With its patented cameras positioned atop the heads of bucks, the Web site provides a unique perspective on deer behaviors.

Observing behavior without altering it has always been a major challenge for scientists who study whitetails. And what hunter hasn't wished he could see the world through the eyes of a buck, if only to gain knowledge that would help him outsmart his quarry?

Now, with a few clicks of a computer mouse, it's possible for researchers, land managers and hunters to do both -- day or night, hour after hour, and all in real time.

Deerchannel.com, scheduled to launch live on the Internet the week of Sept. 24, will finally provide whitetail fanatics with the one perspective they've always craved but assumed they'd never have: seeing (and even hearing) the world as a deer does. This amazing perspective is achieved through the use of a patent-pending system that includes video cameras and ultra-sensitive microphones positioned atop the heads of living deer.

A longtime dream of whitetail enthusiasts Tom Brooks and Doug Morrell, www.deerchannel.com can legitimately be called a breakthrough in the study of the species. As illustrated by the accompanying images (from actual DeerChannel.com footage), it's the closest thing yet to looking through the eyes of a whitetail.

Years of experimentation with video and audio technology have led to the current system, which uses a network of state-of-the-art equipment permitted and set up on Tom's ranch in Texas.

Although similar in concept to cameras used to document whale and seal behavior in the ocean, the DeerChannel.com gear has several significant advantages. First, in addition to seeing video images, the observer gets to hear the sounds that go with it. These include not only sounds the deer makes -- sniffing, chewing, grunting, walking -- but also those of its surroundings, from turkey gobbles to thunder to wind whistling through the trees. These sounds, which come through clearly as you watch the footage on your computer, put you right there with the deer in a way never before possible.

DeerChannel.com allows users to see and hear what a whitetail hears as it moves about its habitat.

A second big advantage is that the footage is seen live. Accomplishing this was no simple feat, but now that it's been done, the result is the ability to turn on your personal computer and follow the behavior and travels of actual deer in real time.

Not only can active subscribers to www.deerchannel.com watch live footage nonstop, but they can also access an available library of archived highlights showing a wide range of behaviors and activities. It promises to be a whole new way for whitetail enthusiasts to learn about deer.

From a scientific perspective, the implications are similarly enormous. "You can see potential for all sorts of great research with these cameras and microphones," notes Dr. James C. Kroll, founder and director of the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management and Research in Texas. "The idea of being able to do this has been around for a while, but this is the first time anyone has put the time and money into actually making it happen. I can already think of several studies I'd like to do using this system," the biologist notes.

As Dr. Kroll points out, developing the technology behind DeerChannel.com has taken years of effort and a huge investment of capital. However, getting access to the system will be extremely affordable. A charter subscription to the service has been priced at just $29.95 per month.

A subscription allows the user 24/7 access to multiple feeds at any given time. These cameras transmit in visible light during the day and then switch to infrared light at night, providing an exceptionally clear picture even in what would appear to the human eye to be almost total darkness. You see and hear what a deer sees and hears.

So if you've ever wanted to go into the deer's world as no one has ever gone before and see how a buck interacts with other animals and various environmental conditions, you'll now have a way to do so. Given the interest in Web sites featuring nothing more than still photos of deer visiting feeders, DeerChannel.com should be a runaway hit with hunters and wildlife professionals alike. Visit the site, at www.deerchannel.com, and see for yourself.