Author: Buck Manager

Whitetail Sounds

Typically, we hear or see whitetail does snort, but do bucks blow too. In fact, bucks will blow at you in the same situation as does, but older bucks do not always reveal their location by making such a racket.

White-tailed deer are one of the most hunted game animals in North America. They also have strong populations found throughout the US, with numbers in many cases exceeding the optimal carrying capacity of the landscape. When deer numbers are inflated, it’s tough on both native plants as well as a deer herd, but white-tailed deer keep on doing what they do. Deer are survivors.

Whitetail are keen animals. They have several senses that help keep them safe, but they also give physical and auditory cues to other deer in the area. This article discusses one of the sounds that whitetail deer use to communicate to one another, the snort or blow.

What is a Blow or Snort Sound?

To a hunter, the sound of a buck or doe blowing is the worst sound in the woods. The sound means something is out of place. Deer know what the woods are supposed to smell like and a loud blow, snorting sound means they know something is there that should not be. Often times, hunters realized that they have been “busted.”

Every deer within earshot of the deer blowing is on full alert and is probably going to leave the area. Game over for that day or maybe even a few days.

The sound of a deer snorting is quite unique. The sound is created by deer forcefully expelling air from their nose. It sounds exactly like someone saying as loud as they can, “Shhhhhhhhhh,” as if telling you to be quiet, but incredibly loud.

When Will Deer Blow at You?

White-tailed deer have incredible sniffers on them. Bucks, does and fawns can smell really well with their nose, which is their best way of detecting predators, intruders. If sitting still, deer are much more likely to smell you they see you. Once they smell you, get ready for a loud snort!

Deer snort to tell the intruding person or predator that they are aware or their presence and also to let other deer know that something is awry. From my experience, does are much more likely to snort than bucks. Bucks do blow too, but younger bucks are more likely to snort than older bucks.

It seems older bucks are more averse to blowing and snorting because they just want to get out of there. So although bucks can and will snort, mature bucks are more concerned with getting away from the intruder than providing the intruder with its location.

I’ve observed this behavior a number of times while hunting. When an older buck traveling downwind of me picks up my scent, rather than blowing to alert other deer he simply slips back into the woods in the direction he came (where it is still presumably safe). I’m sure this happens more often than hunters realize because in dense cover we can not see very far, but deer can pick up scent for a long ways downwind.

This is why deer hunters employ scent control strategies. Hunters try to minimize human scent and typically position themselves downwind of traveling and feeding deer. Deer can not smell you if your scent is headed the opposite direction.

Where Will This Happen?

A deer smells a variety of scents in its environment. Some are perceived as okay, some no so much. A whitetail knows which smells are normal and which ones are out of place. This is one reason why a deer living in an urban environment may not snort at you, but a young buck out in the country will blow at you 300 yards away. Different environments.

There is also a certain “scent threshold” that must be exceeded to alarm a deer. A faint scent and a deer knows there is something way out there, somewhere, but likely not a threat. However, a nose-full of human scent and the deer knows you are there, very close, and is suddenly on high alert. Get ready!

In closing, white-tailed deer use the action/process of blowing and snorting to alert both the intruder and other deer in the area. Both does and bucks do blow when they smell something out of place and they will blow at you, especially when you are in close proximity and they can smell, but not see you.

CWD in Medina-Uvalde County Area

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was confirmed just over one month ago in a captive 1-1/2 year old white-tailed buck in Texas. The first deer to test positive for the disease, however, may not be alone. Reports indicate that at least two additional white-tailed deer have also (initially) tested positive.

The state, however, is awaiting confirmation from a second laboratory in Ames, Iowa, before making an official statement. If true, this would make at least three deer that have tested positive in a captive deer breeding facility in Medina County, Texas.

CWD Containment?

The additional CWD-positive deer, at least in my thinking, makes the odds of having CWD contained to a single Texas deer breeding facility much less likely. Research on the deer disease has found that it can be spread quite readily within a herd, so it would have been a little short-sided for anyone to have believed the first deer that tested positive would have been the last.

If the report of additional deer testing positive turns out to be accurate, which seems likely at this point, then the captive deer breeding industry in Texas will be more than a little unsettled about having opened Pandora’s box.

CWD Settles into Medina, Uvalde County?

Austin American Statesman: State officials said Saturday that two additional deer from a captive herd in Medina County tested positive for a contagious, degenerative neurological disease, a discovery that could lead to the annihilation of an entire herd of deer.

Two preliminary tests came back positive for CWD, but confirmation will have to wait until samples are tested by the diagnostic laboratory in Ames, Iowa, officials said. Results could be available by the middle of next week, said Josh Havens, spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

… “We aren’t going to make a knee-jerk reaction regarding the rest of the herd without having results from Ames,” Havens said. He added that “ultimately any decision made will be based on what is in the best interest of the state’s entire captive and free-ranging deer herds.”

Deer Hunting is Big Money

White-tailed deer hunting is huge in Texas. There are an estimated 700,000 deer hunters and 3.5 million whitetail in the state, making Texas number one in both whitetail hunter and deer numbers. Whitetail are important for the hunting heritage of state.

The “deer hunting industry” is estimated to account for over $2 billion annually, which according to my calculations makes each harvested deer worth about $3,400. That means each pound of boneless venison has a value of about $100. That puts things into perspective.

CWD’s Impact on Hunting

In my book, wild, free-ranging white-tailed deer and deer hunting are simply priceless. It’s difficult to imagine a time when things could significantly change, and not for the better. At the time of writing, t’s been just over a month since chronic wasting (CWD) disease was found in a captive deer herd in Texas.

What will result from the discovery of CWD in Texas? What impact will this have on the deer population in the area where CWD is found? Has there been an overreaction or an underreaction? Will CWD impact the future of deer hunting in Texas?

CWD Testing of Deer

Source: There are a number of additional factors influencing this matter. Currently, the fastest and most accurate CWD detection test and the only test recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a post- mortem inspection of the animal’s brain tissue. Captive breeder deer in Texas are property of the state, held by permit to possess.

TPWD and TAHC have the regulatory authority to seize deer in pens for testing, but are going to great lengths to reach compromise and provide options to captive deer breeders, while balancing the risks posed to the native free-range herd as well.

There are ante-mortem, or live animal, tests available to detect CWD. Obviously, this is preferable over euthanizing deer. Unfortunately, these tests require multiple rounds over several months to reach an acceptable accuracy level. Additionally, these tests are not approved by USDA, meaning that Texas would lose “status” with USDA if live animal tests were relied upon and therefore not be able to transport deer across state lines.

If the decision is made to use these tests, then a quarantine period would be necessary on exposed facilities and two additional layers of trace-out facilities while testing is completed.

The scope and scale of captive deer breeders exposed to the index facility is huge. Over 10% of the captive deer breeding industry has direct Tier 1 exposure. For disease containment purposes, TPWD and TAHC must consider additional layers of trace-out facilities from those that are directly exposed. If an additional confirmed CWD finding occurs outside of the index facility, then the process starts all over again.

This could very quickly reach an enormous share of the captive deer breeder facilities in the state. TPWD and TAHC were absolutely correct to halt all movement statewide. Fortunately, July is the lowest period of captive breeder deer movement in the year.

Unfortunately, there is spike in captive breeder deer movement from mid-August to mid-September in preparation for hunting season. This is unfortunate because it creates a financial incentive for the captive deer breeding industry to push for movement restrictions to be lifted, perhaps prematurely. There is still substantial work to be done by TPWD and TAHC on testing and containment efforts.

These agencies are literally working around the clock, but there are only so many qualified people and only so many hours in the day. They must be allowed to do their job in a careful way without outside pressure.

There are approximately 1,300 captive deer breeder permit holders in Texas, who hold approximately 110,000 deer in pens. For perspective, there are approximately 700,000 deer hunters and 3,900,000 free-ranging deer in Texas. The deer hunting industry at-large generates $2.1 billion of economic impact to the state per year.

Rural economies and even rural property values rely on deer hunting in some form or fashion.

Simply put, public faith in the health of the Texas deer herd (native free-range and captive) transcends the financial interests of 1,300 permit holders. TWA is working hard to provide that voice of reason in the discussion. As things develop more, I will continue to provide updates.

Best,

R. David Yeates TWA CEO