Great post citico_tim. I completely agree. It is not their ability to hear that is so impressive; it is their ability to decipher what sounds are dangerous and what aren't. Anyone that has ever had a metal treestand pop or creek knows what I'm talking about!

Although there is one thing that has always puzzled me about deer hearing, and that is their lack of reaction to the human voice. Many, many times I've had deer within 30 to 40 yards and been able to talk in a low tone on my radio to other hunters without the deer showing any reaction at all. I know they can hear me, but they don't react. But perhaps that is because the sound of the human voice is so ever-present in most locations. Although I hunt a sizeable property in a rural area, I'm amazed at how often, while I'm on stand, I can hear my neighbors carrying on conversations in their yards. Perhaps deer would react more negatively to the human voice in a very wilderness environment, where hearing the human voice is rare.
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"Know where you stand, and stand there" --Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan

"There is no reasoning someone out of a position he has not reasoned himself into." --Clive James