re: Has anyone ever heard a deer snort wheeze?

Once, happened this season.

I was walking on a trail and bumped a deer not far off it. A lot of dry leaves. I hear it take off, it’s blowing then I ease in there. There’s a deer trail with fresh scrape after fresh scrape.

I decide to setup, I think I bumped a doe which is fine by me, I’m after anything. it’s nothing but small red oaks, very thick and no tree to get it. I sit off that deer trail and really have one gap I can shoot at 15 yds. A minute or so after I sit down I see a deer coming. I see horns, big ones.

I’m down wind, it stops less than 20 yds, makes a scrape then snort wheezes. He has to stay on this trail and I’ll be shaking hands with him. His neck is swollen and I can smell him. He messed around there for an eternity it felt like. I’m talking to myself about staying calm and I’m excited because I know I’m shooting him. He starts walking again, needs to stay on his current trail, about 7 yards he’ll be right in front of me in the gap but doesn’t, goes a different way.

I snort wheeze. He stops, makes a rub then slips off. 15 minutes later I hear holy hell running, he circled and came right behind me. He’s right there lookin around for me. I was off guard and unless I’d been standing up I didn’t have a shot. He hit my wind and left for good.

Very cool and frustrating experience and would have been biggest buck of my life. He heard me and thought I was a buck.