Deer sneeze?

longbow fanatic 1 · October 15, 2013, 08:51:00 AM

The other evening while bow hunting, I heard something I've never heard before. It was 3:00 PM and I heard several whooshing sounds coming from a bluff north of me. It sounded like a hunter opening a nylon tent or snapping a canvas tarp to lay on the ground. This went on for several minutes. I looked and noticed what turned out to be two Does standing about 50 yards away. Like most of us, I have spent a lot of hours in the woods during my life, and I've heard a lot of deer vocalization but this was very unusual. The vocalization I most recently heard was not a snort. One of the Does was standing facing away from me and her attention seemed to be in the opposite direction of my location. I was never able to actually watch the deer clearly as the vocalization was made due to foliage between the deer and my location. Eventually, the deer moved up the ridge and paralleled my location.

For additional information, I was wearing a Scent Loc type suit and used a cover spray on my clothing before going to my stand. Not sure if they were reacting to the cover spray, which was a fall type scent spray.

Any ideas?

KentuckyTJ · October 15, 2013, 09:22:00 AM

I have heard them sneeze a lot. Had a doe come by the other night and did it.

gringol · October 15, 2013, 09:33:00 AM

I've seen/heard it. Last one was a doe less than 10 yds from me. She definitely sneezed. Had the little head shake and everything.

October 15, 2013, 09:35:00 AM

I think the wolves they get up in the nasal cavity causes them to sneeze quite a bit.

VictoryHunter · October 15, 2013, 09:40:00 AM

I have seen this as well on several occasions. Young bucks do it especially when they are nose to the ground searching for something.

longbow fanatic 1 · October 15, 2013, 09:57:00 AM

Too funny!

TxAg · October 15, 2013, 01:09:00 PM

I've heard it before. Nasal bots are usually to blame.

John Scifres · October 15, 2013, 01:34:00 PM

This poor doe stood 30 yards from my stand once and sneezed about 100 times in a row. I felt so sorry for her as a an allergy sufferer myself. I wished I could give her a Claritin or sumpin

huntnmuleys · October 15, 2013, 01:41:00 PM

saw a calf elk in Montana have a complete sneezing fit this year. allergic reaction maybe? the cool part, it was literally feet from my poor dad, he couldn't move but he doesn't hear super well and it was right behind him, he had no idea what it was. I still chuckle about that.

olddogrib · October 15, 2013, 01:56:00 PM

Yes, they do, and it's amusing. But the strangest vocalization has to be what has been referred to by some as the buck's snort/wheeze which if I remember correctly usually means that he's highly pissed at another buck and getting ready to "open a can"!

Doc Nock · October 15, 2013, 02:04:00 PM

Speaking of Wheeze, Richard, the funniest thing I've seen in the woods was one year using a buck decoy..

A spike come by...ran way, slinked back and tried to snort-wheeze at our decoy. All he did was to snot all over himself...

We were in a double bull and I about fell off my stool trying not to laugh out loud!

I empathize with deer sneezing since allergies keep me in practice a bunch of the year! I have to catch myself to keep from saying "Gesundheit" when they do it near me!

rolltidehunter · October 15, 2013, 02:40:00 PM

I see deer cough and sneeze all the time. This year I had a doe bed down behind my stand she sneezed about 50 time In about an hour time frame.

The deer were not reacting to your scentlok and cover spray. That sentlok and cover spray smells like a human to a deer. I realize this is not a topic on sentlok but save your
Money and don't buy it

Barry Wensel · October 15, 2013, 03:13:00 PM

I think it was last year I heard eight different deer sneeze before I actually saw them. There's some footage on our DVD Essential Encounters showing both deer sneezes and wheezes. You can actually see the mist blown out when he sneezes. They're two totally different sounds. The sneeze is sometimes caused when deer are scrounging in dry leaves feeding acorns and dust gets inhaled. But more often it's likely caused from nasal bots. Google up deer bots. There's all kinds of photos and explanations on them. Once you hear it you'll always know what it is from then on. Keep your eyes .. and ears open. bw

longbow fanatic 1 · October 15, 2013, 04:59:00 PM

Nasal bots? Interesting!

Burnsie · October 15, 2013, 05:05:00 PM

Looked it up, those nasal bots are nasty! I'd be sneezing too if I had them up my nose.