I wanted to share my latest thoughts and scientific findings recently published in North American Whitetail, on some interesting findings on 2 deer senses, a "weak link," and how we can use it to become better hunters. Enjoy! The Whitetail's Weak Link - YouTube Adam
Deer really can't hear or see that we'll, that can hear about as well as a human but if they do hear something they can pinpoint it's exact location. Their ultimate trigger and confirmation sense is their nose, they trust that more than hearing or sight. I think any smart hunter better understand silence and slow minimal movement is critical, playing the wind/thermals is essential to success.
I'll have to disagree that deer cannot see or hear well. Just the very shape and size of the ears tell me that , as well as the ability to move them for sound collection, now that is superior to humans. The deer I hunt here in Va. see very well, most bowhunters should be able to confirm that! When we cause those ears to cup forward good luck with any movement with their eyes more than twice our size coupled with peripherial vision beyond ours.
They actually hear the same sound pressure level, measured in decibels, but hear much better in 3 ways. Research shows (Dr. Henry Heffner University of Toledo, others) that: 1. They have the cupped pinna (outer ear) that funnels sound better to their eardrum. We've all seen deer looking intently at something they hear, that we do not.. 2. Their sweet spot is different than ours. We hear best between 2-4K Hz (vocal range), and they hear best between 8-10K Hz. Testing of typical hunter noises shows this allows them to hear predatory noises better, many of which also peak in this range. 3. Ultrasonic hearing: they can hearing over 2x higher frequencies than humans. Over 56K Hz, where humans only 20K Hz max. Most hunter noises have frequencies up beyond 40K Hz, that we cannot hear, but they can. So they do hear way, way better than us, and use them as said in the video as a trigger sense to cue their eyes where to look. This is all supported by scientific studies, and hopefully this knowledge can help make us better hunters!
Old timer, who it turns out shot more monster bucks than I could dream of) told me years ago: You can fool a deer's ears. You may fool a deer's eyes. You will never fool a deer's nose.
Basicly the old timer right. But the new generation of deer hunting is different now. It's almost all of the above nowadays. Ozone layer, conquest evercalm, and nose jammer, staying scent free, etc
The new generation thinks they are so smart with trying to buy their way into joining the big buck club. The new gadgets are the same as the old, nose jammer, ever calm etc will not mask human odor.
During the rut you not only have to try to fool a buck but any old nanny doe around your stand as well. Very rare has been the time that I shot a buck that was the only deer around, usually have a bunch of does infront of me and I have to get stood up and drawn with 10-15 does in the area. If conditions are not right no product on the market is going to dumb a deer down or make a human un noticeable.
So your saying that all of your scientific research and advanced testing brought you to the conclusion that we should be quiet when we hunt. Point taken, thanks for the advice.
I have had opposite experiences. Almost all of the bucks I've killed were alone when I shot them. Most were "cruising" during the rut when I encountered them.
That's a very basic way to take it. The hearing is a trigger sense, sight confirmation. Takeaway is by getting past hearing we also can sight and that the two are linked. That sight is not maybe as important as many hunters think, and hearing more important than many think, and many hunters should maybe concentrate on this more.
