deer calls

[fisher2]

are  grunt calls  useful in new york ? is there like a locator call to bring deer to me when im in the stand i have a flex tone buck commander and i want to know what differant tones i should make to attract deer

[phade]

Long...cliff note readers do not attempt.

Some of the newer calls are nice...seems like there's a bit of a trend to have a tube call that makes multiple sounds.

There is much misinformation about whitetail vocalizations and there is still a good amount of discovery going on. Whitetails are actually pretty vocal, even in high pressure areas - it's just that many hunters do not hear a sort-wheeze or a loud grunt - and then tell themselves a story that bucks are quiet there. Deer hear about equal to humans, believe it or not, with a slightly larger frequency spectrum. The big difference is actually their ear shape. Their ear shape allows them to pinpoint sounds with a high degree of accuracy - that's why you see deer move their ears constantly, even one in contrast to the other ear...like a satelite dish or a radar.

I hunt light because I'm never far from the truck in farmland and I prefer to hunt simple without a bunch of gear, although the lack of TP came back to bite me in the a@@ this past weekend in the turkey woods!

Still, I always bring my grunt tube and a can call. I never call blind until the end of October here in wNY. Before the pre-rut kicks in, if I see a distant buck or one on course that will not present a shot, I MAY call. I've called a few does in with the can early on. Most hunts, I do not call.

I have snort-wheezed a few times. I usually just use my mouth to do it...no call. I'm 1 for 2 with it - you only use it as a last measure in my book and only on a mature buck. The one that didn't like it jumped out of his hide. The other started in my direction but was pulled off by a doe. I did witness my first live snort-wheeze this past season and I couldn't believe it...that buck was dealing with a hot doe and another buck of similar size/stature. Needless to say, the other buck mosey'd away.

Now, grunting...I rarely pitch a specific product, but I am faithful to a specific small-time custom callmaker...Vector. He's down south, but his grunt tubes do what they are supposed to do. I compare it to a sports car...it's a work of art that performs. I've killed four bucks since the 2008 season, and of them, three of them involved the use of my Vector grunt tube - and two were blind calls during the start of the pre-rut and chase phases. In his first year, Vector made 14 or so calls and had 9 mature bucks harvested with it - as in people sent in photos to him and stories so much so that he made a collage. The second year was similar. I don't know why, but his calls work and work well.

I use the can call and it'll call in both does and bucks. I'm more inclined to use it early season because I've had a few old nannies come in to them...playing on their maternal instinct. If you buy the regular can, cut the call short, about half way, in the early season. It's a young-of-year call that way. The super big can is a waste of $$$. If you misuse it, it actually emulates an alert cry. I like to small one because it's short, loud enough, and because it is shorter, doesn't allow a deer to truly pinpoint the source of the sound outside of a general direction.

If I call blind during the late pre-rut, chase or breeding phases..on a half day hunt....I only do it twice max. Once series about 30 minutes after sunrise and then maybe again about one hour before I head out (usually a call around 10 a.m.) and vice versa in the afternoon. If I do that and hunt the same area again the next day, I do not call the next day unless I need to (deer in sight/moving away). So - please do not overcall.

This is purely observational, but I hear more vocalizations during the morning throughout the whole season. I draw from it that this is a factor of deer being active throughout the night and having dropped their guard. When they pop up out of their beds in the evening, they're on red alert.

[RangerClay]

I've never had any luck with a can call.

I've had little or no luck with grunt tubes over the years till I got a Primos Buck Roar.  I don't roar with it at all.  But it makes the nicest grunt I've ever heard. 

Like Phade said, whatever call you use, use it sparingly and make simple calls.  Most grunts are short and quiet.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I use calls here and there. Ive had the best luck so far with grunt calls used to bring bucks in closer for a shot. I have no real idea if any blind calling Ive done has ever worked or not, because who is to say the deer werent headed that way to begin with. The one thing I have noticed is that with bucks in my area, if its under 3 years old, a grunt will usually make it turn tail in a hurry, but if its a more mature deer, it brings them in on a string. What works for me is a short grunt to get their attention and then one or two solitary grunts about 30 seconds apart will get them headed in. Snort wheeze makes them on alert, so I dont use that.

In the early bow season, before the rut starts, you can use a fawn distress bleat pretty effectively, especially on mature does, which will come to them trying to protect the fawn.

Also, remember that the call will not bring them into your shooting lane every time, they will usually circle in a bit and try to wind you, especially mature bucks, so you want to try and get a shot before they get directly downwind.

[nyantler]

I have killed nearly all my deer using a call at some point or another... sometimes to attract a buck that I can't see and other times to get the buck to come into range. I have called in deer from hundreds of yards away... I think they are one of the single best hunting tools to have for hunting good bucks. I never go in the woods without one.. and I have been using the same call for the last 16 years.

[First-light]

I have the buck roar and the can. If you practice enough you can do most calls on your own. I have called in most deer just doing a soft doe bawl. Can't remember if I ever scared any off, don't think so, half the time they aren't interested. Sometimes calling deer works real well and they come on a string!

[nyantler]

sometimes the call is the difference between getting the deer to move your way or watching him walk away without ever getting a shot

[Larry]

try the can

[bighorn]

i never step foot in the deer woods without a grunt tube. actually i carry 3-4 at a time. i never blind call. after many years of trial and error ive found that the more you call the more you educate the resident herd. only time i do blind calling is with a rattling sequence i will had some grunts .

[HUNT6246]

I've used various commercial calls and voice for probably close to 30 years.  I've had success during archery and gun seasons.  My best luck has been with the Woodswise or Quaker Boy grunt tubes.  Many times I blind call because I only hunt some areas on weekends so overcalling at the location isn't an issue.  I haven't had the success in recent years though like I used to have.  I sometimes wonder if the deer are getting conditioned to every hunter in the woods blowing on a call or rattling.  While I have had some success in open woods and have turned deer from 150+ yds into archery range, I've probably had much better luck calling in thicker cover where visibility is more limited to shorter distances.  I just got a can last year but have nothing to report.  Best results have probably been from Halloween through the first week of southern zone slug season.  I've had some success rattling too but no where near what I've done with the grunt calls.  It's amazing when it all comes together, they'll come in like they're on a string.  I've even had two bucks come in at the same time and then had to decide which one to take home!  Good luck with whatever you choose.

[eagle rider]

as you can see its a mixed bag of reviews.  Some years the can worked, some year not so much.  That aside I'd never be in the woods in the fall without a grunt tube. 

[G-Man]

What ever you do..don't call too much, or to deep if you want to see normal bucks, deep mature grunts will scare off a lot of younger bucks. I've had a lot of luck with tickling horns(very soft) it will bring in does and bucks. Again a imitation of the fight of the century will scare a lot more than bring in the 1 mature deer that may happen to be in your area.

[Karpteach]

I've had some success with a grunt tube. I have a good friend that swears by the fawn distress call. Has anyone else heard of or used the fawn distress call.

[ny hunter]

You know I have a fawn distress on my electric coyote caller.never thought of using to attract deer.

[nyantler]

I use the True Talker.. Not one from HS but an original from David Oathout the inventor... I can make every call you can think of with it.. except the snort wheeze... The one HS sells is the same call and works great.. the nice thing aboout the call is that it doesn't freeze in the cold weather...

[First-light]

You know I have a fawn distress on my electric coyote caller.never thought of using to attract deer.

If your looking for a doe this is great. I used it early season a few times and had doe running up to my stand. They are on full alert so you better be ready!

[burmjohn]

Check out this video i made last year...  Now this was a younger buck, I had a monster walk by at the same distance 1 hr before and he wanted nothing to do with my call.

[Karpteach]

John, that was cool. I too have only small bucks and young does respond to any calling.

[ny hunter]

Very cool vid.Nice to see.Thanks.

[nyantler]

John, that was cool. I too have only small bucks and young does respond to any calling.

Younger deer respond more because they... like little kids ... are more curious and don't yet have the experience that the older bucks have... older bucks don't take chances... hard to get an older buck to do anything he doesn't want to do except during the rutting season... young deer are easily fooled... big bucks not so easily fooled.

[burmjohn]

Yup, the 8 ptr did not even pick his head up.  BUT, he was nose down on that trail where a doe passed through 15 min before hand.

[nyantler]

I have footage where I grunted in 4 bucks at once... 2 spikes... a crotch horn and a 6-point... they all stood right under my stand wondering what the hell was going on... the footage is on High 8 film... from 15 years ago.. one of these days I'll get the stuff digitized so I can upload it .

[burmjohn]

That'd be neat!

[nyantler]

I also have footage of me calling a six point in from a couple hundred yards.. then I called him back twice more after he walked away twice.. he came by me 3 times all together within 10-15 yards... til he finally got disinterested... that would never happen with a big buck... although I would have shot the big buck the first time by me..