Deer whistles...

[PhredValk]

Last Wed I started vacation and, as usual, I am going to Ontario; 2150 mile trip each way.

Day 3 I was riding out of Thunder Bay, pretty up and down and tight sweepers, so I didn't think about how slow I was going. The road straitens out a bit later, and I find I'm becoming terrified of going off the road in curves. A real panic response that I was thinking was stupid, but there none the less.

Half way through today it's getting worse, and on long gentle sweeps. What's different? I'm not a coward all of a sudden. I removed the deer whistles (new) and in a half hour I'm fine again...

I could just barely hear the ultrasonic whistle and it was setting up the same fear response the deer get, and I automatically panicked at the only danger that I encountered, curves. I'm hoping this has occurred before, or if not let it be a warning that the weirdest things can affect you at the oddest times.
Fred.

[steve 3054]

WOW!!!   You could hear the sound???   This is a new one...

[Hoser]

Were you taking any medications?      Hoser

[bscrive]

The only close calls I have had with deer was when I had those freakin whistles on my car.  I think they are deer callers.

[Red Diamond]

I never understood the theory regarding the deer whistle. If a deer is eating quitely beside the road, why alert (scare) it. I have noticed that if one is going to cross the road, it's going to try and cross, regardless to what is coming. So far I have never seen one stop eating to run into traffic.

[Mr. Nuts]

The only close calls I have had with deer was when I had those freakin whistles on my car.  I think they are deer callers.

You've got to be super careful not to put them on backwards or they draw them deer right in on you...

[RP#62]

This is the only one that's been found to work as advertised.  If you trigger it from the horn button, you'll need a relay.
-RP

[DIGGER]

This is the only one that's been found to work as advertised.  If you trigger it from the horn button, you'll need a relay.
-RP

now that theres fuuunniieeeee........ha

[Quicksilver]

Many times while hunting I have heard Deer warn each other of dangers and have them take off. It isn't a subsonic sound they use, it's audible. Kind of a short whistle rising in pitch. Unfortunately it isn't a sound I'd like to hear constantly as I'm motoring along. I've found slowing down when the trees approach the edge of the road the best way to avoid them, and I see Deer almost every ride, living in a rural area.

[Rams]

This is the only one that's been found to work as advertised.  If you trigger it from the horn button, you'll need a relay.
-RP

Is that available on Ebay?  I hate deer and would love to "scare" a few.  Plus, I've got a neighbor lady that I'm think'n might be sensitive to that sound.  Would love to find out.  

Fred,
I can't answer your question or enlighten you on possible reasons but, I know this about myself, any fear I've got won't get better unless confronted.  I'm very shaky when it comes to heights, knew this as a child, grew up knowing it.  It's the very reason I used to skydive and went to flight school.  Still love those activities but, I'm still shaky when I get up on a ladder or on the roof.  I don't let it stop me but, I've still got that old feeling.  I simply won't let it beat me.

May not work for you and I'm not suggesting you take on any highspeed curves.  Just my two cents.

[cookiedough]

I think deer whistles being effective is a toss up.  On 1 hand the sound the deer hears may make them aware of something around them and scatter off AWAY from you.  On the other hand,  the sound may make the deer aware something is around and run right INTO you.  I've seen tons of close deer calls as most of you have seen but only 1 accident so far, hope to keep it that way.  I think deer are huge rodents that their herd levels need to be way more down than what they are now, but those rodents sure do taste good. 

[Jess from VA]

I've never used them either, and the word on them is generally critical.

Best story I heard was guys at an auto body shop in MI laughing about the fact that the car they were rebuilding from a front end deer strike was getting a new deer whistle, since the one being replaced had been damaged in the crash and added to the insurance adjuster's parts list.

BTW, I hear deer whistles intermittently..... it's called tinnitus.

[PhredValk]

No meds, legal or otherwise. I've ridden this road twice before with no problems, last year in the rain; and no feelings of doom like this year.

The theory is that if moving (like towards a roadway) the sound will make them stop and look around for the danger, long enough that you're gone when they start moving again. It doesn't spook them or make them run.

I know sub and ultrasonics can affect the human mind. Police and military use them in certain situations, mostly crowd control. Like white noise from speakers at the 7-11 make the kids uncomfortable so they don't hang around outside of the store...
Fred.

[BF]

Had some deer whistles mounted on my bike when I got it.  They didn't emit anything.....I suppose they were passive and supposedly worked when air passed through them.  

I see alot of deer feeding on the side of road riding to work (especially at night).  They never noticed me.......didn't even look up.    

Took them off.......deer whistles are snake oil.  

[R J]

Were you taking any medications?      Hoser

Hoser, I was thinking along the line, what were you drinking,  Rot Gut or Professional houch?

[R J]

Had some deer whistles mounted on my bike when I got it.  They didn't emit anything.....I suppose they were passive and supposedly worked when air passed through them.  

I see alot of deer feeding on the side of road riding to work (especially at night).  They never noticed me.......didn't even look up.    

Took them off.......deer whistles are snake oil.  

Most of the deer whistles are worthless after one season of use.     You have heard of something called bugs right?    Well in one season they seem to like these whistles and render them useless until they get blown out by an air hose.

I rode with a buddy for many years, he had to have a deer whistle on his bike.    Guess who hit the deer and almost lost his life, it wasn't me.    Even after the accident he had to have them, and there set my bikes over time, bare naked of whistles and luckily no deer, have hit a couple of Junk Yard Dogs.    Hit them a close to dead center as I could maneuver, they landed in the ditch and never got up to walk away.     Hit a Fox one time, don't know how he did it, but he went in under the right exhaust and got hung up on the kickstand.     He died before I could get stopped.

The Chevy Trike hit a Pheasant once, cost me a radiator.    Also got a Coyote, when I looked in the mirror he was doing 360' and sliding down the highway.

I've hit a lot of other animals, but no deer, knock  on wood.

[forjj]

Best deer repellent I've used is the horn.  anytime I see a deer, I just lay on the horn, just to get their attention.  They usually just stand there at look at you, its the deer you don't see and the ones that don't see you that you have to worry about.

jj

[Jess Tolbirt]

deer whistles,, we went through this back in 98 i think..they dont work, period...

[Michael K (Az.)]

deer whistles,, we went through this back in 98 i think..they dont work, period...

[spurliner]

deer whistles don't work(my opinion)
cummy-D turbo whistle works(my opinion)

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

The only close calls I have had with deer was when I had those freakin whistles on my car.  I think they are deer callers.

I destoryed a car on I-75 near Athens, TN at 4:30 in the morning hitting a deer at 85 mph. The car had those stupid whistles mounted on the front ....Snake Oil

[wiggydotcom]

Totaled out my first beautiful Interstate cuz a teenage girl didn't see me and pulled out from a stop sign right into my path. Now, if anyone could invent "teenage driver" whistles, I'd get in line to buy some.