The Science of Deer Hearing & Smelling! Series: Deer Science w/guest Dr. Karl Miller

About this video

• Video Title: The Science of Deer Hearing & Smelling! Series: Deer Science w/guest Dr. Karl Miller
• Channel: Deer IQ
• Speakers: Adam Lewis, Dr. Karl Miller
• Duration: 00:35:51

Overview

This video, part two of the "Deer Science" series, features Dr. Karl Miller discussing the science behind deer hearing and smelling. The hosts, Adam Lewis and Dr. Miller, aim to translate scientific understanding of these senses into practical hunting strategies, emphasizing how to gain an edge by minimizing a deer's ability to detect hunters. The episode also includes Dr. Miller's performance on a "Deer IQ test."

Key takeaways

• Deer Sense of Smell: Deer possess significantly more sensory epithelium and receptor sites in their noses compared to humans (potentially up to 100 times more), giving them a much stronger and more nuanced sense of smell. This includes the ability to differentiate individual components within a scent, unlike humans who often perceive complex smells as a single entity.
• Scent Control Limitations: While hunters cannot completely "cover" or eliminate their scent to fool a deer's nose due to their sophisticated olfactory system, they can minimize their scent cone. This reduction is crucial to avoid educating deer and to lessen their ability to detect a hunter's presence from a distance.
• Deer Hearing Capabilities: Deer hearing is surprisingly similar to human hearing in terms of peak frequency range, though deer have a slight advantage in higher frequencies. Their large, mobile external ears (pinnae) are highly effective at funneling sound and localizing its source.
• Sound Localization and Triggering: Deer can precisely pinpoint the origin of sounds due to the distance between their ears and their ability to move them. Unusual or unnatural sounds, such as the distinct cadence of human walking or the clanging of metal, act as triggers, alerting deer and prompting them to use their other senses, particularly vision, to investigate.
• Hunting Strategy Implications: Hunters should focus on minimizing their scent, being exceptionally quiet (paying attention to gear materials and movement), and always hunting with the wind in their favor. Understanding that sounds like walking or gear rustling are highly detectable and can alert deer is critical for successful hunting.