Whitetail buck behaviour

[dun]

Yesterday I watched a buck in a pasture below the house feeding for a while and looking away from me into the woods. Two does came out of the wodds and he started flashing his tail. Looked like morse code. Huge white then tail down then tail up, then tail down. He did it for a couple of minutes then went and checked out the does before one of them drug him off into the woods. Anyone else ever seen the tail flashing deal?

 

[Jogeephus]

I've watched does do something similar. Always peaked my curiousity since I was always told the flag was a sign of danger. Apparantly, like a cat, the manner in which its moved must have some meaning. To say the least, watching these animals and there habits is intriguing.

 

[Horticattleman]

Not in deer, but seen it for Mardi Gras!

 

[backhoeboogie]

Dun I have watched them for hours and can't say I have ever seen that specific behavior.

The does stomping their feet in order to get their fawns out of the irrigation system sprinklers in the summer is hillarious. You can almost translate that stomping into a serious donkey bar-b-que. The does are mad at those fawns.

 

[MikeC]

Anyone else ever seen the tail flashing deal?

I have noticed it on several occasions. At first I was thinking that the tail flashing was a sign of danger to the others.

But when I knew that they hadn't seen me and still did it, it only left the option of communications between them.

My wife walked in to our dark bedroom the other night and there was a doe eating pansies about 2 feet from the bedroom window.

After she called me to come look, the doe saw me enter the room and started stomping her front feet we noticed there were 4 others about 20 feet behind her.

There is no doubt that stomping of feet is a sign to the others saying "beware".

 

[dun]

I alwasy thought the tail flashing was a danger sign too. The strange part is that his tail was towards me and the does were in fornt of him. Maybe since it's doe season he was trying to warn me that does were coming. I've watched does flag like that but it was when they were in heat and seemed to be telling the bucks, "common big boy I got a little somehting for you"

 

[HOSS]

As a habitual observer of deer behavior and as a byproduct of countless hours in tree stands from late September through January for the last 25 years, I have noted this behavior many, many times. While it is mostly does using their tails for basic communication however I have seen it in bucks several times. While I am no biologist it appears to me that the tail flips are part of an overall body language. Watch the first deer that comes out in the field and gets comfortable. When it hears or sees another deer at the field edge or back in the woodline it will flip it's tail or stick it straight up as if to indicate the coast is clear or as an acknowledgement of the other deers presence. Usually I notice that bucks will stare until they determine what sex the "incoming" deer is especially during the rut. Does in heat will walk around with their tail standing straight up in the air as a sign that they are ready NOW. The white flag also aides in attracting the attention of cruising bucks.