Understanding a Deer's Senses: How Well Can Deer Hear?

Bill Kinney Photography

When hunting deer, the main problem most hunters have is not finding the deer, but outsmarting them.  The senses of wild animals are not necessarily better than ours, they are simply more developed.  Wild animals must rely on their senses for survival and actively pay attention to their surroundings.  Sometimes it can be difficult for a hunter to become accustomed to this level of stealth, but understanding a deer's senses is essential to a successful hunt.

Hearing

A deer's hearing is relatively good.  They have wide, cup shaped ears that are maneuverable and perfect for pinpointing small sounds, which can be a dead giveaway for the careless hunter.  However, this is simply for the careless, because a deer's hearing is actually not as acute as we are led to believe.  A study was conducted to understand just how well a deer could hear and, after collecting all the data, the researchers realized that a deer's hearing is actually not much better than a humans.  They can hear at a higher frequency, but a hunter claiming that the deer heard them click their safety from across the field is a little far fetched.  Instead, what was found was that a deer's ears, because of their build, are a great tool for pinpointing noises and picking out unfamiliar sounds.  It is not necessarily that a deer can hear better, but has trained its ears to pick up noises that are unnatural and could be a danger to the animal.  Usually if a deer hears an unfamiliar noise it will quickly hold its head high and swivel its ears searching for more sounds.  When it feels it is safe it will continue on as normal and dismiss the noise.  If not, it will give a warning snort and run to safety, flagging its tail as a warning sign to others.  Normally why a hunter is caught is because once they have perhaps been heard and the deer looks directly at them, the hunter will either move or look unnatural and spook the deer.  This is why it is essential to blend into your surroundings and train yourself to be as inconspicuous as possible.