Buck grunting?

[Shack]

What do you guys say about grunting for bucks or does.

Should you use a short blast of air in caller with it tucked into your chest?

How many grunts would you do at a time?

How often? Once and hour, twice an hour?

This is the grunt caller I am useing. I have had it since i was 13 and never realy used it.

[DeanoB]

Shack i grunt in combo with bleats and rattling, although haven't rattled this year keep forgetting those antlers! anyway i use a bleat can 3 times, then i do a short grunt, and another longer grunt. Other than that, i use the grunt to stop a deer, or get them to turn.

[Shack]

Thanks,

This the first year I have been in a situation where I have wanted to call deer in.

I keep my self from getting out of stand and pushing deer. I am set up in an area, where I would like to have deer come to me. They are there and if the wind is right, I feel for once in my life, calling or luring a deer is the best option.

The land I am hunting it limited in bucks, but there is a couple big bucks in area (I have not seen them yet).

I would like to call or get one of them out of there night stalking. With a wind friendly day and then right lure, I feel I could get one of these bucks out in the open to harvest it. Then get a good mount for the foyer.

I always harvest deer for the meat, but after 18 years of meat harvesting, I am ready for a trophy.

The more I think of harvesting a trophy, the more it seems it will not happen. But, if it does not happen, there is always next year.

[Shack]

I have a ton of antlers! It is amazing how many people do not claim their antlers after shooting a deer.

When I stared at the Nowthen Meat Market, skinning deer, I got many sets of deer antlers.

I have got a mean set of mule deer antlers.

I will think of bringing this with me next time.

The only thing I second guess on this, is the fact of a limited amount of bucks in the area. Will rattling help, or will the does know something is up and other bucks.

OR! Will it bring them in for a closed look?

[DeanoB]

i will tell you this, i have had bucks come in so mad the hair was standing up on the back of the neck, snorting, wheezing, grunting, pawing the ground, when rattling. Sometimes it does not work. but if you don't try you will never know. I never rattle or call the first 45-60 min of light unless I see the deer, and am trying to bring them closer, or get them to stop. I have been using a scent by James Valley this year, it has worked in the fact that it gets deer to stop where I place it. I have done some pretty extensive research at deer farms with calling. Laugh if you will, but there they are behind the high fence, so i just get hid in some brush, and start making calls to see what the bucks react to. They almost always come check out a snort, or short grunt, and 60% will come investigate an estrous bleat. these could be skewed as they are penned deer, but what the heck they are easier to find and study !

[Shack]

Deanob,

Good advice! I will get myself a doe bleat tomorrow also.

I think what you have said it great. Thanks for the help.

Way to be a great F.M.er!

I spend a lot of time at local deer ranch. I have never thought about bringing a call with me.

Thanks

[DeanoB]

no problem, I am no expert but i spend a great deal of time in the woods from september 1 - end of november and even in to december. I love watching deer movement, even if it from the car watching fields, figuring out what times they move from the woods to a field, do they emerge from creek bottoms, or just a random spot in the woods? Patterning them is tough, but after a few years you can almost pinpoint what the deer in a given section will do. I think they are fantastic creatures, and enjoy hunting for them. It is actually an obsession, thankfully my wife understands, and my sons love going "looking for deer" although with the time change we have lost that hour + after work. good luck I hope you successfully call that big one in just note too i like the early morning, like first 30 minutes of light for mature bucks, they seem to be heading to the bedding area at this time, and i usually get out at least an hour before sunrise, sitting in the dark is cold and boring, but when the 12 point steps out 5 min into legal shooting time, it will all be worth it! good luck to you, I sincerly hope you get the sights on him.

[BLACKJACK]

DEANO, good idea on going to a deer farm and trying out grunting and rattling!!! Now I'm trying to thing where there is one around here, lots of elk farms but not many deer farms.