Deer Whistles, Do They Work?
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rode2rouen
Expert Expediter
My personal experience with deer whistles is that they seem to attract the critters. I had them on a couple of my motorcycles and a pick-up back in the '80s, and it sure seemed that the mule deer came out more frequently than after I removed them.
I just made a team run from Cleveland to Seattle and back and saw lots of dead deer and evidence of recent hits. My co-driver hit the brakes hard enough for me to stretch the sleeper belts while coming through Eastern Montana, but that was the only close call. The truck was not equipped with whistles.
Rex
I just made a team run from Cleveland to Seattle and back and saw lots of dead deer and evidence of recent hits. My co-driver hit the brakes hard enough for me to stretch the sleeper belts while coming through Eastern Montana, but that was the only close call. The truck was not equipped with whistles.
Rex
I had the unhappy experience of killing Bambi back in 1984 and since they have been on my trucks all I can say is never hit another one! I would highly recommend..again this is my opinion and what works for one doesn't always work for another. I would be sure to follow the directions as were they are mounted makes all the difference. Be safe, be profitable!
rode2rouen
Expert Expediter
I wonder if there has ever been a study (or if it is even possible) regarding the effectiveness of deer whistles?
One thing to keep in mind is the mating season is in full swing, so like any "normal" guy, the bucks will be doing stoopid stuff (and the does will be avoiding the undesirables) that you wouldn't usually see happen during the rest of the year.
Rex
One thing to keep in mind is the mating season is in full swing, so like any "normal" guy, the bucks will be doing stoopid stuff (and the does will be avoiding the undesirables) that you wouldn't usually see happen during the rest of the year.
Rex
SHARP327
Veteran Expediter
Well I have them on all my cars an on my truck, they not only work on deer they also get the attention of other animals as well, one time I was going down a state hwy. with alot of truck traffic, there were alot of geese in someones front yard that paid no attention to the other trucks but as I approached they started to fly/run away from the road area and as far as I could see there was nothing else around making them flee the area.
And what I heard was that the whistles usually cause the deer to stop in their tracks which gives the driver a chance to make his/her best decision.
Take care out there!
SHARP327
And what I heard was that the whistles usually cause the deer to stop in their tracks which gives the driver a chance to make his/her best decision.
Take care out there!
SHARP327
I never used deer whistles but a friend of mine told me that one time a deer standing on the shoulder turned and ran away from the road and another time a deer that was standing on the side of the road turned and ran onto the road right into my friends car. He subsequently removed the deer whistles.
I did a quick research of deer whistles on Yahoo, and many manufacturers state they do work. However, other articles from independent sources say no, they don't work. (Ohio State Police, University of Washington, Georgia Dept. of Fish and Game, I think). Reason appears to be that deer can't hear ultrsound any better than humans. And if they do work, the whistles would soon clog up with dirt and bugs. I believe all of the other suggestions are helpful, but when those rascals want to appear in front of your vehicle, they just do it without warning, and not much you can do to avoid them. Now, if you are interested in an elephant whistle, I can attest that since I had mine installed, I've never hit an elephant......
Tom Robertson
Veteran Expediter
perhaps the answer is found in the article attached:
Air-fed Deer Whistles Scientifically Tested
(Released: November 19, 2002)
By Janice Palmer, Office of University Communications
STORRS, Conn. -- Air-fed deer whistles, those small plastic devices attached to car bumpers to scare deer from roadways, are "acoustically ineffective". That is the finding of a scientific study conducted by Peter Scheifele, an animal bioacoustics and audiology expert at the University of Connecticut.
On highways and byways across North America, nearly 750,000 collisions occur each year between deer and vehicles. Manufacturers promote deer whistles as "acoustic attention-getters", alleging deer will react to the whistle by remaining still.
"There has been a lot of conjecture about whether the whistles work or don't work, and we are one of the first independent groups to scientifically test them," says Scheifele, director of bioacoustic research at the National Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and researcher in the Department of Animal Science.
He and his team tested six air-fed whistles in the laboratory and in the field. The study's goal was to determine the actual frequencies generated by the whistles and the intensity at which they are produced; compare that data to the hearing abilities of deer; and then take the animal's acoustic behavior into consideration.
Following the directions on each package, the team mounted the devices onto a car's front bumper. Using a road closed to the public, they drove the car at speeds ranging from 30 to 45 miles per hour while recording sound and data.
"We tested them strictly from an acoustical point of view," explains Scheifele. He found that the whistles typically produce a signal either at a frequency of 3 kilohertz (kHz) or 12 kHz. Both, as it turns out, are problematic.
The hearing range of white-tailed deer, the most common species in the U.S., is between 2 and 6 kHz, so the animal is not capable of hearing the 12 kHz signal. Although deer may be capable of hearing the 3 kHz signal, it is only 3 decibels louder than the road noise created by the car, so the signal is buried. Scheifele points out that the condition would worsen with additional traffic in the area or if the wind was blowing.
Since completing the study, a new electronic whistle has been put on the market. Although Scheifele has not had an opportunity to test it, he has examined its advertising claims. He says the specs for the electronic whistle are considerably different from those of the air-fed devices, so "there is a possibility that the electronic whistle is more effective than the air-fed devices."
But even if deer can hear the electronic signal, the UConn scientist questions how one alerts rather than startles the animal. This is where animal behavior comes into play.
"Think about the metaphor 'deer in the headlights'," says Scheifele. "It is used to conjure up an image of someone who is confused or frightened. When deer sense something unusual, we do not know for sure how they are going to react."
Will they freeze in their tracks, run off, or charge towards the sound? Their behavior is related to the "fight-or-flight response". According to scientific literature on the subject, there is an amount of space in which an animal feels safe; but once that boundary is violated, the animal's reaction is unpredictable. Its response will depend on a number of factors, including age, sex, type of enemy, and surroundings.
"All in all, the air-fed whistles do not make sense to me acoustically," states Scheifele.
He has written a paper on his findings and submitted it to the Acoustical Society of America's Acoustics Research Letters Online where it will shortly be under review.
Air-fed Deer Whistles Scientifically Tested
(Released: November 19, 2002)
By Janice Palmer, Office of University Communications
STORRS, Conn. -- Air-fed deer whistles, those small plastic devices attached to car bumpers to scare deer from roadways, are "acoustically ineffective". That is the finding of a scientific study conducted by Peter Scheifele, an animal bioacoustics and audiology expert at the University of Connecticut.
On highways and byways across North America, nearly 750,000 collisions occur each year between deer and vehicles. Manufacturers promote deer whistles as "acoustic attention-getters", alleging deer will react to the whistle by remaining still.
"There has been a lot of conjecture about whether the whistles work or don't work, and we are one of the first independent groups to scientifically test them," says Scheifele, director of bioacoustic research at the National Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and researcher in the Department of Animal Science.
He and his team tested six air-fed whistles in the laboratory and in the field. The study's goal was to determine the actual frequencies generated by the whistles and the intensity at which they are produced; compare that data to the hearing abilities of deer; and then take the animal's acoustic behavior into consideration.
Following the directions on each package, the team mounted the devices onto a car's front bumper. Using a road closed to the public, they drove the car at speeds ranging from 30 to 45 miles per hour while recording sound and data.
"We tested them strictly from an acoustical point of view," explains Scheifele. He found that the whistles typically produce a signal either at a frequency of 3 kilohertz (kHz) or 12 kHz. Both, as it turns out, are problematic.
The hearing range of white-tailed deer, the most common species in the U.S., is between 2 and 6 kHz, so the animal is not capable of hearing the 12 kHz signal. Although deer may be capable of hearing the 3 kHz signal, it is only 3 decibels louder than the road noise created by the car, so the signal is buried. Scheifele points out that the condition would worsen with additional traffic in the area or if the wind was blowing.
Since completing the study, a new electronic whistle has been put on the market. Although Scheifele has not had an opportunity to test it, he has examined its advertising claims. He says the specs for the electronic whistle are considerably different from those of the air-fed devices, so "there is a possibility that the electronic whistle is more effective than the air-fed devices."
But even if deer can hear the electronic signal, the UConn scientist questions how one alerts rather than startles the animal. This is where animal behavior comes into play.
"Think about the metaphor 'deer in the headlights'," says Scheifele. "It is used to conjure up an image of someone who is confused or frightened. When deer sense something unusual, we do not know for sure how they are going to react."
Will they freeze in their tracks, run off, or charge towards the sound? Their behavior is related to the "fight-or-flight response". According to scientific literature on the subject, there is an amount of space in which an animal feels safe; but once that boundary is violated, the animal's reaction is unpredictable. Its response will depend on a number of factors, including age, sex, type of enemy, and surroundings.
"All in all, the air-fed whistles do not make sense to me acoustically," states Scheifele.
He has written a paper on his findings and submitted it to the Acoustical Society of America's Acoustics Research Letters Online where it will shortly be under review.
I hit the elephant! Darn I should have those whistles too
Now seriously... I heard from a county sheriff a few years ago that they installed deer whistles and their incident of deer strikes decreased by 70%! I lived in a rural county then in GA. I have them on my car. I was told it makes the deer freeze in their tracks. That might explain why you see more of them standing still. Maybe they quit running with the approaching deer whistle instead of continuing to move into the woods or grass and we see them at that moment.
Oh well... be safe and watch out for those critters
Now seriously... I heard from a county sheriff a few years ago that they installed deer whistles and their incident of deer strikes decreased by 70%! I lived in a rural county then in GA. I have them on my car. I was told it makes the deer freeze in their tracks. That might explain why you see more of them standing still. Maybe they quit running with the approaching deer whistle instead of continuing to move into the woods or grass and we see them at that moment.
Oh well... be safe and watch out for those critters
pendiehouse
Expert Expediter
Hey, do you think they have any BUG whistles?
Thunderboldt
Expert Expediter
I don't know if they work or not, but here's my story- In December of 2000,Wisconsin was having the worst ever one-month snowfall of all time, and lucky me,I was on hwy 13 in northern Wisconsin in a snowstorm around 1:00am when a BIG deer ran out in front of my truck and got hit so quickly neither of us had any time to think about it. It made no sense to stop and risk getting stuck, so back on the accelerator and one mile down the road-BAM!- deer number two. Continuing on, I saw five more deer on the shoulder, and two more in the road, all within about a ten mile drive. Finally, at my destination, I checked the truck and found that there was NO damage to the vehicle at all. When beginning my return trip,I sat up in the seat and said," O.K.-bring 'em on",but I saw no more and have not hit any since. I guess deer whistle or not-it's best to hit them head on after slowing,rather than trying to avoid them and wrecking yourself and possibly someone else. Paul.
>Well thats OK with a deer but I don't think I would want a
>head on with a 2,000 lb moose or worse JG's elephant.x( x(
On THAT note... I had to bring up this old thread with pics Lawrence posted...
http://www.expeditersonline.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/2086.html
>head on with a 2,000 lb moose or worse JG's elephant.x( x(
On THAT note... I had to bring up this old thread with pics Lawrence posted...
http://www.expeditersonline.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/2086.html
At first I thought these whistles really did work, but now I'm not so sure. Most of the time as I approached deer, they would either stop, or move away from the edge of the road. Last December, one of them just stopped in front of me right in the middle of the lane. This was in Ohio on SR67 just north of Upper Sandusky and there isn't much of a shoulder, so I had nowhere to go. I steered as far as I could to the right and couldn't avoid hitting the nice 7 or 8 pointer. Lucky for me my van nailed him on the drivers side, missing the radiator, air cond. coil, and trans cooler, so the truck was still drivable. It did a fair ammount of cosmetic damage to the front of the truck, which I got fixed in January when thing were slow. I guess the jurys still out on whether the whistles work or not, but I sure wouldn't rely on them.
Good driving ,
Captain
Good driving ,
Captain
I live in northern Michigan and therfore see my share of deer. After my time off I leave very early in the morning to go back in service and that is prime time to see them. I don't have the whistles and all of the things talked about, them stopping, turning around, ect., happens to me. The last deer I hit was 13 years ago and was so young that even if they did somthing he could hear he probably would have kept going anyway.