How High Can a Whitetail Jump?

[clunker]

I was driving in Idaho a few weeks ago and saw an extraordinary event. You know those drivers who drive way too slow until you get to a passing lane, and then they take off like a bullet so you can't pass? It was one of those situations where 4 cars didn't quite make it past the lead car, so they were all bunched up together at the top of the hill when the lanes merged. I stayed a ways back, waiting for some type of collision

Unbeknownst to any of us, there was a good-sized buck in the woods next to the merging lanes, and he was running for his life. He leaped over the guard rail into traffic just as the last two cars arrived, and I hit the brakes. No sooner had the buck landed when he jumped again to avoid getting hit. Without any momentum and going slightly uphill, that buck cleared a newer model VW beetle going at least 60 MPH and landed on the other side unscathed. There was at least two feet of daylight between the buck and the roof of the car. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it.

I was thinking of putting up a 10-foot fence around my future garden and orchard to keep the deer out. Now I'm thinking that might not be tall enough.

 

[Bojo]

Seen them clear the fences that the forestry service puts up after a log out in the Allegheny natonal forest. I believe those are a found 9 foot tall.

 

[Immike]

I have read up to 11’.....8’ fencing is a common Containment but I know for a fact during the rut that bucks can get out.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Got Coastal Deer that clear broke down 6/7 foot fences starting from maybe 2 feet away and flat footed. Best thing is a double fence about 3 feet apart. Far enough apart that you can get a mower thru.

 

[msinc]

There are two Naval installations nearby. They have the standard perimeter chain link fence with three strands of barbed wire angled at the top. I have seen several times when a deer can jump this and clear it. Now there aint much of any space left over when they do it, but they don't touch the barbed wire. They can do this easily when running, even at a "less than turbo blast" pace, but I have also seen them do it standing or barely walking right next to the fence...just boom, over and walk away. As to "how high?" for a maximum, I don't know, but they sure have no problem with a base fence and I would say based on what I have seen how easy they appear to pop over it they could go higher if needed.

 

[jakelly]

I know for a fact that at least one can clear a 9.5’ fence, and that a large enough percentage can clear an 8’ fence to warrant a 1.5’ extension.

 

[Intheshop]

Was driving a back road to work one morning, taking my time. And saw a bruiser buck just off the rd effectively "flat foot" jump an 8' fence. No running start,no nothing but straight up and over.

We see deer flying up embankments a lot,taking what looks like 20' leaps up say,1-1 and steeper grades but that's on a dead run. The buck above just hopped over as easy as can be?

 

[dkhunt14]

Here in this state the game commission makes you have a 10 foot fence. A guy i know had his (trophy to him) buck killed. He said a buck jumped the fence, killed his buck and left. Matt

 

[John from MN]

I have a 6 foot tall fence around my garden made up of 5 hot wires. 2 down low for bunnies and coon and 3 others evenly spaced for deer. Haven't had any problems since I put it in 3 years ago.

I can only guess the electricity spooks them enough to keep them from trying to jump it. The fence is a bit of a pain and kinda ugly, but I really didn't have a choice.

 

[Sniper338]

Seen it as well. Pretty crazy what they can fdo.

 

[blackwidowp61]

I saw a deer approach a highway, skid on the pavement and still jump over a car...I'm willing to bet that driver had a need to change some clothing after that! I sure would.

 

[MrMajestic]

Rudolf?

 

[drover]

I saw a similar thing as the OP posted only in my case it was a full sized pickup he jumped over, I was about 100 yards behind it and like the OP I could see a lot of daylight between the deer and the roof of the pickup.
Sure glad my wife was with me I would have been dounting myself if she hadn't seem it too.

drover

 

[shoot4fun]

Ever seen a deer climb a fence?
Saw it on video once. The fence was around a parking lot and they said it was 10' high.

 

[ShootDots]

When I hunted in Texas, I hunted on some "High Fenced" ranches and regular fenced ranches, that many times bordered High Fenced game ranches. Standard High Fencing is 10 foot tall. The better fenced ranches had "hog-wire" panels for the first 6' and somewhat less stout panels for the upper portion. I have never seen a Deer jump a "Game-Proof" fence in all my years hunting the Hill Country. However, I did see something very surprising! I was on a "normal" fenced lease that was on the border of a Game-Proof Exotic Game Ranch. I was walking the fence line and saw a sizable herd of Auodad on the other side. One of the bigger males decided he wants on my side. So he backs up, lowers his head and runs straight into the fence with his horns! He bounced off like a rubber ball. He was a determined bugger! He kept at it til he smashed thru! I don't know how many times he tried but it was more than ten! He evidently knew he could not jump over! But by golly he could go thru the blasted thing! And he did!!!

 

[2506]

I wish I had what it took to video a hunt a few years ago. I had a nice 8 pt buck pop into my shooting lane at 87 yards. I was in a box stand and was shooting my T/C Contender pistol with 14" 30-30AI barrel loaded with 125 gr. Ballistic Tip at 2670 fps. Buck was almost broadside with a slight angle toward me. I placed the shot in the center of his front shoulder. At the shot he squatted back on his hind legs and jumped with his nose pointing straight up like a rocket taking off. I know that his hind leg hoofs had to be at least 8 feet off the ground because the box stand I was in is 8 ft off the ground and the bucks head was above my line of sight. At the peek of his jump he shook his head back and forth once then nosed over just like someone doing a half gainer off a diving board and dropped straight down. When he hit the ground his right shoulder that I shot him in collapsed and he fell on his chest and nose plowed propelled by his hind legs about 10 yards down the path and fell over dead. I sat there astonished because I had shot a lot of deer over the past 35 or so years and never seen anything like that before.

 

[ShootDots]

Animals hit hard by a good bullet, can and will do some very strange things indeed! I have seen a few doozies myself!

 

[Immike]

Animals hit hard by a good bullet, can and will do some very strange things indeed! I have seen a few doozies myself!

I have shot a few near a fence that would slingshot them back in play. Lol

Deer stats:
Run 45mph
Leaps 30’
Jumps 11’

 

[blackwidowp61]

Pinball deer?? I've never seen that one. Do you get an extra deer in play after so many points? Had one run into a tree full tilt once but he didn't bounce back.

 

[swd]

Our little 120lb Blacktails here can jump my 10’ garden fence no problem. I have to come up with something new this year.