Snort Wheeze sound - Bucks only??

[Hunter 257W]

Yesterday evening I was spraying around some old buildings on the farm and suddenly as I came around one building I heard the unmistakable deer sound we call a "Snort Wheeze" from just beyond a fencerow about 35 or 40 yards down wind of me. It sent a chill up and down my back I can promise you as I wasn't expecting deer to be in that area anymore since the neighbor that joins my land on that side has cleared every inch of his 265 acre farm - there is very little cover to attract a deer beyond my land in that direction and this sound was coming from the very edge of my land.

Anyhow, the point of my post here is that I thought this sound was only made by aggressive bucks during breeding time of the year when their testosterone is high. I got in my truck and drove across the field to look on the other side of the fencerow the sound came from and there were about 18 or 20 does standing out in the field apparently being the group of deer that snorted at me and having retreated back across the field as a result. I doubt there being a buck in a group that large this time of year, so could one of that group of does made that Snort Wheeze? All I've ever seen or heard does do is the blowing sound that sounds more like a chirp or a sharp quick sound, not that drawn out Snort Wheeze that I heard.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I've heard many vocals quite frequently, but only in the fall. Never heard a doe snort wheeze, much less this time of year. However, I have seen an older, nice racked buck chasing and singling out a doe out of a group of them in mid-May before. He was dogging them hard

 

[BSK]

Personally, I've never heard a real snort-wheeze in the field. Primarily because I've never seen two bucks really go at it, which is when a buck would make that sound.

 

[Volbuck777]

I've heard only one buck snort wheeze and that was the first day of rifle last year. He was checking a doe out. Then another buck walked out of nowhere. I'm not sure if he knew the other buck was their because it was upwind of him and over the hill. Anyway up till that point it seemed a myth. I'm a believer now.

 

[jemo4570]

I've heard several over the years.
I've only seen one buck actually do it.
I had several does pass by my stand one morning a couple years ago. 15-20 minutes later they came running back and stopped all around my tree looking back up the trail. Knowing it was probably a buck, I eased up my binos and watched the trail. I saw that he had a decent rack , but couldn't decide if I wanted to take him. Still looking through the binos, he stopped at 70-80 yards for what seemed like an hour looking at the does still under my stand. I still had the binos up and right before he started moving again, he did a lip curl and then a snort wheeze.
By the time I got the binos down and my gun up, he was 8 steps from my tree.
He was 5.5 year old, 135" 8 point.
A good day!

 

[TDW05]

I heard it once with a buck running a doe. She bedded and wouldn't move and he sort of charged her and snort wheezed. Only time I've heard it.

 

[RobDooley]

I can remember vividly...the first time I saw and heard a mature buck blow. He busted me. For years I thought only does would blow. Nope, I was wrong.

 

[Ski]

I've seen dominant does snort & yap & make all kinds of odd sounds at other does. They even rear up to hoof punch at them. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to hear something like a snort-wheeze amongst a group of does, especially if there was a show of dominance in process. I've been around a lot of wild deer and still am learning. They're a whole lot more complex than I ever imagined.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Thanks for the replies. I guess it just shows that anything can happen when you are dealing with wild animals and all the variables that entails. What I heard was definitely a snort wheeze and not the short barking/coughing sound I normally hear does make when alarmed. I have one ladder stand that every single time I've tried to hunt it some does would get behind me and make that sound over and over again regardless of how the wind was blowing so I have that normal doe sound memorized.

 

[tickweed]

I have heard the grunt fart wheeze several times.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I have heard the grunt fart wheeze several times.

I hear that one right behind me on a lot of deer hunts for some reason. Must be sasquatch because there is always a terrible odor and nothing else when I turn around to see what made the roar.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Have witnessed a lot of different deer vocals, but don't think I have ever heard a snort wheeze like some videos I have seen. Definitely have never heard a deer make a sound like the snort wheeze calls that were promoted so heavily by the "pro's" on tv 10-15 years ago.

 

[LenS]

I have heard a snort wheeze twice, and it has been the last 2 seasons. In both instances it was what I believe to be a 2.5 year old buck making the noise towards a yearling buck. Also in both instances the yearling buck was dogging a doe and the older buck came along. What was also cool is that the hair along the neck and back of the older buck stood straight up, his ears were laid back, and he was walking stiff-legged.