I was oozing around yesterday morning and spotted a doe bedded in the briars. It was a cross wind, but quartering a little toward her, and I knew 25 yards would be about as close as I could expect to get.
The only good path to her was through some pretty rough stuff, and I did the "Old man wooly-worm" for the last 20 yards. I found myself close enough, but no opening through the thick suff. I mulled this over for quite awhile, and decided to toot the grunt call ever so softly, and maybe she would stand up........blaaaaat.....
There were 5 deer, not one, and they exploded out of there like a covey of Quail! I think the bleat calls are being used a little too often around here.......
sounds pretty familiar to up here also I hit mine and spooked every deer in my area I think and they did not come back that night or this am
I think you might have just been too close and surprised them that something (even though it may have sounded like a deer)was so close.......
I agree with Curt, if I can see the deer I start real soft and I mean real soft and see if I get a reaction,a little louder each time until I know they heard it. I know they are used a lot by guys around where I hunt but I still have great results calling in deer escp. deer I see. Called in a spike this am. and some real good bucks this year, just no shots. I believe calls are overused and most guys have no clue how to use them, guys that do, well they have better success. Shawn
Old gals probably figured the olds man was back for seconds and they weren't in the mood. The grunt is typically used by the buck while tending the doe, and if they ain't interested they will probably be gone as they aren't in the mood for his advances. A fawn bleat may have been better.
I remember a couple of years ago hunting on the edge of one of our swamps and I heard this buck grunting loudly going down the swamp. Echoing loud. Does just came pouring out of there, getting out of Dodge! Did not want to have anything to do with that buck.
John, I know what you are saying. Once gun season starts here in IN, there is someone in every other tree shakin' a rattle bag and blowing a grunt call. Over on the property to the south this afternoon, there were a couple of guys setting on a log and both of them were using the "can" call......smokin' cigarettes and talking while they were calling! I at least know why I ain't seeing any deer comin' in from the south! :banghead: Mike
He says he blew the grunt but in the last sentence he says" bleats are being used to much, if he grunted than that is a problem, but if he did in fact bleat it was most likely too loud for the situation. Shawn
It was a fawn bleat. I blew it very, very softly. I just think those old Does were wise to it. They didn't get old by being dumb.
I can say that elk are getting the same way. To many people using calls.Just like a coyote they wise up to it, it just take the deer family a little longer.