Thread: Barking mad?

Hello chappettes and chaps

Question for all you knowledgeable folk out there around barking deer.

Got barked at five times times tonight from what feels like the same spot within the space of 3 minutes. Couldn't see anything, had a 10 metre drop to a creek in between me and the deer, so couldn't close the gap. It sounded pretty close, too, I'd estimate it at 30-40 meters based on nothing but guttfeel. I'm used to getting one bark and then the hills empty out, or multiple barks if there is a chance to pursue the animal and have a bit of a running battle. Not tonight though, same spot every time (at least from what my ears told me.)

So here's my question: What's up with the stationary barking deer?

I got 3 theories:
1) It was a hind and its bambi didn't get it's act together so mum called 5 times.
2) I manage to stumble across the only deaf and blind deer that's using echolocation.
3) It was as confused as I was.

All have merit, of course, but which one is it? I personally think it's 3, however considering the amount of noise I made I would have thought it was quite obvious that I was not another animal.

Thoughts, chappettes and chaps?

3 is likely. It only heard you, but had not seen or smelt you. And didn’t hear enough to confirm for certain there was danger there to make an exit.

I reckon 4: you were near its fawn and it was trying to cause some kind of distraction to move you away

Thanks gentlemen. Both answers make sense. Not sure if this has any bearing on this at all, but there was also a lot of pig droppings about. Wondering if deer are happily having fawns with pigs around or if they move off to saver spots?

it knows your there....knows you cant see it..so happy to stay put and stuff up your chances of finding anything nearby.... sika are renowned for doing it...had reds do it at times,normally after have just shot one of their mates...last time I had just shot big hind and DEEP gutteral barking went on for ages from no more than 100 yards away,poor Meg was turning herself inside out,I rang RUMPY to see if he could hear it over phone...deer just wouldnt shut up,sat down with Meg under my knee to calm her down....man it was LOUD...almost as loud as stag roaring....eventually it moved off....have read of guys running straight at barking deer and sometimes having sucess as deer then completely confused and MAY think its another deer trying to get away too. running is not for me so never tried that caper,probably trip myself up and do damage.....

Must have been an amazing experience, MD. Love having these sort of experiences that you only get from being out there.

And to be fair, I kind of bark, too, if someone interrupts my pre-dinner snacking.

had a hind barking at me for 5 minutes after I shot its yearling, had one bark at me and wait for me to come in close then cruise off another 20m through the bush and stop and repeat I followed for a couple hundy metres before giving up I assume it was leading me away from a fawn, best one tho was a 2 yr old hind who barked her head off at me for 5 minutes until I actually managed to stalk in and see her and drop her, only ever managed that once

sometimes the will bark at you and stay in the same spot if they dont know what you are and are not too rarked. i once baaed like a goat for some reason and a hind barked at me for ten minutes straight.

I've had a few barking contests with reds and fallow, some lasting over 5 minutes. My theory is by barking back they think you are another deer, the downside is they can tell where you are.

and if they scent you, they're gone

Would often get barked around by roe deer in the uk, usually when they weren’t sure what was happening giving a warning to the other deer.

yip they do that around fawning time...hard case indeed.

Had a stag growl at me last weekend , not 50mtrs away, scared the shit out of me - its now in the freezer

I found a dead Spiker today
Not the 1st spiker found dead
Always in a wet hollow/puddle

I have come to the conclusion its from stress been booted off the mother Hind
MCF maybe ?
Brought on by that stress

Always same time of the year I find too

Have had my share of being barked at, usually happens to me after stalking in close with the wind in my face, I have seen bits and pieces of the deer through gaps in the foliage but not enough to identify beyond all doubt, the way it usually pans out is that the deer is feeding away and looks in my direction, I freeze to try and reduce visibility but the deer knows something isn’t right, deer runs 20 something meters and stops, still not quite sure what’s wrong or where the threat is, this is when the barking starts, it can go on like this until you move and the deer works out from your sound what you are, or the wind changes/deer cuts your scent. Then it’s gone.