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Do Deer Sleep with their Eyes Open?

15K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  alf  
#1 ·
I'm watching this little lady out my office window (a bit of a distraction when you work from home). She seems pretty relaxed, but I never seem to see them close their eyes.

Do you suppose they can sleep with their eyes open?

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#5 ·
I have read several deer biology studies that determined that deer rarely ever sleep, as we know it. They do go into the equivelent of a daydream state in which they rest. Actuall sleep (laid head down and closed it's eye's sleep)was only recorded one time during extreme exhaustion, 1 buck 15 does in 1 pen during the rutt(get it). And that sleep lasted less than 1 hour.

My 2 cents of 2nd hand info.

My opinion. I've never seen a cow or horse with it's eyes closed either. Prey don't sleep, only hunters do.
 
#6 ·
I was sitting in my tree stand during prime time rut one year when this small buck laid down next to a scrape 20 yards from me. After awhile his head would droop, then he'd catch himself, look around, then nod off again. After a half a dozen times of this, he finally must have said piss on it and laid flat out, like a drunk at bar time. He laid there, dead to the world, for a good 15-20 minutes till he heard something, got up, and trotted off down the hill looking for some more action. Must have been the animal equivalent of a power nap. Pretty entertaining.

Al