Fences and Mule Deer in Cali

[Yalo]

I have sited many Mule Deer over the years in areas with wire fences in California. Mostly barbed wire. Doubt I have not had the opportunity to observe the deer jumping over or through the fences which seems strange since fences are everywhere save once.

However, viewing an old video of mine I noticed a small buck trying to decide how to go through a fence rather than jumping over it. He gave up and retreated. And recently I saw an online video of a larger mule deer figuring out how to one horn at a time go under a gate and not jump over it?

Additionally I view deer tracks on trails right up to the fence line of barbed wire on both sides as though they slowly slip through the barbed wire? I assume does and or smaller bucks?

Many questions? If pushed do the mule deer normally jump over barded wire and or go through it? And do they do something different if not pushed?

Startled a 3 point next to the road once and swear he went through the barded wire in a panic? But not sure it happened, because it happened so fast and only a brief glimpse of the proceedings, my only time with a buck traveling past a fence?

Recently observed half a dozen does from a distance all go through a wire fence on the right side of a paved road. Actually, did not realize there was a fence on the left side of my view at first down in the brush. I concentrated on the right side of the road. It tuns out the right side was a taller fence maybe twice as tall as the barbed wire fence on the left side of the road and wider spacing between the wire (appeared barbless to boot). Deer were relatively calm.

Out of the blue the deer panicked and decided to return from where they came up a hillside across the road and the 2 fences. Moving fast all but one went through the right-side fence crossed the road and was not paying attention to the left side but I know the last two leaped over the left side fence. The deer either always jumped the left side or did since in a panic knowing the left side tougher to go through? What I did not do is see if the left side of the road had tracks right up to the fence indicating if not in a panic would have gone through the wire rather than jump over?

What have members seen?

 

[Yalo]

Noone has any experinces to offer on the subject?

 

[RookieWYhntr]

I've saved a fawn from getting stuck in a fence once. I've also seen 2 dead deer getting stuck in one. Those damn fences are killers. So yah, they are jumping over them.

 

[huntindad4]

I've watched mule deer go both over and through or under.

 

[Yalo]

thanks for messages

 

[Yalo]

over barbed wire

 

[stinky]

never seen one go through....but it is sort of a neat thing to see a deer jump a fence.

They are so graceful when they do it. They are right up there w/a balerina when they do it.

 

[Snoopdogg]

I've only seen them boys hop over.

 

[LIK2HNT]

That video of that big buck going under the gate by turning his head to work his antlers under is pretty amazing.

 

[Bluehair]

They jump them. Does too. Only ones I’ve seen go under or through are the little guys unless the fence is down.

 

[yoteduster]

The deer in my country have no trouble jumping them..when our oldest daughter was little she used to think them deer had springs in their legs..lol

 

[Rie bread]

Iv replaced more miles of barb wire with round wire than I care to have. So I’d say both

 

[Betterluckythangood]

Yes, the fences are killers. Once I was walking back to my truck and a deer had tried to jump a barbed wire fence and the back leg caught between the middle and highest strand, then twisted as the deer came down and wrapped the leg trapping it.

I went to the truck and grabbed some pliers, cut the top strand and the deer flopped to the ground. The back leg was stiff and useless. No telling how long the poor thing had been hanging on the fence. It had to be put out of it’s misery

 

[Homer]

did you fix the fence??

 

[Betterluckythangood]

did you fix the fence??

Yes but it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t holding livestock

 

[Wiszard]

My Dad and I were heading home from hunting D13 and a doe ran across the road in front of us at full speed. The weird thing was that we both watched it jump THROUGH the barbed wire fence on a full run. She must've had all 4 legs out straight in order to make that jump. To this day, we still jokingly tell that story while passing that spot on 166. We are still in disbelief on how she did it.

 

[bullskin]

All the above. The little guys go through, the big ones go over. Sometimes they get stuck-especially when panicked. Barbed wire is not nearly the problem that hog wire is. Fawns that are too small to get over the fence try to force their way through, but cannot. The only time I have actually seen coyotes catch fawns is when they are trapped by hog wire fences. Mom jumps over, but the fawns cannot, and become easy prey for their pursuers. I have made it a point to cut openings in abandoned hog wire fences on properties where landowners give me permission to do so. No one raises sheep around here anymore, and it does not take hog wire to contain calves when their momma's can't get through, so no one gives a shirt.

 

[eelgrass]

Sometimes they even try to jump over trucks.

 

[DeerHunter53]

I shot a buck with barbed wire on his horns that he couldn't get off. so not all of them go over or under

 

[devobrodie]

We found a buck dead with back legs stuck in between the strands, and once when hunting some bucks we were stalking jumped over and one got stuck for a minute, had the whole fence shaking way down the line trying to get out, he did

 

[Mallardsx2]

We found a buck dead with back legs stuck in between the strands, and once when hunting some bucks we were stalking jumped over and one got stuck for a minute, had the whole fence shaking way down the line trying to get out, he did

Is that a Gopher snake snatching the life out of a rattler in your profile picture?

 

[devobrodie]

Is that a Gopher snake snatching the life out of a rattler in your profile picture?

It's a King snake,, yes it killed the rattler and ate it, at least it had 99% of it down but then it quit and just laid there, not sure if it got the last couple of inches down!

 

[2096]

I saw a small buck that was spooked while we were hunting try to go between strands and temporarily get hung up in the wire. He was caught at the flanks and was hopping and lunging trying to get out. He did get thru after 4 or 5 tries. I was surprised that the buck tried to split the strands. I felt like he could have easily went over. The other deer that I saw jump a fence that stuck with me was a nice 3X3 Blacktail buck. I was about 12 years old and riding with my great uncle who was a ranch foreman. The buck came out of the creek in front of us going up hill and in two jumps crossed the ranch road that was probably 10' wide and the second jump went over the barbed wire fence that was probably 7' vertically from where he jumped from to clear the fence. Two jumps later he was gone. That happened 50 years ago and I will never forget it. Deer are some very graceful animals. I love watching them.

 

[montezumarchery]

It's a King snake,, yes it killed the rattler and ate it, at least it had 99% of it down but then it quit and just laid there, not sure if it got the last couple of inches down!

I had a pet king snake that I caught when I was a kid on the outer edges of Tucson. Every time one of the neighbors had a rattler in their yard, they would come get me to bring the king. Best show ever! Sometimes the rattlers would get their fangs all of the way into the king and pump In all the venom, never phased that big king! I watched him take down at least 6 buzz tails over a 3 year span. The look of panic watching them try to get away with a king hot on their tail was priceless.

 

[bigmoose]

I found a dead 3 pointer stuck head first in a fence. Looked like his neck was broke. It was right at daylight and I think he tried to run through it in the dark. I caught these guys going over.

 

[105Coues]

Yes, the fences are killers. Once I was walking back to my truck and a deer had tried to jump a barbed wire fence and the back leg caught between the middle and highest strand, then twisted as the deer came down and wrapped the leg trapping it.

I went to the truck and grabbed some pliers, cut the top strand and the deer flopped to the ground. The back leg was stiff and useless. No telling how long the poor thing had been hanging on the fence. It had to be put out of it’s misery

I have seen this nore than once. Ironic I am seeing this now as my wife just cut a yearling elk out of a fence yesterday.

 

[Buck300]

Sometimes they even try to jump over trucks.

That was some Evil Knevil **** right there.