Whitetail Glands and what they can do.
There are five different glands in the whitetails body and each one does a different thing. By understanding these it will aide you in how they travel and communicate with each other.
1. Forehead Gland
This is located on the forehead just above the eyes. Some documentation has been written that this gland will secrete a oily substance that will darken the fur in this area, it is also said that the darken area is also caused by the type of trees that the bucks will rub. It is said that the secretion acts a indicator of what status that buck is at in the overall hierarchy of the local deer population. I personally believe that this is where the buck will leave is calling card so to speak, letting others know this is his territory.
2. Preorbital Gland
I have not found to much information on this gland other than the fact that it is another way of communicating with other deer as far as age, sex and maybe status. Some have said that it is used for visual communication mostly between doe’s and fawns.
3. Tarsal Gland
Now this is an important gland to pay attention to especially on big adult bucks. Located on the inside of the back legs half way down they will darken depending on how much the buck will urinate and rub them together as well as how old the buck is. Doe’s have been known to rub these glands together but generally it is the buck that does it. The tarsel gland will also send signals of dominance in the deer herd. These glands can also be purchased at sporting good stores to be used as scent drags to your stand. One thing I have done in the past is cut the gland from a adult buck and used that as a drag.
4. Metatarsal Gland
This is another gland that does not have much information about. It is located on the outside of the hind legs down near the hooves. Some researchers have said that it might be used to regulate their body heat and some have said that it leaves an alarm scent when the deer has been spooked. I think the debate can go on for awhile about this gland.
5. Interdigital Gland
This gland is located between the toes and is used for marking trails and locating other deer. It is said that because a fawn does not leave any scent the mother will keep tabs on the fawn by sniffing for this gland but, there is some debate about that. There is one thing that seems to be agreed upon and that is when a deer stomps the ground it is signaling to other deer that something is not right and at the same time it is leaving a scent that says danger to other deer.
Some of this makes a lot of sense to me and if you keep this in the back of your mind it could help you down th road.