deer calls/rattle

[jay83196]

Just wondering what some guys do, how well calling/ rattling deer works, what sound work best ( buck wheez, doe bleat, fawn distress, rAttle etc ) do some call in does too, what time of season and how often and long at a sit work best?

Thanks

[ducksnbucks]

Last year on opening weekend Sunday I decided to do some grunting at 245pm. I do 3 grunt sequences kind of like this: grrr......grrr.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. 2 short blows then a longer one at the end. As soon as I did it I heard a deer stand up very close. He came trotting in looking for the intruder, needless to say it was the biggest buck ever shot at the cabin, 9 pointer that field dressed 240.I have also grunted in a few other bucks in the past years doing the same method.

I don't use "The Can" very often but did have 1 buck come in 4-5 minutes after I did it, so I think I called him in. I don't call that often but do try it a few times a day in case deer have slipped in and bedded down like what happened last year. I would definitely try it!

[96trigger]

I don't call or rattle much right now. I will in a couple of weeks. Usually its a grunt, rattle, grunt sequence. Short softer grunts, often followed by a longer deeper grunt. Rattle sequences last 30 seconds to a minute. I use a rattle bag. Best time for me has been very cold, calm mornings where the rattling carries.

I once read a tip about the can that it doesn't really get deers attention and bring them in from far off, but if you have one that is walking by and you want it to come find you, hit the can 2 or 3 times real quick. I did that once and had two bucks turn and come directly to me on a line. I don't go out during the rut without it anymore, but I dont' use it to blind call either.

[leech~~]

Over the years I have tried just about ever kind of call and have a nice set of 10 point real antlers to rattle with. But i have never seemed to really call in any thing that i can say came in because of it? It just doesn't seem to work for me like it does on those Texas ranch hunting videos!

[Sorgy]

I have been using the Can and grunt tubes for years. By far the best luck I have had is using the Can.

I blind call often. My setup is over an old dried up beaver pond that has grasses/stumps/brush growing up in it. It is surrounded by loggerd over areas that are 10 years or younger - very thick and almost un huntable- therefor sanctuary/living space for deer. It is aprox 150 yards by 250 yard in size and I sit off of one corner of it on the ground. It is in the middle of 177 old zone 1.

I have had many bucks come in over the seasons sitting on this beaver pond. No does have come to the call. Some of these bucks come on a string from several hundred yards away- looking. If the wind is blowing directly into the sanctuary areas I will not spend as much time in this location. I have been winded from 200 yards away after taking decent scent free tacticts (shower, washed cloths in scent free soap, use scent killer spray ect). These deer do not tolerate any human scent. I use milk weed fluff to watch the wind/thermals while sitting in my setup.

I use the grunt calls to stop them(even blind calling) and then tip over the money call several times. 90 % of the deer are called in blind. Most have been 2 1/2 year old and over. I did have one spike come into the can- He was on a string. I will not use the grunt call every sequince- jevery other (30 min).

Give me a calm morning middle of the week when most of the woods have had a chance to settle down and I will just about guarentee I will have some action. Still trying to hold out for a mature buck.

I don't overcall but I also think that a short sequence every 15 minutes is not overkillwhen using the can.

Has anyoone had simmilar experiences?

Good Luck

Steve

[mrklean]

When i first started hunting i did more calling grunting and rattling, it never worked or maybe once or twice, so i have really scaled it back to only when i see deer off in the distance to try and get them interested to come in. last year in south dakota i did some rattling and grunting and it worked fairly well on mule deer, i think it just comes down to right place right time.

[Finlander]

I call blindly when it's calm, can't hurt anything! I always have all my calls handy when you see a buck that is out of range and try to get him to get closer. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I once had a monster buck walk about 50 yards from me only to go to a scrape 100 yards away, and I pulled out every call I had and all he did was look in my direction and kept pawing away at the scrape then went out of sight! That was in Maple Grove 20 years ago!

I did rattle a monster buck down by Lakeville 20+ years ago before new housing came along and it came to within 10 yards of me as I was tring to put the bottom three screw steps in the tree where my tree stand was. I could hear it coming to me and was blowing steam from it's nose as it looked like it ran to where I was. I grabbed my bow and stood next to the tree and didn't move as he was looking at me like I was a space invader and charged at me but couldn't get thru the brush then he backed up, grunted and walked away as there was too much brush to shoot an arrow thru. It was at least a 180-190 class buck! I'll never forget the steam blowing out of his nose!

[InTheNorthwoods]

Calling definitely has its time and place. In order to be successful when calling you need 2 elements to be present: a deer in the proximity that can hear you, and that deer having the right attitude/frame of mind for the type of calling you are doing (curiosity, aggression, social desire, etc.).

It is really no different than humans. It may be an inappropriate example to some, but take a man who is going to the bar, there are often different moods/mindframes that people go to the bar with, and different interactions will cause different reactions from the bar patron. For example;

1. If someone wants to get intoxicated, nothing will draw their attention away from their mission - the bar stool (i.e. a deer going to a specific destination food source/bed/etc., and you better be hunting the trail leading there).

2. If someone is looking to meet friends and is in a sociable mood, they will be drawn to the social (non aggressive or passive) calls of their buddies when they enter the bar (i.e. a deer looking for a bachelor group it has been traveling with).

3. If someone is mad and in the mood where they are looking to go to the bar to raise some trouble and fight or has an aggressive attitude, they will respond easily to a stranger or person who makes any type of off color comment (i.e. a grunt or snort wheeze to an excited or aggressive buck).

4. If someone is in the mood and looking to pick up a lady at the bar they will chase after the beconning calls of the single ladies. When there is a really pretty lady in the bar, the one that attracts all the men, you have the perfect storm. This is the ideal situation for each of the previous examples to be effective, as this person will often respond to competition or threats of other males when competeing for the attention of the most attractive lady. This is the "hot doe" situation where can calls, grunts, snort wheezes, rattling, etc., can all be effective and on blind calling.

5. If someone has already picked up a lady at the bar, they will do their best to leave the bar without running into any type of confrontation and will not respond to anyone but that lady. I.e. a buck in lockdown - good luck, as there is one thing on their mind.

It is all about the mood and mind frame of the deer. But much like the bar example (where, if you don't have any beer - there won't be anyone there), if you don't have a deer around, no amount or type of calling will work.

[ClownColor]

I've been using the can and grunt with good success for 4 yrs now.

Now, it's hard to tell what actually got these bucks in but two came in trotting with big necks oblivious to everything so I'd have to say it was "the can" that got these buck coming in.

I've also had some does come by just moments after the can was tipped...could be coincidents?

The buck grunt seemed to have gotten one very mature buck right up to my stand.

I hunt deep thick woods so I've never seen a deer THEN used a grunt or can to bring them in...all were blind but once, I heard a "flock" of deer and I pulled out a buck with can/grunt combo.

My take. Good to have on you and in the right set-up (rut/deer activity/deer mode) it can be affective but by no means is it a must have or gauranteed success. I've also only used these during the rut which also help. I usually blend this in with a mock scrape (this is one product I truley stand behind and will ALWAYS go the extra mile to make sure I'm using).

[Farley]

Great analogy! Makes perfect sense.

[slimngrizzly]

Ha! That is a good analogy!

Thats why the BIG 5 plus year old bucks are so hard to kill! Because theyve dealt with all this [PoorWordUsage] before when they were younger and now they're just gonna lay in bed and take it easy! They still have love on their mind, but sure as heck not gonna work for it like they did in their younger days!

[bigbucks]

I've blind called a lot & have probably called in about the same number of does as bucks with the can. I can recall at least two does I shot with my bow, that very clearly came right to the can. Rattling has called in almost exclusively bucks & just like the population, most were little guys, generally 6 pointers. I also missed a doe once, that moved when I shot & had no idea I'd shot at her. She just heard something odd as she was moving. I grabbed the grunt tube & called her right back in. I didn't miss the second time...

[Sorgy]

tying in with my above post. Below are some images of the area I have had success in. Its and old beaver pond slowly growing up with brush.

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/SorgySt/Stevefall2011034.jpg

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af246/SorgySt/Stevefall2011020.jpg

One looks North about 200 yards and the other WNW 300 yards. The area to my W or SW is also somewhat open like that. I sit on the ground and am up about 4 feet from the middle of the old pond. I can generally get away with movement from the neck down because of my setup.

I would love to hunt the area with a small buck decoy the week heading into the rifle season. Has anyone every hunted NE MN with decoys-buck just before the rifle season?

Later

Steve

[rkhinrichs]

Sorgy- when do you use this methodz/ any time of the year or just during the pre-rut and rut???

[Sorgy]

Just the rut / pre rut. I have only hunted this area with my rifle. I would like to hunt it with my bow the week before rifle season before the deer start to feel the pressure of the dear season. A decoy woud probably work very well in this location.

The deer definitly come to the call and they are at least 150 yards away to see them. Many of the bucks I have seen here are already on a string when they come out of the cover. The calls carry a lot farther than you think.

If they are stopped they can hear the call(s). That is where the loud grunt calls seems to help-it stops them. After they stop they can then hear the can on a still day. I hope that helps.

Good luck

Steve

[Bear55]

I call blindly when it's calm, can't hurt anything!

I do think there is a time and place for calling but like all legal methods it rarely works out so I try and limit my calling to more of a last resort move when I am in the woods. I don't want to call you out Fin but I do have to disagree with the it can't hurt comment, calling and especially too much calling can straight up give you away and let a buck pinpoint your location. Every buck past the age of 2.5 has probably been called at numerous times and very well might be able to determine a hunters call from the real thing. At the very least they might suspect something is out of place and try to wind you or hold back until they can see a source of the call or until after dark.

[MUSKY18]

You also have to look at the structure of the deer herd in the area that you are hunting. If the doe to buck ratio is high, then bucks are less likely to come charging in when they hear a fight. Why go fight for a doe, when there are plenty around he can breed without fighting. Not saying it won't work, because if you catach a buck out searching for that doe, he will go where he thinks she is. If the ratio is low in your area and the bucks really have to compete for does, it will work more better. I like rattling and do it morning and evening until you know the bucks are up and moving all day looking for does. I have pulled deer in a grunt as well. First year deer hunting after I got out of the service, opening morning had a buck run along a ridgeline. Gave him a couple of quick grunts and he made a beeline for my stand. Stopped 5 yards from it. Only thing is, he ran away quickly when he heard the hammer fall on an empty chamber as I forgot to put a round in!!!