to be a bobcat with her kittens. Deer were everywhere making all kinds of angry sounds.

I am also a thread user.

Kelley · Post by **Kelley** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:09 am

I unravel a strand of nylon rope to use for wind direction. The slightest wind change will show. I don't use anything to weight it just tie it to a limb.
Kelley

R.J. · Post by **R.J.** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:43 am

Snort is definately an alert .. but not all snorts are done because they sensed you ... I have seen them snot fox , racoons and they will actuall snort each other sometimes when they come in contact .. so If your wind was right , I'm guessing you had deer sussing each other out in the cover behind you ..

On many occations in deep cover I have seen / heard deer snort when they heard other deer approach , until they identified the other intruder as deer ..

I hope it's a snort weeze you hear ! ... then you have a buck ... check out snort weeze vid's from You tube etc.

So great documented whitetail vocalizations out there on the net now .

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:22 pm

Have seen an old matriarch doe LOOK for you in the stand after she makes you there previously. Suggest you move the stand.

Z24pride · Post by **Z24pride** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:49 pm

I had a 10 pointer last night snort at me as well about 50 yards away, a few grunts and doe bleat later he came in within 20 yards where I shot him with the Phoenix...
My understanding is like others have said the Snort is something to the deer is unknown..... I have also seen them snort at each other...

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:08 pm

I guess I took this particular snort personal because I could tell it was aimed directly at me, it was real quiet up until that point. It drove me crazy trying to figure out how he knew I was there.

VixChix · Post by **VixChix** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:04 pm

I think they're just trying to say "What are you?" They know something is different and they're trying to get you to acknowledge them, or move, or do something that will give them a clue to what you are. I've had them come in to calls doing the stomp, wheeze, few steps forward, repeat, and just keep coming.

Horses will often do the snotty snort/wheeze sound and behaviourists speculate that it's part of trying to identify scent... sort of a "reset" for the nasal passages to allow them to detect scent more clearly.

Last year I called a buck in during shotgun, but by the time he presented a good shot it was too dark to see my bead (using a red dot this year!)... Once he was in, he hung around and wouldn't leave. It was getting dark and I was packing up my gear inside the ground blind while he approached repeatedly from different angles - stomp, wheeze, step step step... I didn't want him to know that there was a person in the blind so I was trapped for a while. He just wouldn't leave. Just wish stuff like that would happen in broad daylight sometime....

ninepointer · Post by **ninepointer** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:26 pm

bstout wrote:Dave, hang one of these in your stand. You'd be surprised how often the wind will temporarily change. This will show you.

It's a piece of 18 gauge pvc covered copper wire. The copper wire keeps the piece of white sewing thread from getting entangled. Simply tying the white sewing thread to a branch won't work. It will get wrapped around the branch constantly.

Using the wire to hold the thread so it can hang straight down works. I make a little loop on the end of the wire for the same reason (it keeps the thread straight down). The sewing thread should be about 10 inches long. If it's too long it won't be sensitive enough.

Watching the wind constantly is an absolute hoot. Way different than occasionally dropping thistle fluff.

I've said this many times before

"It is impossible to archery hunt deer in variable wind!".

The deer will bust you every time.

The thread will tell you what you need to know.

bstout,

You could package that and sell it for $10.95. Ya know that we hunters WILL buy it!

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:41 pm

ninepointer wrote:
bstout wrote:Dave, hang one of these in your stand. You'd be surprised how often the wind will temporarily change. This will show you.

It's a piece of 18 gauge pvc covered copper wire. The copper wire keeps the piece of white sewing thread from getting entangled. Simply tying the white sewing thread to a branch won't work. It will get wrapped around the branch constantly.

Using the wire to hold the thread so it can hang straight down works. I make a little loop on the end of the wire for the same reason (it keeps the thread straight down). The sewing thread should be about 10 inches long. If it's too long it won't be sensitive enough.

Watching the wind constantly is an absolute hoot. Way different than occasionally dropping thistle fluff.

I've said this many times before

"It is impossible to archery hunt deer in variable wind!".

The deer will bust you every time.

The thread will tell you what you need to know.

bstout,

You could package that and sell it for $10.95. Ya know that we hunters WILL buy it!

Great, he charged me $14.95..Damn inflation.

DanO · Post by **DanO** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:39 pm

That is frustrating Pydpiper! I had the same problem last year with a very old doe. She would walk in looking up at my stand and constantly circling to catch my scent even though I had done everything to manage scent. I'd hunt on the right wind but she would wait patiently for any swirling of the wind. I finally moved my stand and I did shoot a good buck the first time I sat in the new location.

Dan O.