Do you use a grunt call ? If so what tone , how often and do you feel that it is successful ? I have used one off and on for years and had mixed results . I have had does come on a dead run , I have seen deer in the distance and not even pay attention . I have also watched them spook and run . Might be that I am not doing it right ? Wrong tone or wrong time ?
Probably neither wrong tone or time. I've heard different tones from different bucks, and I'd bet deer grunt all year long. It's the mood of that particular deer at that particular time which determines their response. I typically use a grunt call as a last resort if the buck just isn't coming in range. To me one factor you can control is to be calling from a place where the deer has to " look" for the source. If you're in an open hardwoods with no under cover and call, seems like the deer hang up and get spooky knowing that something should be there.
Been using one for a few years. Either I see a big mature buck or nothing at all. I usually wait till after prime hunting times then try to catch the cruisers. I am a fan of blind calling but like was said you need a little cover so the deer has to look for other deer. Never have had does or a small buck come in or react to my calling.
Do yourself a favor and get a true taker from hs strut.. change calls with the push of a finger. I call all kinds of deer in every year from opening weekend fawn bleats to late season doe grunts....
I use my voice for all calling, grunts, bleats, snort wheeze.... I only use call noises if I feel it might help the situation. I think calls are way over used. The best way to learn about using call noises is to be out there, and be observant. Videos and such will have you think using the call a bunch will get you a deer because they want to sell the product.
How often they are successful completely depends on where you're hunting. Where I hunt in Arkansas they almost never work....in fact I can only think of maybe two instances in the last 15 or so years where it has worked. Where I hunt in Kansas I'm shocked when a deer doesn't come to it, it seems like 75% of the deer I call to there come in.
I only use a grunt if I can see the buck to judge his reaction and he's not coming my way. I never blind call.
So far calling hasn't done jack for me here in the panhandle. All the deer I have been in range of have come along while I kept totally silent and played the wind and terrain.
I like to use a tone that generally represent a younger buck also it's a bit earlier to call one in I would think. Often times the calls will keep them away if it's too aggressive or we are saying the wrong thing at the wrong time so it's usually best to just keep quiet.
I use deep grunt that u can use to make the sharp clicking type tending grunts. So I can vary the pitch myself. I use flextone.
I grunt off and on all season long, every sit.
I have had mixed results as well it depends on the deers mood honestly, and that's the bottom line. Your results will VARY.
I just got a flextone that does fawn to old buck sounds. sounds nice. I call off an on and will blind call. I hunt some thick stuff. calling has worked to bring in something or they ignore me, but I usually don't spook something off with it unless I get busted, and they figure out where I am and it is not a deer calling.
I don't use a dominant buck call unless I see one because we have almost none around. I use a young buck mixed with doe and estrous doe when the time is right. That will bring in most bucks.
I have seen some reluctance for bucks to come to an estrous call. Seems maybe that is getting overdone by hunters. Most times when it work, they come back later to circle around and check me out. Most of the time when I use it now, the buck looks my way and then wonders off. But, I set tight for a long while waiting them out. If they don't' find anything where they head off to, they often come back looking.
I use a doe in estrous call, and call in bucks, but just remember you have to use whatever call you use at the right time, and they have to be able to hear the call, don't just assume they can hear it.