Got a Theory on Deer Reactions

[knobbymag]

My theory is that it is not only the sound of the bow that makes a deer react at the shot but, the sound and in my opinion the movement of the bow,limbs, and archer follow thru. In my theory the last thing to be worried about is the noise an arrow makes in flight. I find that the majority of the time deer duck slightly just before the arrow goes into them. Confirmed by video. I'm shooting a quiet bow at mostly relaxed deer and always see at least some movement of the deer. I think they see the movement of the bow shooting and the archer follow thru and it is doubly spooking. I'm always wondering about things. What do y'all think?

[Fletcher]

I kinda agree with you, Knob, or at least I've wondered if movement didn't at least play a role in a deer's reaction.  With deer I've shot, I didn't notice the deer moving until the arrow hit, but on videos, they often are moving.

[Kingwouldbe]

There might be reaction from movement, but what about a double bull blind, where they cant see a thing.

I think it's sound my friend.
 
Speed of sound:
Sound is a vibration that travels through an elastic medium as a wave. The speed of sound describes how far this wave travels in a given amount of time. In dry air at 20 °C (68 °F), the speed of sound is 343 meters per second (1,125 ft/s). This equates to 1,236 kilometers per hour (768 mph), or about one mile in five seconds.

The animal hears your bow and or the arrow flying through the air ( so fast they could smoke a cigarette and still beat your arrow. lol)  that's 37.5 yards in one tenth of a second, your arrow has only moved 6 yards in one tenth of a second( if your shooting 180fps )long before the arrow get's there.

I have stood behind a  brick wall( to be safe ) with my friend shooting about 30 yards to a target past me about 5 yards, not only could I hear the vibration of the limbs, ( I could not hear the string ) I could hear the arrow coming the whole way, slow, vary slow compared to sound.

Just my 2 cent's

[Peachey]

I agree with King, I shoot along side my house, and if you  stand behind it with someone else shooting its amazing at the noise you hear. A deers ears are much larger than mine so I'm sure they hear much better than me. Have you ever shot at a squirrell on the side of a tree only to have it duck around the back right before the arrow gets there, then come right back to where it was as soon as the arrow passes by? I say he heard it coming, thats why he comes back to where he was. The noise is then on the other side of the tree as it passes him. jmo

[George D. Stout]

If you want to negate most of the deer "jumpin" (actually dropping) the string, then choose your shots for when the deer is relaxed.  The worse thing you can do is shoot at a deer that is tensed for action.  Also, don't grunt or bleat to stop a deer that's walking...it immediately goes into stealth (tense) mode.   Sound, itself, doesn't necessarily create a moving deer.

[Don Stokes]

I try to shoot when the deer is calm and distracted if possible. Their reaction time seems to be slower then. If they've seen me, it's hopeless. I've see a doe swap ends and make a jump before my arrow covered 15 yards. Very humbling.

[Bob B.]

absolutely correct Kingwouldbe!  I believe Fred Ashbell has stated the same a time or two.

On a personal note, I think, but can not prove, slower arrows are quieter( in general that is ).  Also, vented heads can make a good amount of noise as well as shield cut arrows.

[knobbymag]

Deer are amazing creatures ain't they. I appreciate the good discussion. The last turkey I shot from a ground blind never moved until the arrow hit it in the back. The last doe from a treestand, I shot in Wisconsin was relaxed and looking away I shot her at 15yds with a very quiet bow, the arrow took her on top of the heart. Since it was videoed I slowed it down and watched her start to duck jus before the arrow hit. Animals are so amazing at their reaction speeds. I can't clap my hands before the arrow hits much less move my whole body.

[Don Stokes]

Wood arrows are quieter in flight than aluminum, all else equal. Don't know about carbon. My testing was before it got popular.

[knobbymag]

King, I killed the doe in Dodgeville. Thought that was kinda neat. Killed her after having to pass up an 8 and 10 pt. No other bucks seen after I had earned a shot. Also I shoot shield feathers and vented heads. You probably jus planted and fertilized a seed of worry in my head. Oh well, I might change to parabolic feathers. I like my Stingers too much to change them.

[trashwood]

it is all my fault.  I am sorry   . I have spent 4 decades eating all the dumb slow deer.  Darwin was right.  The ones I have left are much smarter and a lot quicker.  if i live to hunt many more dacades ya guys ain't never gonna shoot a deer.

that is my story and I am sticking to it  

rusty

[Walt Francis]

Like George, I think you are worrying to much about the sound rather then the temperament of the deer being hunted.  There are way too many variables for me; it kind of confuses my simple mind.  I believe in keeping it simple, think I will go elk hunting instead, at least for the next several weeks.

[kevgsp]

Here is a video I did this past winter.  The camera is by the target so you can hear the arrows as they come in.

I have found what makes the most noise is the sound of the string coming off the fingers, not the actual bow im my case.  Was shooting a tab in the video, and you can hear it.  Since I have switched to a glove that is more quiet.

 

[knobbymag]

I appreciate all the input. I've killed several with both compound and recurve. Since I've started videoing I've noticed things that my naked eye hasn't seen. I do think Chuck Adams had a good point that deer react more on a 20yd shot more than a 30yd shot. It seems when you get in their comfort zone they are quicker to tense and try to move versus raising their head to look. Anyway I'm going to the back yard and work on my form. Good luck to you Mr. Francis on your Elk Hunt.

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

Could it be that a 'close' sound triggers a more severe reaction from a deer than a sound at a relatively farther distance?

I'm thinking they're probably wired to jump away from a disturbance they don't have the time to identify and will hold still long enough to know what made a noise if it's at a distance they can get a running start from if indeed the noise is identified as originating from a threat.

[Uncle Buck]

whitetail hunting author Roy Rivett makes two good points in his books. 1, deer can hear at frequencies that we cannot, at close range they may be able to hear the quietest of bows and 2. what does a deer have to lose by reacting to every sound -if the noise was harmless he ( the deer) uses up a few calories on a short sprint, no big deal, if he doesnt react he could be dead.  I aggree, nature favors the skittish dear.

[Guru]

I agree, it's all about noise...not movement

[joevan125]

You can fool a deers eyes but you cant fool his nose and ears.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Sound waves from a bow are like throwing a rock in the water.. Close to where the rock hit the water, the ripples are pretty intense, the further they travel the less intense they are.. That is an elementary explanation of why a deer reacts more to a close sound than a more distant on..

Yes I can hear an arrow coming but then I can hear the wind off some bird's wings too.

You don't see deer jumping from a passing flock of teal do you, I don't think they will jump from an arrow either.

I do think the visual thing of the limbs sudden movement can add to the reaction but far less than the sound.

[Richie Nell]

Kingwouldbe is exactly right, however, I think we all(at least I do) underestimate and under-realize two things in the woods.
One is how incredibly quiet the air is when hunting and how much noise we actually make when we move, as in drawing our bow or just raising our bow to draw.  Our clothes may seem extremely quiet when in our study at home getting our gear ready.  But at the moment of very quiet Truth we are loud enough to alert a whitetail before releasing the string.