# Do "deer whistles" work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965 "2005-07-11T11:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/1 "2005-07-11T11:08:21Z")
I live in an area where deer collisions are a very real hazards… should I get a “deer whistle”? I’m talking about one of these dog-whistle like devices that are made to be attached to the bumper and “blown” by the air stream that naturally envelops a moving car. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/2 "2005-07-11T12:00:49Z")
If you do a search here on the boards, you’ll find where this has been discussed before (with links to studies). Basically, the answer is no. Don’t waste your time or money. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/3 "2005-07-11T12:12:01Z")
Sorry. Answer would appear to be “no.” [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=23658&highlight=deer+whistle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=23658&highlight=deer+whistle) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=10841&highlight=deer+whistle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=10841&highlight=deer+whistle) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/4 "2005-07-11T14:31:42Z")
But don’t believe it until you see the Mythbusters demonstration. If they ever do one. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/5 "2005-07-11T16:12:17Z")
If you do decide to use them, make sure you install them correctly. I mean, if you put them on backwards, all the deer will be _chasing_ your car. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/6 "2005-07-13T04:53:49Z")
they work as well as elephant whistles… namely if you never SEE an elephant/deer near your car youll just assume it works even if the chance youll see one is rare in the first place ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/7 "2005-07-13T12:35:03Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > they work as well as elephant whistles… namely if you never SEE an elephant/deer near your car youll just assume it works even if the chance youll see one is rare in the first place Deer aren’t exactly what I’d call “rare.” And in some parts of the US hitting them while driving is a real concern, due to their abundance. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-deer-whistles-work/311965/8 "2005-07-13T12:41:13Z")
What matters is: the whistles **don’t work**.