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But exactly how good are a deers ears?

Tim0712

Tim0712

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2021
Messages
777
Totally random thought but how good do we really believe deers ears to be? Do any of us this they pick up frequencies more than sound? I enjoy reading in the tree very much but I have a tendency to get sucked into what I’m reading to the extent of forgetting I’m even hunting sometimes. Also looking down that king tends to really cramp up my neck upper back and shoulders. Has anyone been using wireless ear buds to listen to podcast or Audio books? Obviously at a low volume with only one in but I’d hate for it to actually effect the spookiness of any incoming game.
 
My understanding is that deers ears are only slightly better than ours in terms of sensitivity to volume. But they are able to hear higher frequency sounds much better than we can. I believe this translates into: we have a similar ability to hear footsteps but they can detect the clink of metal on metal much better than we can.

I don’t read or listen to audio when hunting: I’m usually in pretty thick areas where deer tend to appear with little or no warning. If I hunted bigger, more open spaces with high visibility I might consider a book, but I’d have a hard time sacrificing my ears.
 
Jammintree said:
My understanding is that deers ears are only slightly better than ours in terms of sensitivity to volume. But they are able to hear higher frequency sounds much better than we can. I believe this translates into: we have a similar ability to hear footsteps but they can detect the clink of metal on metal much better than we can.

I don’t read or listen to audio when hunting: I’m usually in pretty thick areas where deer tend to appear with little or no warning. If I hunted bigger, more open spaces with high visibility I might consider a book, but I’d have a hard time sacrificing my ears.
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I’m not trying to sacrifice my ears by any means it would be my bad ear at a volume just loud enough to hear haha I can’t hear anything on my left really wether the ear is plugged or open. I too hunt a lot of thick stuff however I hunt ALOT of briar patches that’s only 6-8 foot tall so I can see for a long way when I’m up 30 feet haha any actual timber I’m ever in is usually oak flats so again I can see a ways so I can sacrifice a little bit on my hearing during the stretch throughout the day. Prime time hours like always will still have 100% dedicated attention
 
I've killed several deer inside of 50 yards (rifle/muzzleloader) while listening to a Saturday football game. I have a tiny radio that runs on a couple AAA batteries and use ear plugs - (the kind on wires). I usually drape the wires over my ears and let the ear pieces just hang in front so I can still hear what's around me in the woods. The volume is so low, even right in front of my ears I barely hear them, and if I hold them at arm's length I can't hear them at all. I'm not concerned about a deer hearing them at 20 yards. I'm more afraid of dropping them and making noise.
 
well I know last season. I was in a climber a doe walked not 50 yards from me. The same time it’s duck season so shotguns going off like it’s a war. That doe didn’t care 1 bit about them shotguns.
I was talking to my hunting partner after that. He said last year he shot a 10 point literally right when he hung the phone with his wife.
 
I bought a pair of bone conduction headphones 2 seasons ago. I pretty much don't go hunting without them now. I don't always use them, but I've spent a lot of very pleasant hours sitting in pretty woods, waiting on deer, listening to a good ebook.

I've shot several deer within bow range with them on.
 
I once shot a squirrel with a .22 out of a shagbark hickory which fell about 5 feet in front of a doe and she kind of jerked and walked up and smelled the kill and calmly walked on down the trail. I was no more than 20 yards away when I shot. I think movement and smell are bigger concerns to them.
 
Nutterbuster said:
I bought a pair of bone conduction headphones 2 seasons ago. I pretty much don't go hunting without them now. I don't always use them, but I've spent a lot of very pleasant hours sitting in pretty woods, waiting on deer, listening to a good ebook.

I've shot several deer within bow range with them on.
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What brand/model are you using?
 
I think their ears are about on par with ours. I'm not sure they're not a little worse. On windy days, you get out much past 15 or 20 yards, you pretty much have to shout to stop them. There's no way earbuds at a reasonable level could spook them.

I wouldn't want to take away my hearing at all though. That's a big advantage ambush hunting.

Trestand hunting is boring sometimes (ok, often) beyond the point of enjoyment. But if I'm compromising what I'm out there to accomplish, what's even the point in being out there?
 
elk yinzer said:
Trestand hunting is boring sometimes (ok, often) beyond the point of enjoyment. But if I'm compromising what I'm out there to accomplish, what's even the point in being out there?
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call me a woods geek, but I absolutely love sitting in silence and watching and listening to the woods. There is usually so much going on around me. There are always birds or other animals making noises - who are they and what are they doing? If nobody is talking that day I find there’s no shortage of things to look at with my binoculars. I think that in the modern era of constant overstimulation our brains are accustomed to needing intense and flashy stuff to keep us occupied. But I really love the quiet meditation of reading the woods. When hunting season is over that’s what I crave the most - much more than the adrenaline rush of a big buck approaching or firing a shot, or tracking a buck in snow. All those things are of course sublime, delicious and intoxicating! But they are amplified and made more precious by the days and weeks of silently waiting and watching the world - in whatever way works well for us as individuals.
 
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I have to add to this that I’m very fortunate the past few years to be able to fully dedicate myself to hunting. I’ve been able to be a full time deer hunter in November and December. What I’ve found is that sitting still is really hard at first, but after about a week I settle in and begin to crave that quiet meditative state of reading the woods. It’s also important to say that hunting is very unique to each of us; we all have very different ways and that’s a beautiful thing. I encourage everyone to learn from others but to also be courageous enough to develop your own style, technique and approach and to strive for success based on personal goals.
 
My uncle would always use his Bluetooth headset when he hunted. That way he could get calls and listen to football games.
 
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