We all know deer have an awesome nose, but is there ability to hear as strong?
How Good is a Deer's Hearing?
- Thread starter UTGrad
- Start date
BigD_625
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah. Those big 'ol ears aren't just for looks.
Tomahawk
Well-Known Member
They can hear about as well, maybe slightly better, as humans. The difference is their ears can rotate and pinpoint exactly where the noise came from.
Good enough to hear the flatulations that you so often talk about
TRIGGER said:
LOL
BSK
Well-Known Member
Tomahawk said:
Well said. Their hearing is only slightly better than ours, but with those directional ears, they have an amazing ability to pinpoint where a sound is coming from. They are also far more attuned to what they are hearing. We humans tend to block most noises out mentally, even though we are actually hearing them. We tend to igore all sounds other than the ones we believe are important.
BSK said:
Thank you
I figured deer's hearing was not super strong like their sense of smell. I've made some noise while watching deer and didn't seem to bother them too much.
deerhunter10
Well-Known Member
I have heard that it's better then a dogs hearing i don't know how much better but better. And dogs hearing is better then ours so i don't agree with the statement above. I think they do not trust their hearing as much as their nose.
BluegrassDan
Well-Known Member
In audio recording we have a rule called the signal-to-noise ratio. The audio source must first be louder than any noise produced by the audio equipment (buzz, hum, hiss, etc) and environmental noise (HVAC, lighting noise, cars driving by, a musician breathing heavily, etc).
While deer have slightly better and more directional hearing, they are still subject to environmental noise (the wind blowing, jets overhead, squirrels rustling leaves, etc.). It is important to keep YOUR noise, as much as possible, below that of the environment.
Additionally, the frequency ranges of the noise is important. If the wind is rustling leaves creating noise at 70db from 1kHz to 8kHz, and you cough at a lower 60db with a frequency range from 100Hz to 5kHz, there is nothing to "mask" your noise in the lower frequencies and you are more likely to be busted.
While deer have slightly better and more directional hearing, they are still subject to environmental noise (the wind blowing, jets overhead, squirrels rustling leaves, etc.). It is important to keep YOUR noise, as much as possible, below that of the environment.
Additionally, the frequency ranges of the noise is important. If the wind is rustling leaves creating noise at 70db from 1kHz to 8kHz, and you cough at a lower 60db with a frequency range from 100Hz to 5kHz, there is nothing to "mask" your noise in the lower frequencies and you are more likely to be busted.
FWIW, I have seen A LOT of deer notice/react to subtle noises that I know 99% of humans could not hear. Just last Saturday evening I was on stand about 20 yards off the edge of a cut bean field and a mature doe and her fawns were at about 100-120 yards out in the field feeding, and had been for the last 30 minutes. At about 5:05, I heard something, very subtle, that kind of sounded like a deer, but more like a coon, opossum or armadillo ever so slightly moving right below my tree in the thick stuff. It may have even been a bird, as I never deciphered just exactly what it was. As soon as I heard the noise (10 yards from base of my tree) the mature doe zeroed in on that sound (looking dead in my direction) and she remained in tune to it until light faded and I lost sight of her. I was taken back by her ability to first hear such a subtle rustle in the leaves at 100-120 yards, and second to pin point it, and third, to never loose focus of where it was coming from. She stared relentlessly in my direction for 10 minutes just waiting on the source of the sound to step out in the field, but to my knowledge, it never did. I still do not know what the source was, but I know that mature doe had it pegged to the tee. I was impressed with the whole ordeal. It was obvious this wasn't her first rodeo.
BlountArrow
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
My wife would agree!!!
BSK
Well-Known Member
deerhunter10 said:
A deer's range of hearing has been tested using electrodes to register brain activity as the deer is subject to different frequencies and intensities of sound. Their range of frequency (frequency of sounds they can hear) is only slightly wider than a human's. Their ability to hear low intensity (low decibles) is better, but not hugely better. Again, most of the difference is focus. Humans ignore most of the sounds they are actually hearing. Deer (and most wild animals) are highly attuned to everything they are hearing because their life depends on it.
BigD_625
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
Good stuff.
BowGuy84
Well-Known Member
BSK leave your substantiated data out of this discussion. There is no room for facts in a world of opinions.
BowGuy84
Well-Known Member
I've seen deer come unglued from a relatively small sound. I also have seen them not notice or pay attention to some obvious sounds...depends on the noise and their mood.
BSK
Well-Known Member
BowGuy84 said:
Seems some hunters feel the need to remind me of this more every year.
BSK
Well-Known Member
BowGuy84 said:
Yup. Deer are attuned to unusual sounds or even patterns of sounds they associate with danger, especially from their #1 predator--Man. Turkeys can make an unbelievable amount of noise moving through the woods. Yet deer will ignore the pattern of those sounds because they are not a threat. But make even the tiniest of metallic sounds from your stand and deer will come unglued.
htnseymour
Well-Known Member
The directional hearing of a deer is truly amazing. They can pin point like crazy where that twig snapped or where that squirrel just rustled the leaves.
BSK
Well-Known Member
htnseymour said:
Sometimes I wish I could rotate my ears like that!
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
HA I got a visual!
