As a deer hunter I learn more and more each year about the habits of whitetail deer. One of the observations I have made in recent years is that deer use a complex mix of vocalizations to communicate with each other. The vocalizations consist of bleats, grunts and wheezes to establish dominance and to communicate their readiness to breed.
The deer grunt call has proven effective in tricking bucks shooting range during the rut and pre-rut. Effective hunters are learning to mimic this unique sounds to increase their odds of success. The grunt call can be a deadly tool when it comes to attracting bucks, big bucks. With a little practice and a well-made grunt tube will tilt the odds in your favor during the rut and pre-rut.
I would estimate that 75 to 80 percent of the deer I call to during the pre-rut react to the call. I guess that almost half of those deer react favorably to the call.
After the bachelor groups bust up in September, bucks become very territorial and competitive. Blind calling (calling to deer you can’t see) is a tactic used during the pre-rut to “wake up” the deer in ear-shoot. Often these deer will come in of curiosity or because they are territorial and not happy that another buck is in their backyard. I will often blind call in combination with using bleats and sometime wheezes to trick a buck into coming into the open where I can see him.
When you can see the buck you are calling you have the opportunity to read his body language and use his signals to pick up on his mood and motives. If a buck is coming through the woods as if he is on a mission, I don’t recommend you call. Calling will allow him to pinpoint your position and you run the risk of getting busted. On the other hand, if the buck is wondering through the woods slowly with his nose to the ground, looking for a doe I might try a grunt call to get him headed my direction.
If the buck can see you, don’t call. I like heavy cover, making the buck come look for the “buck” making the grunt. If you see the buck lick his nose, he is looking for the buck that made the grunt. In some cases a decoy works well in these circumstances.
I often carry and use more than one call. In the early season, when blind calling, I will sometime use a doe bleat call and then a grunt call. I will occasionally throw in a wheeze. Generally wheeze calls are saved for pre-rut and the rut.
Every buck responds differently to calls, if one buck does not respond, the next will might.
Don’t leave camp without a grunt tube and bleat call. Rick Nolan from Nolan Outdoors makes one-of-a-kind handcrafted game calls, including deer bleat and grunt tube calls, from fine wood from around the world. Contact Rick if you have any questions about calling deer or how to get your libs on a handmade call, it may just make a difference in tagging your buck this year.