There you are trying to bag yourself a 12-point buck; when a deer comes close or behind you and blows at you, is the hunt over? More importantly, what should you do in such a situation? This article will look at what to do when a deer blows at you. We will also discuss the reasons why deer blow or snort.
Reasons Of Why Deer Blow and Snorts
Before we get into what to do, it is important to understand why a deer might blow at you. The most obvious reason is to alert other deer in the area. Deer will blow or snort if they sense or see something out of the ordinary.
Whitetails are social animals and typically live in small groups. The old matriarch doe is usually the leader of the group and she’s responsible for ensuring that everything is okay and keeping the group organized. When she notices something out of the ordinary or smells something that doesn’t belong, she’ll create havoc.
When the deer blows it sounds like a low-pitched “whoof or whooshes repeatedly on the other hand snorting emits an explosive hiss.
As such, you may not be the reason a deer blows. Many things in the woods can cause such a reaction from a deer. Basically, anything that a deer perceives as a threat will cause it to snort or blow.
On the other hand, it may mean that the deer you are trying to hunt has noticed you or can smell you; after all, deer have an exceptional sense of smell. This is most likely for bow hunters who need to be in closer proximity to their prey than rifle hunters.
What To Do When A Deer Blows At You
Now that we know why the deer blows at you, let’s get into the meat of the matter, what should you do when this happens. There are several things you can do, and we are going to discuss each individually.
Stay Put And Don’t Move
As stated above, deer will blow if they detect or smell something out of the ordinary. However, when a deer blows in your direction, it does not mean they have noticed you. It may mean that they smell something strange in the air.
In that case, moving from where you are will only make matters worse as the deer will now notice you. The right thing to do is stay where you are and not move. In other instances, the deer may be blowing for another reason, not your presence.
Lastly, when a deer blows, it does not mean that all nearby deer will flee. So staying put is the best thing to do.
Blow Back At The Deer
Sometimes, a deer may blow at you not once but twice, thrice, or even four times. So what should you do in such a scenario? Remaining quiet seems like a good idea, but what may amaze you is that blowing back at the deer is what you should do.
Suppose a deer blows at you once you can remain quiet and not react. But if it comes back and blows again, blowback at it. In most cases, the deer will come back to try and figure out what is happening.
Also, the returning deer may come in the company of more deer or even a buck. This can make your hunting a lot easier with your prey coming towards you.
Most hunters who have used this technique report that the deer often return to where they are. Also, when you blow buck, nearby deer may think that it is another deer or buck that spooked the deer that blew.
Take Down The Deer/Doe:
When the above solution not working and seeing that the deer/doe is still creating havoc, your best bet is to take her down. Because she’s the one in charge, and alerting the rest of the herd to your presence which will hamper your hunting experience.
Taking down the mature doe can be done in a number of ways, but typically when hunting a big game it’s best to use a compound bow, deer hunting crossbow, or rifle. When taking down an animal with a firearm it’s important to aim for their head and spine as this will ensure the most humane outcome for the animal.
How To Avoid Deer Blows
It doesn’t mean that the hunt is over when a deer blows at you; however, it isn’t something you want happening to you frequently. The best thing you can do to prevent this is to minimize your human odor.
Deer have a very good sense of smell and can smell from as far as ¼ miles away. So minimizing your human odor will help avoid detection. There are several things you can do to reduce your odor. The main ones being
Showering before a hunt: Taking a shower before a hunt is always a good idea; however, avoid using scented soaps or shampoos. The deer will be able to pick up the smell easily as soap and shampoo scents are not natural scents and will alert deer.
Opt for rubber boots instead of leather: Believe it or not, deer can smell leather, so wearing leather shoes to a hunt is never a good idea. Instead, you should opt for scent-free rubber boots.
Use activated carbon on your clothing: Activated carbon is a substance that absorbs odors. Lining the inside of your hunting clothing with this material will help reduce your human odor.
Conclusion
Many things can cause a deer to blow or snort in the woods. And while you are one of them, you are not the only thing. Thus, when a deer blows at you staying put is the best cause of action. And if it blows at you more than once, blow back at it and see what happens.
