I was set up on the ground tonight, hoping some does would come down a heavily used trail to an alfalfa field. There are several trailed streaming off the hill to the field, I just chose the one where we've seen them coming out onto the field recently. Anyway, I'm sitting there and it's prime time and this little bird... Like a sparrow of some kind (I'm not much of a bird identifier), flutters I to the small tree just a few feet above me and it nervously looks down at me and it starts skwaking... or cawing or screeching ... I don't know what word to use. But I swear it sounded like an alarm to all other wildlife that danger was present! And apparently the deer were listening because they took trails both in from of me and behind me... None came down my trail. It's the first time I've ever noticed a bird's vocalization and connected it to my presence and really wondered if the dang thing blew my cover. Your thoughts?
An article in Montana Outdoors mag this past year about a research project they conducted on such a theory. They found an entire connection of bird vocalizations that traveled for miles after a predator (i.e. human) intervention. The one thing they could not fully determine was the impact on all other animals. It was clear though that birds gave warnings that could be tracked as it spread to other birds through the surrounding areas.
I have learned to immitate some local bird "all clear" calls just to keep things cool while I'm sitting. I don't know if it makes any difference. I know one thing, I sure don't want to piss of any Blue Jays.
Absolutely ! It's happened to me more than once while actually watching the deer react, nothing you can do but smile. It seems to happen more when I'm wearing a 3D of some type rather than just being in regular camo or just neutral wool colored clothes.
I have issues with larger birds myself. Had a tom turkey bust me while watching a good 8 working his way to me. Unfortunately it wasn't turkey season!
QuoteOriginally posted by Jerry Jeffer:
I know one thing, I sure don't want to piss of any Blue Jays.
Jerry, I just googled Blue Jay and I'm pretty sure that's what my bird was!
BLUE JAYS. They will start alarming at pretty much anything. They will alert you of coyotes, bobcats, hawks but I stand up and grab my bow when they make a certain noise because its usually a deer. They really get rowdy at buck deer. Im not sure why. Squirrels also get to barking (the light bark / squeal call) when deer are acting abnormally. I have found several deer that I have shot based on where I heard squirrels barking when they ran off.
Oh yeah. . . catbirds are bad for it too, and may have been what you had there. Critters have their own "danger" cry and it translates to many (critter) languages.
CHuckC
QuoteOriginally posted by Slimpikins:
BLUE JAYS. They will start alarming at pretty much anything. They will alert you of coyotes, bobcats, hawks but I stand up and grab my bow when they make a certain noise because its usually a deer. They really get rowdy at buck deer. Im not sure why. Squirrels also get to barking (the light bark / squeal call) when deer are acting abnormally. I have found several deer that I have shot based on where I heard squirrels barking when they ran off.
If the jays see you there screeching to let every animal in the forest know you are there. Like slimpkins said pay attention to them if it's not you its something else deer,wolf coyote, they are,the knarks of the forest and once you get one going if there others around they all join in (very annoying.) Squirrels too have you ever been in your stand and the first time and the local squirrel spots you in one of his trees it'll climb up close enough to check you out then sit and chide at you for like 20 mins.
Also when the squirrels a very active deer tend to be too. More than once I've been sitting in an orchestra of squirrel activity and have had deer come in and caught me off guard because I thought they were squirrels.
Blue Jays, woodpeckers, and some sort of little tweet birds I can't identify are a royal pain where I hunt. And don't forget the squirrels! They will raise a fuss at the slightest movement. I have seen deer bolt when these alarm cries go up.
However, these alarms do sometimes work in the hunter's favor, as Slimpikins stated. I have heard alarms in the distance and then had deer approach from that direction. Part of woodsmanship is learning to recognize and use these clues to our benefit.
Back in the late 40's early 50's, my grandfather swears that a blue jay cost him a really nice buck in the Ithaca, NY area. To his dying day in 1969, he hated blue jays and kept a pellet rifle handy to "remove" them when he saw them.
If you learn to listen to and identify other animals calls, they will let you know when something is amiss-deer, fox, hawk, owl, person, etc.
A number of years ago, a guy kept a pack of beagles in a kennel on the property next to where I hunt. When his dogs got to carrying on, it usually meant that there were deer moving in my direction. Usually, when the dogs are restrained, deer move freely around them (they feel safe). The dogs will bark and carry on when they see or smell the deer. I have watched deer at my house graze/browse less than 100 feet from my dogs when I let them out in my fenced yard. The deer keep an eye on the dogs but they don't run off.
And beagles are an alarm nobody could ignore :D
Y'all have me wishing it was October in the hardwoods. I love Blue Jays!
I have definitely seen whitetails go on high alert in response to crows reacting to my presence.
My grandfather would always say: "You never see a bluejay on Wednesday". I have spent years trying to disprove his theory.
James
My now deceased uncle claimed in one of his favorite bow hunting spots you could just about follow the deer as they made their way across a lowland area towards an alfalfa field, by listening to the blue jays.
I have not experienced it, but think fondly about Uncle Gene whenever I am hunting and hear some jays.
Pine squirrels are famous for raising a racket when they see a human. I believe that they have a simbiotic relationship with other animals (elk, deer) that tell the hooved critters that there is a predator nearby.
I hate BLUE JAYS!!!!!
I've been busted many times by some little "Finch" type bird before and they will squawk for an hour or so. Real annoying and honestly, I don't recall ever seeing a deer after they squawk.
Blue Jays, crows, and Red squirrels....They are the natural alarms around this part of the world. Been busted more than once buy these culprits.
I agree that blue jays sometimes will alert YOU of approaching deer... I've had that happen. As for squirrels barking (and "crying")... I've noted them doing that at me when deer were close and the deer seem to ignore them.
Early season tree stand hunting can be down right frustrating as jays and other birds first spot me in the stand. I suppose they "see" a hawk, owl or big crow as they will raise cain for quite some time.
LOL Bldtrailer.
I know exactly what your uncle was saying Gary. I have experienced that several times, and even killed a few deer that probably would have slipped up on me and busted had the Jays not alerted me.
Havilah Babcock wrote a book titled "Jaybirds go to hell on Friday". This was supposedly proved by the fact that you never saw one on Friday.
I don't know. Never tried to prove/disprove it.
Murray
My experience with Blue Jays is they squawk at you and they squawk at everything else including deer. If I hear blue jays squawking in the distance, I'm focusing attn. in that direction. Tent blinds are great for avoiding scrutiny from birds.
I have followed deer moving through the woods by Blue Jays squawking and the chatters of squirrels. They seem to let me know when the deer are moving, but in turn the Blue Jays and squirrels will tell the deer of my presents just as fast!!
I have heard squirrels barking at deer coming my way and all so a small wood pecker will do the same thing
I shot a buck years ago and after the shot had a wood hawk land right next to me up in my tree stand . Just checking me out. And every time I see one now I know I'll have a bad day ! It's just a bad mojo thing put on me from the spirits of the forest. . ? .. But jays and such. Will tell ther brothers that something just ant right.
The Wood Thrush and its relatives will nail you around here in early bow season. The quickest way to end the "I tawt I taw a bowhunta" alarm is to go ahead and stand up and shoo it off. Then at least you have a chance for the woods to settle back down. But yeah the sight of one and I won't even bat an eye to keep from getting made. Squirrels come in second and again shooing it off if it is really close works on them too. I figure I can't lose, its raising an alarm so I might as well move and get rid of it.
In my area I actually find that the magpies will follow deer in the hunting season they love the gut piles so when im deep in the woods some times the deer will be followed by magpies and ravens
I don't pay attention to the natural chatter of the woods, but when all goes silent that is another story. Always pay attention to turkey that are moving and feeding through the woods because often the deer are with them. Never let the turkey know that you are present, but pay attention to what is bringing up the rear.
Grouse
I know pine squirrels have an effect on deer. Ill wager birds do also. I had a pine squirrel "yak" at me for 2 solid hrs on a hunt in Wisconsin a number of years ago. He would NOT quit. I threw rocks, sticks and insults to no avail. I finally raised my scoped 7mm mag rifle scope and settled the crosshairs on his ...well you can figure the rest out!
I've had jays and red squirrels persistently scold me many times. Grey squirrels do too but seem to lose interest quicker. No doubt these animals are sounding the alarm. I've seen them scold other animals too foxes, hawks, coyotes as well as deer. I'm not sure the effect it has on deer though. I've seen deer ignore them completely, and if deer avoided the area because of them I have no way of knowing.