[Redfox]

Deer whistles - some swear by them and some say they don't work at all. Is there any real evidence that they work? We had one of our group lay down his bike yesterday because of an encounter with a deer. Both he and his wife were taken to hospital and then released. She has some ankle problems but her leathers saved her from some serious cuts. Her husband had taken off his jacket so he has some serious road rash but all is fine. We are all worried that she will not get back on the bike. Any advice to give her?

 

[LittleMoe]

They dont work .... i did find a site once that tested them, i'll see if i can find it .....

 

[detdrbuzzard]

why would a deerwhistle work anyway? think about it. air goes through the front and creates a sound that comes out the back, what deer in front of you would hear it

 

[loafin]

I feel they work. I have had deer stand in roadway and look at me. That's better than running. I've seen them in fields and roadsides looking at me. I'm sure it was because they heard the sound of the whistles.
Sure the sound goes out the back. So does the exhaust of a Harley, but you sure can hear him coming!!!
Have a cousin in northern IL that had a vending machine route that caused him to travel northern IL and southern WI all the time. There are many, many deer in that area. Had couple hundred thousand miles on van, no deer problem. Bought new vehicle and within 3000 miles (before he got deer whistles installed) hit a deer.
:

 

[Redfox]

Thanks for the input. Even if they might not work they can't hurt to have them. I drove through ID this spring and we could not get over all the dead deer on the side of the road.

 

[lonewolftx]

Here in the Texas Hill Country we probably have the highest density of deer in the U.S.
in fact, you can sit at the table drinking coffee, chunk a rock out the window and hit one in the head. Even saw an all white whitetail!
They will jump in front of you. They become disoriented when faced with a vehicle. All you can do is slow down and keep your eyes open. If you see a deer near the road try not to pass it. Stay behind the deer till it figures out where it is going to go. If you hit one on a bike you will get hurt. Whistles just add to the show.

 

[joe in calif]

read these
http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/deerw.html

http://deercrash.com/toolbox/CMToolboxWhistles.pdf

 

[Redfox]

Thanks Joe. Great information.

 

[detdrbuzzard]

well there ya go. skip the deer whistle and strap a harley to your wing =)

 

[north_dakota_dan]

Deer Whistles do not work Period! The problem is One, the whistle is in a range deer cannot hear. Two, Some brands of whistles can be heard by the deer however the sound is no louder than to sound the bike makes. I live in deer country, I blast my horn and keep blasting it. The deer will run, and yes I want the deer to run before I get to them! The deer will almost always run away from the sound. If I have to gamble blow the horn, or take my chances without it, I will choose the horn. The deers response is predictable and that is the best we can hope for.

 

[hondavidson]

I don't know about the physical evidence but I use to see them all the time when I was on a sales route in my car so I spent $5.00 for a set on my bike because I have seen quite a few while riding and every since I put them on I haven't had any deer run out so I'm sold on them for what little they cost. The air going through them make a high pitch whistle that we cannot hear but the deer can. I actually saw some deer in a field the other day as I went by and they stopped what they were doing and just stared at me. Of'course they could have just been admiring my bike too.

 

[jbales]

They DON'T work! Besides, the deer can hear the bike long before you get there but are too stupid todo anything but stand there.
Hense the "Deer in the Headlight" stare.

 

[Snuffy]

I was teaching a motorcycle course up in northern Alberta a number of years ago at a remote college deep in the forest. At this college they frequently drive their vehicles out in the bush for various reasons and the fellow that worked at the college who we were working with said that they would typically have 20 deer accidents per year. They installed deer whistles on all of their vehicles and after that would only see 2 to 3 per year.
When I was on my pilgrimage to Sturgis this year going through South Dakota a deer ran towards the highway as we passed. My buddy in the lead was able to alert us and I came along the deer looked and turned arond and ran off into the field. I cant say if it was the whistles on my bike or the ugly guy on the Harley that was behind me that scared it away. IMHO for $3 why not use them as long as you don't get too complacent?????

 

[Foti]

i fear my honey would get upset if she caught me whistling at a dear... but she'd sure go for lonewolf's idea of huckin a rock?!??!

'-)

 

[budoka]

This is a great topic. I've had many years of experience with the whistles, and I do find that they are advantageous, but don't work 100% fault free. Truckers hate them since they spen a lot of time on multi lane roads, and vehicles equipped with whistles tend to drive deer into the path of oncoming traffic (heresay but...). The placement of the whistles is the most limiting factor to their effectiveness. I have found through exprimenting that they work the best on the roof of the vehicle, or in the case of a pick-up truck or m/c like a Wing, on the top of the mirror housing. There can be no disruption of the air-flow (grille or obstruction) or they will not work; they need to be in the free stream of air moving. On the vehicle bumper or m/c front fender has little or no effect imo. I'm in the camp that says any advantage over wildlife is a bonus. It's not only deer in my neck of the woods, but moose and cattle at large too. Neither scenario good for playing matador with your scoot.

 

[jbales]

Interesting reading.
http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/deerw.html

 

[06 Champion Trike]

Save your money.
The Sheriff Departments in Northern Wisconsin did a test a few years ago.
They installed Deer Alerts and all their Patrol Cars to see if they worked.
Results were that they didn't work.