Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: philepe on November 24, 2013, 08:19:00 PM

Title: Snort wheez?
Post by: philepe on November 24, 2013, 08:19:00 PM: Im not sure what to call the noise I heard today but I'll try to describe it. It was about 4:30 today I was walking at the edge of a clear cut, not real quietly either. I sat down on a stump and decided to glass for awhile. I heard a noise in the thick reprod that I would describe as a BIG exhale, 2 times in about 10 seconds. I sat and glassed more then it happened again a few minutes later but three or four times, then it sounded like a spooked deer jumping and running through the brush. All the noise stopped for about 5-10 minutes then it happened all over again, snort wheeze/ BIG exhale sound, crash thump thump thump. It sounded like the animal was going in circles because I could definitely tell when it was facing me or facing away by the noise. From the sounds of the thumping and crashing sounds I would say it was about 100 yards away maybe 150 yards away from me, just to give you an idea of the volume. Is this what I have heard people call a "snort wheeze"??
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on November 24, 2013, 08:25:35 PM: I have observed mule deer bucks do this after being pushed out of there beds, then make these noises and bed down again.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: PlateauNDN on November 24, 2013, 08:29:13 PM: Bigfoot for sure (sounds like a buck caught off-guard to me :dunno:) :tup:
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: Tacbeav on November 24, 2013, 08:36:51 PM: I hear this fairly often. Twice that I can remember this year. Every time I have seen the animal it has been a doe. I think it is a warning for other deer when they smell something they don't like.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: lagnar on November 24, 2013, 09:01:55 PM: Blacktail make a noise like someone stabbing car tire and letting the air out at at the end...
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: mdbuck5x5 on November 24, 2013, 09:09:54 PM: From what you're describing, to me it sounds like it was wheezing and stomping its hoofs. Its very common for them to do this when they can't smell and see you! Whitetails are notorious for this.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 05:38:57 AM: Deer make two sounds that are often confused. One is called a snort wheeze, and it is for rutting purposes ONLY. Its a final straw of a dominant buck running off a subordinate prior to a fight. Its not the most common sound as they have to pretty much be undisturbed and you have to be near or observing rutting behavior.

Then there is the sound that deer make when they are trying to smell you. Its actually an inhale not an exhale. Both does and bucks make this sound. They are trying to wind you. Generally they will circle around making this noise. They know something is wrong but cant figure it out either because of noise, or sight. Happens a lot if you are wearing camo. MANY people call this a buck snort. HAS NOTHING to do with being a buck. They are inhaling a ton of air through those glands right under their eyes. They do this over an over again until they catch a whiff or give up. They stomp often while doing it trying to provoke a response from the intruder and also as a warning.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: gonehuntin68 on November 25, 2013, 06:18:41 AM: Quote from: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 05:38:57 AM
Deer make two sounds that are often confused. One is called a snort wheeze, and it is for rutting purposes ONLY. Its a final straw of a dominant buck running off a subordinate prior to a fight. Its not the most common sound as they have to pretty much be undisturbed and you have to be near or observing rutting behavior.

Then there is the sound that deer make when they are trying to smell you. Its actually an inhale not an exhale. Both does and bucks make this sound. They are trying to wind you. Generally they will circle around making this noise. They know something is wrong but cant figure it out either because of noise, or sight. Happens a lot if you are wearing camo. MANY people call this a buck snort. HAS NOTHING to do with being a buck. They are inhaling a ton of air through those glands right under their eyes. They do this over an over again until they catch a whiff or give up. They stomp often while doing it trying to provoke a response from the intruder and also as a warning.

Yep right on the money. ive heard this quite a few times.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: PA BEN on November 25, 2013, 07:06:49 AM: Deer snort when spooked. They will stomp, jump and snort especially if they don't know what you are and have not seen you clearly or smell you.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: MIKEXRAY on November 25, 2013, 07:39:47 AM: I've heard it when in a tree stand and a deer up on the ridge has winded me, I have heard it when a deer has seen me moving but not winded me and even walking in the dark spooking deer in all ways. Definitely a warning sound to other deer as to somethings wrong, they do a foot stomp to get more info from you at the same time. I personally have only seen does do this, never a buck. All the bucks I see just exit the area, I've never had one stand around and make this noise .
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: Jonathan_S on November 25, 2013, 07:44:52 AM: Exactly what Bone said. The snort wheeze is not an alarm sound. The snort wheeze is quieter than the alarm sound too.

The snort wheeze sounds like, ''tsssk, tsssk...whissssssssssss!" it really sounds more like a loud hissing sound than anything. I haven't heard it in the wild more than a few times.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: rickomatic on November 25, 2013, 12:24:10 PM: I've heard, and seen this several times. I've heard that dogs and bears can smell on both the inhale as well as the exhale. I wonder if deer do the same?
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: turkeyfeather on November 25, 2013, 12:38:37 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 05:38:57 AM
Deer make two sounds that are often confused. One is called a snort wheeze, and it is for rutting purposes ONLY. Its a final straw of a dominant buck running off a subordinate prior to a fight. Its not the most common sound as they have to pretty much be undisturbed and you have to be near or observing rutting behavior.

Then there is the sound that deer make when they are trying to smell you. Its actually an inhale not an exhale. Both does and bucks make this sound. They are trying to wind you. Generally they will circle around making this noise. They know something is wrong but cant figure it out either because of noise, or sight. Happens a lot if you are wearing camo. MANY people call this a buck snort. HAS NOTHING to do with being a buck. They are inhaling a ton of air through those glands right under their eyes. They do this over an over again until they catch a whiff or give up. They stomp often while doing it trying to provoke a response from the intruder and also as a warning.
We call this blowing. Is that what everyone else calls it too?
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 12:40:25 PM: Yes, more reasons than one. It usually means your cover has been blown. :)
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: turkeyfeather on November 25, 2013, 12:47:01 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 12:40:25 PM
Yes, more reasons than one. It usually means your cover has been blown. :)
True dat! :tup: I had a doe blow at me late modern season. I heard the "blowing" behind me, slowly turned around to see. I finally saw her thru binos 125 yrds away uphill, and I was downwind of her. I was sitting in a clump of bushes. Still not quite sure how she picked me out but she did.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: Jonathan_S on November 25, 2013, 12:48:29 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 12:40:25 PM
Yes, more reasons than one. It usually means your cover has been blown. :)

:yeah: and those doggone whitetail does never quit until they get a good whiff or sighting. We had a doe circle our setup blowing for 20 mins in October, scaring every buck in the woods I'm sure :chuckle:
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: Doublelunger on November 25, 2013, 01:04:34 PM: This is a good snort wheeze. (right after the 20 second mark)

nice buck snort wheeze (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUovwnAleL0#)

This one is what you here when you get busted!

Busted - Audio of Whitetail on Alert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36YdXalogtw#)
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: Heredoggydoggy on November 25, 2013, 01:20:20 PM: I saw a Whitetail Doe wheezing and stomping at a Farm Cat on a dirt road. The next day I saw the same doe and froze where I was. The doe wheezed and stamped at me, as if trying to get me to move so she could see what I was. after a while she turned and ran off. I could have legally shot her, but how do you shoot an animal that is looking at you and stamping her foot? :chuckle:
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: actionshooter on November 25, 2013, 04:47:24 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 05:38:57 AM

Then there is the sound that deer make when they are trying to smell you. Its actually an inhale not an exhale. Both does and bucks make this sound. They are trying to wind you. Generally they will circle around making this noise. They know something is wrong but cant figure it out either because of noise, or sight. Happens a lot if you are wearing camo. MANY people call this a buck snort. HAS NOTHING to do with being a buck. They are inhaling a ton of air through those glands right under their eyes. They do this over an over again until they catch a whiff or give up. They stomp often while doing it trying to provoke a response from the intruder and also as a warning.
I was hunting in some open timber this year and blew some deer out of there beds and this describes EXACTLY what happened. The only thing different is I made two short calls on my grunt tube and a pretty good buck came charging back in and wanted a piece of me. :)
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: philepe on November 25, 2013, 06:27:08 PM: Thanks for all the responses guys. My wife even commented how cool this website is. Bone Addict the second part of your description makes sense, I was being loud so I was busted.
Double lunger your second video is exactly the sound, just missing the stomping.
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: boneaddict on November 25, 2013, 06:39:25 PM: :tup:
Title: Re: Snort wheez?
Post by: PA BEN on November 26, 2013, 07:35:38 AM: Quote from: MIKEXRAY on November 25, 2013, 07:39:47 AM
I've heard it when in a tree stand and a deer up on the ridge has winded me, I have heard it when a deer has seen me moving but not winded me and even walking in the dark spooking deer in all ways. Definitely a warning sound to other deer as to somethings wrong, they do a foot stomp to get more info from you at the same time. I personally have only seen does do this, never a buck. All the bucks I see just exit the area, I've never had one stand around and make this noise .
I always thought it was does only that snort/blow until this year. 38 years of hunting deer never seen a buck do it. Well this year I had two bucks come in down wind of me, they stopped 75yds out and one started snort/blowing. Up until now if I didn't see the deer snort/blow I always thought it was a doe. I missed a buck this year, he ran stopped and started snorting/blowing, stomping and looking past the tree I was in into the woods behind me. He came back snorting/blowing, stomping all the way, I knocked another arrow and arrowed him at 20yds. He was alert so I aimed low thinking he would jump the string, he didn't and I hit him in the brisket. Long story short he lived, got him on a game camera 2 months later.