Have you ever heard a buck GROWL........
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Rut Nut
08-Nov-23
Rut Nut's Link
..........in the wild? Just curious how many have experienced this?
I heard it for the first time today in over 20 years of hunting the rut!
It was wild! The buck was tending a doe and let out 6 very loud and long growls over the course of about 3 minutes. So cool how you think you have seen it all in 20+ years of Bowhunting and then you experience something totally new!
It sounded a little deeper and longer than this, but it is pretty close................
From: APauls
08-Nov-23
Yup. But it was upon arrow impact.
From: Highlife
08-Nov-23
Ten years ago in Tennessee talk about throwing me for a loop. I thought it was a hog lol
From: BUCKeye
08-Nov-23
Heard it 3x. Amazing experiences.
From: t-roy
08-Nov-23
Several times over the years. The first time was 25-30 years ago. One of the biggest bucks I’ve ever seen. Watched him run another really nice buck off, growling as he chased him off. Heard him do it three times. Almost like a Beller. It lasted between 5-10 seconds each time. Another time, I had a buck chase a doe to within 15-20 yards of my stand, and they stopped. He let out several very low, soft growls that lasted probably 6-7 seconds each time. I got some video of that buck on my phone. One year, we also had a very vocal buck hanging around near our house. We heard him growling a bunch of times, but could never lay eyes on him. We nicknamed him “Loudmouth”. I pictured him as big, brute of a deer. We finally saw him one day, and he was a dinky little 6 pointer! We only heard him that one fall.
From: Bake
08-Nov-23
Yes. Heard one older buck do it on 3 separate occasions. You could hear it from a good distance.
I haven’t witnessed breeding. Otherwise, I’ve seen most deer behaviors
From: Rut Nut
08-Nov-23
Troy- like your first example each growl lasted about 8 seconds.
From: WV Mountaineer
08-Nov-23
Yes. I was setting in my tree stand waiting on daylight. It was still pitch black. And the buck doing it was as big as my imagination could ponder up setting there listening to it. But, no matter he spent 25-30 minutes chasing this doe around from out of hearing to right by the tree I was in, they left before I could see the ground. Much less the deer. It was cool to hear though.
From: Recurve Man
08-Nov-23
Yes sir. I’ve heard it 5 different times in 40 yrs of hunting. I wish I could imitate it because I’ve seen some big boys literally comes charging to the growl before. Every time I’ve seen it it’s been several bucks after the same hot doe.
Witnessed it one time a big buck was growling and another big one showed up and a death fight broke out unbelievable.
Shane
From: Aspen Ghost
08-Nov-23
Heard one growl for the first time just last week.
From: Duke
08-Nov-23
Once. -Mature buck came sidestepping and postured up at a small buck right in front of me. I drew and cracked him perfect at close range (15 yards) and he let out a massive growl that absolutely scared the hell out me. -He then stood in the same spot for about 10 seconds and crumpled within a few feet. I think he had Adrenalin flowing in fight mode and thought he was gored?
From: W
08-Nov-23
Heard a buck making that sound as he was coming out of a thick regrowth. He had a small ridge between us and I never saw him.
From: EmbryOklahoma
08-Nov-23
Yes, SE Oklahoma about 5 years ago. Mature 8 point with a limp that was following a doe. He was about 75 yards away. The first time he did it, it scared the crap out me. He did it two more times before following the doe off into the timber.
From: Lewis
08-Nov-23
3-4 all in Tennessee on our property it will get your attention I never killed any of bucks doing it for different reasons crazy sounds Good luck Lewis
From: Scoot
08-Nov-23
Nope
From: sitO
08-Nov-23
Wonder how many guys will be out there this week trying to imitate that sound ;)
From: JohnMC
08-Nov-23
This one was bugling like a elk on Sunday;)
From: Zbone
08-Nov-23
They make all kinds of vocalizations while chasing and tending does...
From: Hunts_with_stick
09-Nov-23
2x for me
From: fuzzy
09-Nov-23
Not surprised. I've been known to in the same circumstances.
From: deerhunter72
09-Nov-23
Don’t recall ever hearing.
From: DroptineDC18
09-Nov-23
I have also heard it a few different times. Only from very big mature bucks. Typically while chasing does. Almost seems like they are frustrated for having to work so hard!
From: JG420
09-Nov-23
Yes, about 15 years ago in Sullivan county PA. He started while it was still dark, and as it got light I could see it was a big buck chasing doe. Thought it was a bear at first.
From: greenmountain
09-Nov-23
I wouldn't describe it as a growl but I have heard it a very few times. I shot a young buck that I never would have seen if he didn't speak up. I smell deer a lot more than I hear but then, my hearing isn't what it used to be.
From: RonP
09-Nov-23
i have heard bucks grunt but not to that extent.
From: Old Reb
09-Nov-23
Yes.
From: Copperman
09-Nov-23
yes, long time ago in Saskatchewan
From: Brian M.
09-Nov-23
I heard it a few years ago from an 8pt that was following 6 does and a 10pt. I then proceeded to miss the 10pt at 8 yards, then 20 minutes later missed the 8pt standing in the same spot.
This year I heard a snort wheeze for the first time.
From: Rut Nut
10-Nov-23
I was reminded of an incident years ago on my father-in-law’s property. 4 of us would hunt it in Archery and use 2 way radios to communicate. I was set up in my stand in the dark when I heard 2 of the guys talking. It went something like this:
“Hey Jim, did you hear that?! Yeah, WTH was that? It wasn’t a bear or coyote.............I don’t know, maybe a mountain lion? Well, I’m up in that permanent stand and I’m gonna wait til it gets light to move. Yeah, same here. I’m up in the other stand.”
I’ve always wondered what they heard as we don’t have big cats in PA. Now I’m thinking it was probably a buck growling...................
From: Live2Hunt
10-Nov-23
The Hunting Beast youtube last episode he kills a buck that was making crazy long drawn out gruntings. Craziest thing I've seen/heard
From: casekiska
10-Nov-23
I have been bowhunting since 1957 and have heard bucks grunt a zillion times but growl only once. It was very loud and quite the surprise. He was over 100 yards away and I heard him clear as day, startling! At that time, I did not know bucks made such a sound. He was following a small group of does & fawns and only growled one time. This was in southern Wisconsin about 1995.
From: casekiska
10-Nov-23
From: Zbone
10-Nov-23
On a crisp, calm morning or evening, I agree you can hear it over a hundred yards away...
From: Two dogs mobile
10-Nov-23
I have been bowhunting over forty years and only heard it one time. I was in a stand probably 30 yards off a field when I heard a noise I had never heard before. I looked out into the field and there was a lone buck running toward me. It dawned me he was me that he was making the noise.
From: DonVathome
10-Nov-23
I heard it one time it was like a really loud grunt, definitely a growl. It shocked me!
From: thundergut
10-Nov-23
Yes. Twice. The first time scared the hell out of me. I was 15 years old and had no idea what it was. Second time< i grunted to a 160"+ that was on a doe. He was chasing and growling every 30 seconds. It was wild.
From: Outdoorscrazy
10-Nov-23
Copperman, yes, me too. The only buck in my 46 years I've heard growl was in the Boreal in Saskatchewan.
From: scentman
10-Nov-23
If you haven't been laid in almost 12 months you might get growly now and then also!
From: OTC_Bowhunter
10-Nov-23
Scentman, I was scrolling to the bottom to post the exact same response.
From: scentman
10-Nov-23
Great minds think alike ;0)
From: Rut Nut
10-Nov-23
LOL! : )
Very interesting seeing all the responses! I thought it was very rare......................
From: Ziek
11-Nov-23
Heard a mule deer growl a few days ago while chasing a doe around my yard.
From: Blood
11-Nov-23
Just heard it this morning in CT. A nice 8 point came in hard on the tail of doe. Grunting like crazy chasing her. A smaller buck was behind them both chasing and as they got close to me, the smaller one either grunted the loudest grunt I’ve ever heard or growled in the chase. The 8 stopped. Turned around and ran at the smaller one. Then the doe took off and the chase continued. The 8 kept grunting every leap. I never had a shot to kill.
