Deer Calls
- Thread starter otcWill
- Start date
AaronJohnson
New member
- Mar 4, 2014
- 240
A versatile grunt tube with bleat and snort-wheeze capabilities. I have a MAD (Drury) call I like. That said, I don\'t cold call WT because I don\'t think it works well. I as I\'m sure many others have called investigating bucks within shot range with grunts when initially out of range.
I carry a grunt tube with a snort wheeze chamber, a can call and a rattling device. I have hunted WTs all my life on both public and private land and can say they are unpredictable when it comes to calling. The safest call is by far a can call. I have spooked few deer with a soft bleat. When the time is right though a snort wheeze and some grunts will bring in bucks but not always in bow range. I have also spooked big deer using that call when a few days earlier young bucks came in on a string. Had nothing to do with the wind. Sometimes I think when bucks are cruising and a mature buck is maybe out of his core area and \"trespassing\" a snort wheeze may just run him off because he knows he doesn\'t belong. That\'s jut my theory though. Rattling has not been kind to me in Southern Missouri, I have only rattled up a handful of bucks and only one shooter. He came in way too fast and busted me.
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
I also carry a custom grunt, Will.
I\'ve used it a few times in early season and it gets territorial bucks all fired up.
I do not use it close to the rut though....
I\'ve used it a few times in early season and it gets territorial bucks all fired up.
I do not use it close to the rut though....
Thanks for the input guys. I pretty much concur with y\'all in that I almost never use a call while deer huntn the rut. I try to stick with my plan and hunt on travel corridors and near bedding areas. When I see a good buck that isn\'t going to come in though, I usually throw the kitchen sink at him 
. Probably a dumb move as I\'ve had this work about 5% of the time or less. Just thought I\'d ask and see if anybody has any specific preferred calls or methods? Thanks for the input!
. Probably a dumb move as I\'ve had this work about 5% of the time or less. Just thought I\'d ask and see if anybody has any specific preferred calls or methods? Thanks for the input!Give me some advice on the can. I\'ve used them for years and have pretty much wasted my time. Once I called in a fawn which was followed by a buck that I killed but I think that was luck.
How do you use the can? Someone suggested not letting it slide all the way down and just giving a partial bleat, have you tried that?
I use a custom made call, a game warden made. (Correction) I originally said I called in a 152\" buck that I killed, that was a few years ago. Thinking back now I remember that I rattled him in, sorry for the misstatement. But the time has to be right for either to work, otherwise you\'re just wasting your time.
How do you use the can? Someone suggested not letting it slide all the way down and just giving a partial bleat, have you tried that?
I use a custom made call, a game warden made. (Correction) I originally said I called in a 152\" buck that I killed, that was a few years ago. Thinking back now I remember that I rattled him in, sorry for the misstatement. But the time has to be right for either to work, otherwise you\'re just wasting your time.
I generally carry a grunt tube and at times a can. I only use them if I have a buck that I am interested in that is obviously not going to come close enough for a shot. Just kind of a hail mary I guess. And no, I have never brought a shooter in close enough for a shot with them.
Rattling has not been productive either. I have rattled in small ones but never a shooter. Hardly even do it much anymore! I am old school I guess. I prefer to be as quiet, scent free and invisible as possible!
Rattling has not been productive either. I have rattled in small ones but never a shooter. Hardly even do it much anymore! I am old school I guess. I prefer to be as quiet, scent free and invisible as possible!
I guess I\'m too ol\' school but I\'ve never carried a call deer hunting... I do text a bit so I must bet a bit above ol\' school... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I do at time use some kind of vocal sounds to stop deer but have found that a lot of times that hurts you more that helps... So most of the time I silent and rely on being \"better that good\" in finding a deer or 2... The reason for \"better that good\" works for me is, being lucky is \"better that good\"... :upthumb: :upthumb: At least in my case... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I do at time use some kind of vocal sounds to stop deer but have found that a lot of times that hurts you more that helps... So most of the time I silent and rely on being \"better that good\" in finding a deer or 2... The reason for \"better that good\" works for me is, being lucky is \"better that good\"... :upthumb: :upthumb: At least in my case... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Keef,
Seen your wall so you probably don\'t need my advice on the can call but I\'ll clarify. I was first turned on to the use of a bleat a long time ago, well before the can calls came out. I had a wooden bleat call made by Woods Wise. It came with a cassette tape and I pretty much felt like I had wasted my money on it. I was a young bowhunter and scouting one morning when I jumped a small buck. Just so happened the area was covered up in rubs and scrapes. While looking for a tree to place a stand I noticed that the buck hadn\'t ran off very far. Figured I had nothing to lose so I blew the bleat call. He came to it on a string and I killed my first buck with a bow. Since then I have had similar encounters and success but it is usually the end of October when bucks are eager to find receptive does. I have had it work on both young and mature bucks. I don\'t think the sound is particularly important as being in a location that the buck has to \"hunt\" for you without being able to circle and get downwind. It\'s nothing I really rely on. I prefer to just sit good areas and be quiet but if a good buck is going to pass out of bow range, I\'ll give it a shot. I have also used it in conjunction with grunts. I\'ll also add that I have actually heard one doe bleating during the rut. She was bleating almost non-stop and had a shooter behind her a few hundred yards. This was during rifle season. I think the buck and the doe had been spooked by hunters and got separated. That doe did not sound like a can call at all. I couldn\'t even hear her until she was within 40 yards of me. Sounded more like a goat and the bleats were very short and soft.
In summary, they work but like everything else, right place and right time. I can say I don\'t recall spooking any deer using a bleat though and that\'s more than I can say for any other vocalization.
Seen your wall so you probably don\'t need my advice on the can call but I\'ll clarify. I was first turned on to the use of a bleat a long time ago, well before the can calls came out. I had a wooden bleat call made by Woods Wise. It came with a cassette tape and I pretty much felt like I had wasted my money on it. I was a young bowhunter and scouting one morning when I jumped a small buck. Just so happened the area was covered up in rubs and scrapes. While looking for a tree to place a stand I noticed that the buck hadn\'t ran off very far. Figured I had nothing to lose so I blew the bleat call. He came to it on a string and I killed my first buck with a bow. Since then I have had similar encounters and success but it is usually the end of October when bucks are eager to find receptive does. I have had it work on both young and mature bucks. I don\'t think the sound is particularly important as being in a location that the buck has to \"hunt\" for you without being able to circle and get downwind. It\'s nothing I really rely on. I prefer to just sit good areas and be quiet but if a good buck is going to pass out of bow range, I\'ll give it a shot. I have also used it in conjunction with grunts. I\'ll also add that I have actually heard one doe bleating during the rut. She was bleating almost non-stop and had a shooter behind her a few hundred yards. This was during rifle season. I think the buck and the doe had been spooked by hunters and got separated. That doe did not sound like a can call at all. I couldn\'t even hear her until she was within 40 yards of me. Sounded more like a goat and the bleats were very short and soft.
In summary, they work but like everything else, right place and right time. I can say I don\'t recall spooking any deer using a bleat though and that\'s more than I can say for any other vocalization.
I bring a grunt tube along all the time. (It may work, it may not.) I have a can call and have called in some nice bucks but also have had deer pay no attention to it.
I do bring a set of sheds with for rattling antlers. The buck I took last year I rattled right in to my stand and he gave me a 5 yard broadside shot. I am finding more and success more with a set of sheds
I do bring a set of sheds with for rattling antlers. The buck I took last year I rattled right in to my stand and he gave me a 5 yard broadside shot. I am finding more and success more with a set of sheds
