Deer call.....is it needed when hunting from the ground? Obviously you see hunters calling Elk a lot! Now...do you need a deer call? Does it help your odds? Do they work?
If I wanted to add a basic and simple call to my pack what do you recommend that works?
Thank you.
I always carry one. I also carry a turkey call. I've called in several does with some soft grunts and a buck. Does like to be together, just seems like when I've seen them and call to them they've come to investigate. Not always but it's worked. The turkey call is if you're stalking/walking and making some noise in the leaves. Not sure if this works but I think it's meant to make it sound like some turkey's instead of this turkey! Good luck.
-Jeremy :coffee:
Skitch, IN LA and MS where I hunt calling is not- at least for me - very productive in the way that you see on TV with rattling horns and grunting like crazy. The responses I have gotten from deer have been mainly low soft calls, both doe grunts and buck grunts. Low and soft and only one or two at a time. I use a Primos call that is not in production anymore. It is about 2" long and made of plastic. I think the number was D-97 or something like that. It is so small that I carry it all the time and it is never in the way.
Not sure how the deer are in OK so maybe more agressive would work for you there. Hope this helps.
A lot has to do with your deer density and buck/ doe ratio. I haven't had much luck with most but I do carry a can call(doe bleat). It has worked a few times over the years.
Like fdlz58 I use my mouth to make some turkey calls at times getting in and out of my spots.
Rob
I don't call to try to call deer in, however, I will sometimes use a grunt or two to try to turn/pull in a buck that is too far away for a shot. During the rut, it works more often than not. I don't use a commercial call. Pretty easy to make a deer grunt or snort/wheeze with your voice.
I've used for bleats with great results over the years. I've carried the same woods wise doe bleat for about 25 years. I've called bucks, both big and small, does fawns. I've had it work really well on bucks late on in the rut. I was hunting back in the late 80's when I saw a doe come in. I heard a very soft bleat, and a 6 came out of now where, right to her. He followed her right out. Since then, I've always carried one.
A lot depends upon the particular deer and his mood at the time.
I've called in 3 deer total in my life. One with a grunt tube, one with a bleat "can", and one with a snort-wheeze with my own mouth.
I've called to a lot more deer that for the most part showed little to no reaction, with the exception being snort wheezing at little bucks at close range for the fun of it. They about turn inside out trying to get away!
I believe calling is another tool in the belt, but you have to pay attention to where you're calling from. You'll be amazed at how a deer can pinpoint the source of the call and if you're in a relatively open area where the deer can see a ways they'll hang up out of range "looking" for another deer that should be there. Those three times it's worked for me I was in cover thicker than the surrounding cover.
One thing I've noticed is how many bucks have approached as I'm climbing up or down with my lone wolf climbing stand. I'm seriously thinking that the scraping noise on the bark is what drew them, a non-threatening other buck rubbing? Anyways, this season I'm going to bring the rattling antlers and just rub the tree a bit!
Grunting has worked for me some , but often goes totally ignored. I hunt a lot in OK , in fact I'm at camp now. After reading Mike Mittens book I strung together some horns and have had a ball rattling in bucks. I have called in several on the same day. So far not a shooter but it's still a lot of fun.
I have hunted for over 45 years, i can count on one hand how many times I received an response from a deer call. I have never had a buck respond to rattling. I hunt in north Florida and have killed a lot of deer, it just does not work in the area that I hunt.
I use a grunt tube mostly and any of them on the market will work. I have grunted in two P&Y bucks, which I killed entirely by the use of a grunt call. In both cases, I watched the bucks responses to the grunt. In these two cases and upon hearing the grunts, the bucks turned and or continued a path to my stand. Calls obviously fail to work more times than they actually work, but I can say with certainty that I have two bucks on my wall because of calls.
try a dying rabbit call... really squeal on it, does will run you over in the early season.
I think they think its a fawn with something killing it. They come in ready to fight and with their hackles up.
I don't shoot them in the early season when they have little fawns, but its a fun thing to do for the heck of it.
A grunt tube can be used to make a number of grunt calls, from soft to aggressive. I always have one, but haven't really grunted one in. The can call will bring the does. One thing about calling is the deer are on alert. If they come in downwind, it's only a matter of time to being busted. Fun to try though.
When you see deer running or a lot of running tracks, that's the time to rattle. Things are HOT and the big guys will come in, but the wind is the old killer, or not...
I've called them in with the Primos little can, grunt tubes and a sock. Cut some antler points off and put them in a sock.
I only hunt the ground anymore and calling is a tool every whitetail hunter should consider.
A fawn bleat can be productive in early season if you want a doe to pop out of bedding cover.
Once late October rolls around here in Michigan, grunting can be extremely effective. Personally, I like the Primos buck growl by far the best. I also try to mimick what bucks do when grunting. Often, a fired up buck will grunt with almost every step, for 4-5 steps. I've had much better luck with aggressive/6-10 grunts in a sequence, than just a single or two grunts.
Two years ago, I grunted in the buck I shot and he literally came in on a dead run and slammed the brakes 9 steps infront of me and luckily looked the other way, probably looking for the "other buck".
About 4 years ago, the nicest buck I've seen while hunting my property came in while I was grunting "blind", but he saw me first and I was busted. But he popped out 25 yards away and clearly was looking for a fight.
Then 2-3 years ago, my buddy (compound in a treestand) grunted in a really nice buck that came in on a run for about 200 yards across a clearcut.
All of these were late October/early November bucks in full on chase mode.
fawn for early does.
Bleat for the rest.
Ive never had much luck with grunt tubes.
I like a bleat or blat as curiosty will get the best of them at times.
Most of the time I find a decoy in conjunction with calls works best.
In early november a doe decoy+scent+a esterous bleat will work.
If a buck is around he'll come.
shooting him is another issue.
I always carry a few different "calls" for deer...but never to use to try and pull them out of the woodwork.....I use them to call in animals I see off in the distance that look as though they arent going to come by me, or call BACK animals that went past without presenting a shot.
I never use a grunt call to a buck that is anywhere near me. They seem to pinpoint the sound too easily.
I do use a grunt tube in late October and into November. After scanning the woods and checking VERY carefully that no deer are within my eyesight, I do a series of grunts like a buck will do when chasing a doe. I like to combine grunts with other noise like scraping my feet in some leaves next to me. I think it is more realistic and it works! I have grunted in 4 nice bucks in the last 2 years on public hunting land!
One big thing to remember is that mature bucks tend to be wary and take their time coming to a call. Some of the younger ones will come rushing right in looking to fight. I have been busted numerous times because I just wasn't patient enough and a nice buck snuck right in on me and caught a small movement on my part. You would think that I had enough sense to stay nice and still after using a grunt tube to call in a buck. DUH! All I did was move my head a quarter turn in both cases and that was enough to alert them at ground level!
To make a long story short, definitely use grunt tubes and then be very patient and scan with your eyes before moving your head to look around.
I also agree that you can use calls on deer that you see, but are far enough away that they have no idea where you are located. If they are traveling a route that takes them away from you, sneaking in a call can't hurt since they are leaving anyway. Who knows? You might just get lucky and turn them around. If they are out in a field or on another ridge, why not give it a try then as well? I just don't use it if they are close enough to pin me down. I would estimate 60-70 yards would be about the minimum distance away that I would consider using a call for me personally.
If I had to take just one call, it would be a grunt tube with multiple settings for varying sound.
My experiences in the last 20 years of bowhunting is that grunt tubes tend to work very well at the pre-rut phase, and during the heat of the rut. Where I hunt (mostly back home in WV) the buck to doe ratio is so out of whack, that I've never had any success whatsoever with doe bleats or estrus type calls. Only buck calls ...challenging calls, have worked for me.
It seems to be something that can be very productive at the right time and circumstance. I've also had it be the exact opposite -- one grunt, and the deer was out of there! Leads me to believe those bucks had already had their butts whooped a time or two that year.
Thanks guys. This is good stuff !
Have had limited success with low level grunting and a delayed response - be on alert well after grunting. No luck with estrus/can, and think it has spooked or helped them pinpoint me - but maybe I'm just not good at it. I sometimes grunt a bit right before (evening) or after (morning) primetime, but not during.
As was also said, time and geography can make a big difference.
I will be using Jeremy's (FDLZ 58) nice osage grunt call I won on St. Jude's in Kansas - so I hope that and a little rattling will get a buck in range.
As you can see from some of the responses it's uncanny how deer can pinpoint your location when you're calling. You best be set up and READY any and every time you are calling. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but you better be ready!
Also, if you're using a fawn bleat, you may call in predators. I had a bobcat come to a fawn bleat looking for an easy meal. When he cleared the brush enough to see it was me he disappeared faster than he came in!
I have given up on "calls" so to speak. I only use my mouth/voice, and I do what ever seems right at the time based on all I have seen and heard through the years of deer hunting. Some times that is nothing at all. I would say it mostly depends on the local deer population. some respond well, others do not. If you are set up in a good spot, you shouldn't need one.