I'm asking about calls, rattling, snort wheeze, acorn crunch... ETC... Ive really only once, Know for a fact a doe responded to young doe bleat, as she was headed away from me to my left, I hit the bleat a few times she turned on a dime with her head up and looking right in front of me and came back, I shot her, biggest doe I have taken with a bow.... But how do you really know when you say I've called/rattled in X number of bucks/does over the years... how do you know for sure they were coming to your call? Do you see them before you call and they turn on a dime like in my situation? Or do they just come down the trail in front of you a few minutes after you had called? Let's here your best, "I called him in" story...
I have always had decent luck when grunting. Last year really stands out. About 8:30 one morning my buddy spotted a buck about 75 yards south of me walking away. I grunted and he did a 180 and headed right towards me. When he slowed down and stopped, I would grunt again and he would then continue towards me. While I was grunting this buck in, I had another come from the west and one from the north. Eventually they all met about 15 yards from my stand and needless to say, I think I started a bit of a dominance fight. The larger of the 3 ended up chasing the smaller 2 out of the area and all I could do was sit there and watch. Even though I did not get a shot off, it was one awesome sit.
I bought my first call back in the 80's. I usually only ever call when I see one, rarely if ever do I "blind" call. That said, I've got countless stories of turning bucks around only to call them right to the stand. I never call when I see one until I KNOW they are not coming otherwise. Two I'll just relay, Among dozens of bucks, one buck was 250 yards away (ranged with laser afterwards) walking the opposite direction (bean field), a couple aggressive calls later he stood at 25 yards, came on a line...... missed him (well not missed but didn't kill). Last years Halloween buck, 75 plus yards out, angling away, 2 grunts to stop him, third turned him to 8 yards. Well, you know the rest. Countless bucks have come to my calls. I can only think of a couple that I killed that I didn't call in. I'd bet the percentage is 90% or more that I called to the stand and 10% that happened to walk by.
Pretty much I know I called them in when I see them turn around and come in. So, yes, I see them. Other times you can tell by their demeanor. Deer are experts at pinpointing the source of a sound. I have called in a lot of bucks with a grunt call. When they respond, they will show up on your doorstep, usually to within at least 20 yards from you no matter how far away they were called from. Other deer that were blind called will either be timid and just curious enough to show up (younger or less dominant bucks) or the more dominant ones will be ticked off and show up posturing. Those are the exciting ones.
I have grunted in countless bucks.(Hunters Specialties True talker).I have a number of good stories.I will tell four and be quick as to not bore any one.In Idaho ten years ago I was in a tree stand close to a big nasty scrape.A doe was in heat running in big circles around my stand.I heard a buck grunting about 50 yards away but I couldn't see him.I grunted at him and he came in with his ears layed back all angry looking.Killed him,nice big 8 pointer. In Idaho I have grunted curious 21/2 year old bucks a number of times twice while I was on the ground,I have grunted them in to with out exageration 5 yards.They would go to leave or get about 25 yards a way and I have grunted them back.In hind sight it's a wonder I didn't get gored.They are fired up with testosterone and I am messing with them. My all time favorite story is this one.I had a very good buck coming down a run way and was coming past me at about 10 yards,broadside.I drew and I was so confidant that this buck was mine it wasn't even a question.Some how my pinky fired release went off before I was ready,and I just grazed his brisket.I was horrified and angry with my self.How could I not have killed that deer.He went about 50 yards before stopping,he didn't know what happened.He settled down,and was milling around.I starting grunting softly at him and he began to come in,cautiously,but coming in.He got to 30 yards and would not come any closer.He went to a makeable quartering away position and I put an arrow through his lungs. Nice eight pointer,what was really interesting to me is that my first arrow while not going through him put a heck of a gash in his brisket.
That's my mentality, kind of like a last resort, I just haven't had enough opportunities to know their effectiveness... hence the thread...
Yup they can work great. They also can work terrible. I have turned bucks around and had them come right in. I have had some completely ignore it and I had a 120" buck that was showing dominance ears laid back completey run for the hills with a snort-wheeze. I never am in the woods without one.
I find it very difficult to turn deer with my grunt tube. Maybe I am not good at it or maybe something else is affecting my lack of success with the grunt tube, I can't figure it out.
Like others have said, I seldom blind call with a grunt or a bleat, only when one has been seen first. I am not sure what my percent of success is, but I would guess no more than 25%. However when it works it is pretty cool. And if it doesn't, well no harm done and I was no worse off than when i began. The second biggest buck I've killed was due to a grunt tube when he was approx 75 yards out. I hit the call and he turned 90 degrees and came in giving me an easy 15 yard shot. I have never had one "scare" from my calling. Most of them stop for a minute and then meander on about their way indifferent. Now rattling is a different matter. I do "blind" rattle. Usually a bust. But when it does work, there is nothing more exciting. I have never killed a buck while rattling, although I've had opportunities on smaller bucks. I rattled in two separate bucks last year that I would have loved to have taken, but they both hung up long enough to wind me, one was in brush at less than 20 yards and never presented a shot while the other was in the open but out of range.
I love blind calling, my buck last year came in when I blind called with the Primos Buck Growl. I have shot a few bucks that were blind called with a can or grunt call.
Had one that came in to a MAD growl the first year I had it, scared many more than that off with it. It's not in my arsenal now. The BuckRoar has worked pretty well for me, the Can....not so much.
last year i had a buck come in after i called for about a hour and he was with a doe and he was grunting and snoting and raking up tree but he stayed 40 yards away in some thick brush so i never got a shot and after 30 min of playing with him he walked off with the doe.
Yep, I'll 3rd that with rattling. Every buck I've rattled In has come to the exact tree I rattled from. Most of the bucks I've rattled In were all blind calling so who knows how far away they came from.
They come in with their eyes fixiated on a spot/u and paying attention to your position. Versus just walking through. Sometimes they are in your lap before u know it, especially younger deer. Old bucks will almost always take much longer and come in downwind a good distance but their eyes and ears pointed your way.
I've grunted in many, 2 of which stand out. One was a heavy 8 pt that was walking thru a bottom about 65 yrds or so away. After a grunt he came on a string and so fast that he was standing 2 yrds from the base of my tree in no time. Didn't have time to put the call aside and get the bow up. He looked up. game over. Very intense ordeal. The 2nd one was hunting the zoo. Some of you may remember this place as it was the place DavidM and Len in md made famous. David and I had been seeing this very long tined 8 a few times. David went to NY this particular weekend and told me to hunt from his tree. I did and the 8 pt appeared over 100 yrds away on a line that would miss me. I grunted and he too was under me in no time. I tried to draw but couldn't get the bow back because of a tree limb in the way. I had to watch him walk off back in the direction he came from.
My best bow buck- When I seen him he came in to make a scrape but was to far off. I watched him in hopes he would come my way. After he was done sure enough he started to walk away in the opposite direction going for the corn field. I pulled out my True Talker and gave it a grunt,he stopped but after a min started walking off again,we went back and forth like this 3-4 times. I got frustrated thinking he was going to just keep going so I hit the call hard and loud. He spun around and charged in hair standing up looking like he was ready to take on the world. Stopped right in front of me at less then 20yards.Every muscle in his body flexed,hair standing up and then he did a snort wheeze,First time I ever heard that. I was so amazed I thought HEY DUMMY DRAW. I let a 125gr Vortex fly and he is on the wall. My most exciting hunt ever.
if the day is going slow, I will hit the grunt tube ( have it on doe bleat) - have had deer show up moments after- so would like to think it peaked there curiousity So I Blind call when it is slow or if the deer is heading away - I will try a call em back
I've rattled in at least half a dozen or so bucks over the past few years. I just started rattling probably within the last 5 or 6 years. After watching deer and observing them for over twenty years, I can definetely tell when a deer has come my way because of the rattling.
