Barking deer and sleepless nights

**Ratdog** · 09-14-2016, 02:57

If you say bark, my first thought is fox. I have two that bark at me all the time in the middle of the day. Though it's nothing compared to that bloody awful mating screaming they do.

Fawns will make shorter, higher bleet. And yes, it will have it's head raised and open it's mouth when it does it. A fawn making a distressed bleat is pretty loud. Last fall at the start of shotgun, a group of about 10 deer were pushed over to my property and were calling for half the night. I finally went out at 3AM and tracked them down to make sure there wasn't one suffering from a poor shot. They were just locating each other. But it was loud. And yes, I have that on video. It was short, not as high pitched as the roe deer, but definitely not your basic low and slow grunt.

Does will call fawns with a quieter bleet. But when the does start to give the fawns the boot later in the rut, they have shorter, higher pitched bleets and that often draws the bucks. If they get agitated at a fawn hanging around, they get louder. Some might take that to be bark-like in nature.

There are so many sounds that deer make, grunts, wheezes, snorts and each of those have subsets like tending grunts. So if you haven't heard a doe kicking her fawns, actually out in the woods, not on youtube, then I don't think it's fair to be too critical. Some folks may characterize it as a "bark". So really what you're discussing the definition of a "bark". And yes, whitetail will raise their head, open their mouths and make an abrupt loud sound.

Around here they are like rats with antlers, all over the place and in everything. Have to shoo them away from the front door as they have no longer have any fear of my dog. Feisty though he is, they've learned he is no threat while he barks, jumps and runs on the inside of the fenced yard.

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**Ratdog** · 09-14-2016, 03:14

Video of the sounds made by some whitetail after being pushed out of their normal routine during shotgun season. This started around 7:30PM and lasted well past midnight. They stayed in the same 20 acres separated by a good sized creek. They were never very far apart but they were nervous about being separated.

You can hear calls from 2 different deer, one at 15 secs and one at 30 secs.

Pretty high pitched and abrupt. I wouldn't call it a bark but someone might. And the video does not convey in any way just how loud it was. I was called by the neighbors to go investigate and make sure that one wasn't dying a slow death or hung up crossing the creek. Told them I had to go out for a couple hours but if they were still hollering when I got back, I'd go check. Sure enough, hours later, I had to track down every deer making a call that night, knife in hand, ready to put one out of it's misery if needs be. They were all fine.

**johnspenn** · 09-14-2016, 05:04

I've heard them too. I thought it was some kind of bird call at first, until I saw them.

**danah.** · 09-14-2016, 06:18

The deer here in central Pennsylvania DO make the same raspy, expelled, "bark" and the characteristic foot stamping as seen and heard in the above TrailSlug. Almost a nightly occurrence, very common. This is locally referred to as "snort".

**jrmyh** · 09-14-2016, 11:26

Nothing worse than a deer trampling through or towards camp rustling leaves up sounding like a ox

**Crazytown3** · 09-14-2016, 12:29

Spent a couple nights in the Uinta Wilderness Area in Utah last week. The first morning I was awakened to loud snorting and hoof stomping nearby. I thought it was some horse riders going through my camp, and was going to yell at them. When I stuck my head out from under the tarp, it was a group of 4 elk walking by heading down the nearby lake. I held my tongue and just watched. Cool way to wake up in the morning!

**happydensity** · 09-14-2016, 20:06

Hard for me to relate to this backyard problem. My primary backyard challenge is possible thugs, but mostly drunks pouring out of the neighborhood bars around the corner in the wee hours when I hang out back. Trade?

**SwingingInTheBreeze** · 08-17-2017, 18:28

Originally Posted by cbwoods

I have heard deer huff loud enough that it could be considered a bark I guess. Usually happens when I'm walking in the dark, and is always good for an adrenaline rush.

I have yet to be awoken by a deer while swinging, although I did have what I assume was a possum nose it's way into my underquilt last weekend. That was exciting.

Wow! Yeah, something nosing it's way into my UQ while I was in the hammock would definitely get my attention!

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**tazmaniac** · 08-18-2017, 11:03

Don't know that I have ever heard barking but this Jan. or Feb. I woke up in my HB Sky bed that I was testing and felt something sniffing my arm. As I eased my hand on to my G17, I peeked my eye open in my best possum fashion and saw a young deer with to little spikes on his head. I tensed up in my hammock and slightly startled him. I kept still until he backed away on his own. I was terrified at the thought of him running scared through the woods with my Winter Haven on those two little spikes.