White-tailed Deer Communication
Vocalizations
White-tailed Deer use different sounds to keep in contact with each
other . Deer also make sounds associated with courtship and breeding
behavior. The tone of the call usually depends on the deer; older and
larger deer, especially bucks, tend to make deeper sounds.
Alarm/Distress
The Snort is an intense blowing sound produced by expelling air
through the nostrils. Deer that see or hear a disturbance but cannot
smell the source often use repeated low snorts, foot stomping, head
bobbing and tail flipping, to alert other deer of danger. The head
bobbing and foot stomping may be used to startle a predator so it may
give itself away. A deer's sense of smell is thought to be independent
of conscious discrimination, and deer that smell danger usually snort,
then flee while flagging the tail.
The Grunt is used in three different forms to express dominance
or to threaten another deer. It is also used to locate other deer, which
causes them to respond by coming to the call, or by announcing their
location by returning the call.
The Low Grunt is used by both does and bucks throughout the year.
This is the first level of aggression, used to displace lesser deer.
If the lesser animal does not move it is usually rushed and may be
kicked with a forefoot by the dominant.
The Grunt-Snort is used most often by bucks during the breeding
season in more intense situations. One or more snorts are added to a
grunt.
The Grunt-Snort-Wheeze is the most intense form of an aggressive call.
It consists of a grunt-snort followed by a drawn out wheeze through
pinched nostrils.
Contact
The Social Grunt is often performed by members of a doe group when
they become separated, and it may help deer stay in contact when they
can't see each other.
Maternal
The Maternal Grunt is a low, quick grunt performed at short intervals
when a doe approaches the fawn's bedding site. The fawn generally
leaves it's bed and joins the doe.
The Mew is used by the fawn when it wants attention, or is given
in response to the maternal grunt of the doe.
The Bleat is the fawn version of the bawl, it is given by the
fawn when it wants urgent attention, is hungry, or wants care.
The Nursing Whine occurs while the fawn is nursing or searching
for a nipple.
Mating
The Tending Grunt is a low grunt used by bucks when pursuing an
estrus doe. It may consist of a single short grunt, several grunts or a
long drawn out grunt.
The Click is a clicking sound bucks may make when looking for of
following estrous does. It sounds like someone slowly running a
fingernail across the teeth of a comb.
Whitetail Body Language
Deer perform several different movements and body postures when they
interact with other deer, and as they react to the different sights,
scents and sounds around them.
Whitetail Body Signals: All Deer
Deer often stamp their front feet when alarmed to alert other deer of
danger.
Deer use a tail waving motion as they flee, probably to warn
other deer of danger. A running deer that is not flagging may be a buck.
A buck walks with its head high, tail held half way out as a
threat to another buck.
A buck curls its upper lip and sucks air into its mouth so that
scents come in contact with the nasal organ. This is performed by a
buck with or trailing an estrous doe.
A deer sensing danger may lower its head as if to feed, only to
pick it's head back up again quickly. The head bob may be an attempt to
catch a predator moving while it thinks the deer is feeding when it's
head is down, or the quick head bob may be used to startle a waiting
predator into giving it's position away by moving. This may be used
after a foot stomp.
A deer will remain still as long as it does not flick it's tail
from side to side. Once the tail starts to flick the deer it getting
ready to move.
A doe with its ears forward or relaxed is usually alone or with
its fawns. A doe twitching it's ears to the side or backwards is
probably listening to her fawns or other deer. A doe turning its ears or
head to the rear during the rut may have a buck following it.
Deer paw to dig up food , to dig up minerals and before lying
down to clear away sticks, stones and snow. Bucks paw, stomp and sniff
the ground when making a scrape . When a buck paws slowly, it may stay
awhile; if it paws, stops, looks around, and paws again, it may be
getting ready to leave.
Aggressive Behavior: Bucks and Does
The aggressive deer walks toward another deer. This is the lowest
level of aggression.
The deer lays its ears back along its neck with the ear openings
facing out. This is low intensity aggression that is frequently used.
The deer stands erect, holds its head high, tilts its nose
upward, and lays its ears back. This is a seldom used threat.
The aggressive deer lowers its head and extends its neck toward
another deer, with its ear's laid back. This is called the Hard Look by
deer biologists.
The deer lunges with its head toward another deer without making
contact.
The head of the deer is pointed in the direction of another deer,
and the head is snapped up and backward, then back to a resting
position.
A deer will strike at a non-dominant with a forefoot one or more
times. The hoof does not necessarily hit the other deer. Also called
the Strike.
The deer runs rapidly at another deer, but stops before contact
is made.
A deer that does not respond to a lower level of aggression may
be chased by a dominant, while it uses the head low posture as it
pursues the non-dominant.
A dominant lifts a foreleg about eighteen inches above the ground
and drags it across the back of a subordinate. It is used by a dominant
to displace a subordinate from a bed.
One deer contacts another with its nose. This is used to direct
group movement or to displace another deer.
The deer lowers its head, spread it's forelegs to lower the front
of the body while it shakes its head from side to side. A high threat
usually performed at a distance.
The aggressive deer approaches another deer and pushes against
the rear of the other with its shoulder while laying its throat on the
back of the other deer.
Two deer walk slowly side by side in a head high threat posture.
Bucks usually turn their head and body slightly away from each other in a
show of redirected aggression. If neither deer retreats one or both
deer my flail or rush the other.
A deer rears up on its hind legs. This is usually preceded by a
head high threat.
Deer stand on their rear legs and strike out with both forefeet
at each other. This continues until one deer stops. This is the most
aggressive behavior exhibited by does and by bucks without antlers.
Aggressive Behavior: Bucks Only
The buck licks its nose constantly.
The buck lowers its head with his antlers toward an opponent. The
deer is usually hunched with all four legs flexed, lowering the height
of the deer. The buck's hair often stands up. The bucks may walk slowly
with a stiff-legged walk. This is performed only during the rutting
season among dominant bucks.
The dominant bucks slowly circles it's opponent while crouching.
A snort performed while the buck circles another buck. The upper
lip is raised upwards at each side beneath the nostrils. The nostrils
are held tightly closed while a five to ten second burst of air is blown
through the nostrils causing them to vibrate.
A Buck lowers its head so that its antlers point directly at
another buck. If the other deer uses an antler threat a rush usually
follows.
Two bucks lock antlers and push and twist their head back and
forth. A non-violent contest between bucks of all sizes. The bucks may
remain together afterward.
A form of aggression usually between two hostile large bucks.
Both bucks lunge at each other with an antler clash. They may attempt to
push or pull each other around. Their hair often stands up and the
white hairs of the metatarsal gland are often visible. Bucks frequently
grunt and snort during a fight.
White-tailed Deer Scent Glands and Organs
White-tailed deer use pheromones, or scents, to communicate their
sex, sexual readiness, dominance, direction of travel and possibly fear
by: 1. self-impregnation (leaving scent on themselves) and 2. leaving
scents on the ground and vegetation, and at the visual and chemical
signposts of rubs and scrapes. These scents are so specific that deer
have the ability to distinguish individual scent no matter how many
other deer are in the area. Glands produce many of these deer scents
The forehead glands are located between the top of the eyes and
the antlers. They are most active during the rut. The activity of these
glands has been correlated with age and probable social status; they are
most active in dominant bucks. The glands produce an oily substance
making the hair appear dark. The oil is transferred to rubbed trees and
the overhanging branch at scrapes when the head of the buck comes in
contact with the tree; and is used by dominant bucks to advertise their
presence to both sexes. Marking trees and branches with forehead scent
is a means of dominance and recognition among bucks. It has been noted
that dominant bucks create most rubs, and they rub more often than sub
dominants. The scent from the forehead glands may be used as a priming
pheromone to bring does into estrus; and to synchronize the timing of
the rut between bucks and does when it is left in areas used by does.
Located in front of the eye, is the pre-orital gland and is under
muscular control and may be opened by rutting bucks to signal
aggressive behavior. Females open this gland when tending fawns. It may
not be rubbed on the overhanging branch as previously thought.
These two almond shaped nasal glands are located inside the
nostrils and are probably used to lubricate the nose. They may also be
used to leave scent on overhanging branch
The vomeronasal organ is a diamond shaped organ located on the
roof of the mouth and serves some of the same purposes as the nose. It
is used primarily to analyze urine, while performing the lip curl and
sniff. When a buck curls its upper lip and sucks air into its mouth so
that scents come in contact with the vomeronasal organ. It is usually
performed by a buck that is with/trailing an estrus doe. Analysis of
urine through the vomeronasal organ may help to synchronize the breeding
readiness between bucks and does.
The salivary glands inside the mouth produce saliva, which
contains enzymes to help in digestion. The enzymes in the saliva may
contribute to the scent left on the overhanging branch at scrapes, and
on rubbed trees when a deer licks or chews the branch or tree.
The interdigital glands are located between the hoofs of all four
feet of white-tailed deer. The scent is left each time the deer takes a
step. It is also left in large amounts when a deer stamps its foot, and
when a buck makes a scrape. Each deer has its own scent, and because
some of the compounds in this scent may be present in higher
concentrations in mature males (3 1/2+ years), they may alert other deer
of the presence of a dominant buck. Does use this scent to track their
fawns, bucks use it to track does. Because scent molecules evaporate at
different rates deer can determine which way another deer went by the
amount of scent left behind. The scent from these glands is the primary
tracking scent of deer.
The prenuptial gland is located on the inside of the buck's penal
sheath and may be used for lubrication.
The metatarsal glands are a light tan colored circle of hair of
about 1 2/3 inches in length located on the outside of the hind leg
between the toe and the hock, or heel on whitetails. They are not actual
glands, because they have no duct. Mule Deer exhibit the largest
glands, then the Black-tailed Deer, and the White-tailed Deer. It has
been suggested that whitetails open this gland when alarmed to express
danger. It is not totally understood in whitetails, but I have seen it
flared when two bucks fight.
The tarsal glands appear as a tuft of erectile hairs, measure
about 4 inches in diameter, and are located on the inside of the hind
leg near the hock. The scent of these glands are specific, allowing
other deer to determine age and sex of the deer leaving the scent. The
strong smell of the tarsal gland is caused by the deposit of urine on
the deer's gland during rub-urination. This occurs when the deer brings
the back legs together and urinates over these glands. Bucks do this to
display social dominance by marking themselves with the scent, and they
determine social ranking by sniffing each other's tarsal. Does
rub-urinate to make it easier for their young to follow them; and
possibly to express status among doe groups. Young animals rub-urinate
as a means of self-marking. Part of the function of the scent from this
gland may be to act as a warning signal. The scent from this gland is
the primary recognition scent of deer.
Urine
Bucks smell estrogen in the urine of females when they are ready to
breed. The combination of scents left behind during rub-urination at a
scrape (urine, testosterone, and tarsal) may serve as priming
pheromones to bring female into estrus.
Bucks may travel together prior to the rut. They often groom each
other?s head/neck region, and know the smell of each other by the
forehead, tarsal, metatarsal and other scents. Older bucks exert
dominance over non-dominate bucks throughout the year by threats;
kicking with the foreleg, and attacking with the antlers. When sparring
begins in the fall the younger bucks already know which other bucks are
dominant and stronger. They also know which dominant used a rub,
overhanging branch and scrape by the smell left behind; this eliminates
much of the fighting between bucks that might otherwise occu
