Calling Deer

[centerfire]

I have never had any luck calling or rattling deer anyone got any good advise?

 

[verminaard]

My experience, don’t...
-call too often
-use the same pattern/sequence all the time
-do it for too long

More often than not, my go to is a doe can. Mostly because where I usually hunt we have waaaay more does cruising around than bucks. Both will come check out the bleat can. While a nice rack is a bonus, I want meat in the freezer.

 

[hoytcanon]

I have been calling game, including deer for 40+ years... I have called in and shot many WT bucks over the years, but the fact remains, they totally ignore calling 95% of the time. I have called to visible deer hundreds of times to watch their reactions and interest level, in all phases of the calendar cycle... summer feeding, bachelor groups, pre-rut, peak-rut and post-rut and even winter yarding a few times. When it all comes together, it can be spectacular. I once rattled in 6 different bucks in an hour and arrowed two of them... but most of the time I see no response and no sign that any deer are interested. Over the years I have fallen into sequences and patterns of calling that have produced best and I tend to stick with those... truthfully, I am probably stuck in my ways and should experiment more like I did in the early years, but these methods have seemed to work best, so I gravitate to them. What I can say is, don't give up... keep at it and eventually it will pay off... it is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to dupe a wiley, old buck and put him in the freezer.

 

[scruffee]

Calling in deer is a waste of time in Saskatchewan, don't do it, the big bucks HATE it!

But seriously though, if you are having a hard time calling deer this time of year in Sask, you are doing something wrong and could be an easy fix. Feel free to PM if you need advice, 5 out 6 of my last bucks came in trotting to the call here in Sask...

 

[jimmyjazz]

I have been calling game, including deer for 40+ years... I have called in and shot many WT bucks over the years, but the fact remains, they totally ignore calling 95% of the time. I have called to visible deer hundreds of times to watch their reactions and interest level, in all phases of the calendar cycle... summer feeding, bachelor groups, pre-rut, peak-rut and post-rut and even winter yarding a few times. When it all comes together, it can be spectacular. I once rattled in 6 different bucks in an hour and arrowed two of them... but most of the time I see no response and no sign that any deer are interested. Over the years I have fallen into sequences and patterns of calling that have produced best and I tend to stick with those... truthfully, I am probably stuck in my ways and should experiment more like I did in the early years, but these methods have seemed to work best, so I gravitate to them. What I can say is, don't give up... keep at it and eventually it will pay off... it is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to dupe a wiley, old buck and put him in the freezer.

That's been my experience as well, I have been watching deer and called looking for a reaction and completely ignored, like it didn't happen.
The good thing is it didn't spook them either, I still call but never really expect much in return.


JJ

 

[Magellann]

My experience as well, most times they completely ignore the call. I did have one once in a carrot field that was about 300 yards away stop dead then made a steady line right to me. I arrowed him at under ten yards.

 

[trevj]

I have never had any luck calling or rattling deer anyone got any good advise?

Get out and watch the deer, both before and after you call or rattle.

The early season, while there are still lots of opportunities later, is a good time. And time out scouting and watching deer is seldom wasted.

Deer have great big ears and not very loud voices. If you can get yourself into a position to hear them when they are grunting at each other, it's an eye opener. Very low, quiet noises, even the bucks. A lot like a sheep bleat, only lower tone and quieter.

Banging a big set of horns together is just going to make all the bucks think they are about to get their arse kicked, if it doesn't just outright scare them off. The light came on for me one day while watching a couple young bucks walking through a canola field. They were chipping away at each other like a couple teenagers at the mall. A couple small sections of antler or a rattling bag makes about the right noises, IMO. You want to get the attention of the bigger bucks and make them think they are about to kick some butt, not get theirs done.

All said and done, you never really can tell though. I shot one buck that came out of the bush to investigate after I blew on my deer call like it was a New Years party horn, and was just sitting back relaxing before bailing out.

 

[blasted_saber]

Anyone have any idea what the audible range of a call is for a deer?

Now, I know deer can hear a hell of a lot better then I can, but I did do a little experiment with a friend this fall to see how far I could hear him call. It was about -15, crisp, cold, and dead calm. Not even a mouse fart of a breeze. Im not sure how far from him I was, but I could not have been more then 300m. Im going to say it was around 200m (probably a little less, actually). He did a grunt and rattle sequence and I heard none of it at all. I was listening intently, toque pulled off my ears, specifically for it.

 

[hoytcanon]

Anyone have any idea what the audible range of a call is for a deer?

Now, I know deer can hear a hell of a lot better then I can, but I did do a little experiment with a friend this fall to see how far I could hear him call. It was about -15, crisp, cold, and dead calm. Not even a mouse fart of a breeze. Im not sure how far from him I was, but I could not have been more then 300m. Im going to say it was around 200m (probably a little less, actually). He did a grunt and rattle sequence and I heard none of it at all. I was listening intently, toque pulled off my ears, specifically for it.

Don't assume that because you can't hear it that the deer can't. While guiding moose hunters this fall and hunting in high wind, they were unable to hear me calling from 75 yards away, and I was really belting it out there, and of course a cow bawling is much louder than a deer grunting... but you can safely assume that the animals will hear you from 4-5 times that distance. The sound of rattling really carries, and I have rattled in bucks from beyond a 400 yard field. I have heard deer grunting from 200 yards distance on still crisp mornings. I would say that conditions will dictate the distance at which calls can be heard. Often the sound is too loud when calling close to a bedding thicket and I have to tone it down... or when calling to animals actively feeding nearby. There are times in high wind where calling is pointless as they would not hear you until well within bow shot.

 

[fingers284]

My experience: (all Ab. parkland hunting, mixed bush-open fields)

Rattling antlers- no matter what part of season weather early pre-rut or in heavy rut, rattling produces deer, 50% doe's & 50% small bucks...in 30 yrs of rattling never I've had what I would call a "keeper" (150 score or larger) coming in to see what all the noise is about. Another observation I noticed, not ever will a buck exit a bush into an open field responding to a horn rattle, they will show themselves into an opening in the trees (meadow type of thing) or stand with just a nose/eyes showing at the edge of a patch of bush.

Calling deer: first of all I have never used or owned a "deer call". In many hundreds (30-40 days most every year for 40 years) of days spent in the deer habitat, I can probably count on two fingers the times I have heard deer actually communicating in a non-snort manner, both times was a doe making a sort of "buzzing" sound to that years fawn that was still with them. The "alert snort" they use is another mater, can be heard any time of day any day of the year.

That covers the my experience with a commercial call specifically for deer...none....however there is a commercial call readily available that will bring in deer any time of the season, doe's & small bucks early season and doe's & even the largest buck in the country when heavy rut is on and that is a common "squealer, wounded bunny coyote call" . How does this work so effectively...When a doe hears that squealing, her maternal instinct kicks in to protect that fawn that is being brutalized. I've had them come 200 yrds on the run & stand on their hind legs to get a better look into my pick-up (from 20 ft away), looking for that fawn in distress. Early in the season, pre-rut, there is quite often smaller bucks traveling with a bunch of doe's and these bucks will fallow the doe's...same goes for the big bucks when the heavy rut is in progress...he will follow a hot doe into even the most obvious bushwhack you can envision if he has a big enough hard-on...and at that time of year they all do...every one of them. I had a 200 inch typical W.T. come across a 100 acre open field, following a doe to within 50 yrds of my pick-up responding to a squeal...I didn't have permission on the property so had to let him walk...

The area's I hunt (combination of equal amounts of bush and open fields) are equally populated with W.T & Mules (at least it was until we had a severe winter W.T die-off 2 years in a row ) and that Yote call thing works equally well on both species.

 

[boxhitch]

Have used a grunt tube effectively for both md and wtd, but has always been in close cover not yodelling across a cutblock
Have grunted them while walking a trail in noisy snow or dry leaves, it seems to reassure them that another deer is making the noise.
Have had both come in silent and even from the downwind side, doe pee cover scent may have had some effect for that.
But this is usually inside 30-40 yards , one wtd buck was almost in my boot prints and back pocket when I turned to look.
One buck was a road kill, driving out at last light, looked into a side trail and saw a buck. rolled to a stop at about 80 yards, out of the truck and waited a minute then grunted
bucky grunted back twice in a minute and kindly steppee out onto the road, bang, backed up to load

it works but keep it close

 

[dmcdam]

I've always called (mostly bleat can) but was never particularly consistent with it. I'd be on my stand for a while, then realize I hadn't called in a couple of hours. I couldn't ever say that it helped draw in deer. That seemed to change this year when I was in a new stand that my BIL recommended lots of calling. I worked the bleat can regularly for about 90min (every 10-15min) and eventually a beauty of a buck came out to play. He never fully showed himself and I thought I had lost him, but kept calling anyway. Eventually he popped out in a much better spot and gave me a good shot. Needless to say I'm fully committed to calling from now on.

 

[53Izzy744]

My first interaction with a buck was when i sneezed in my stand last year. The sneeze startled a doe i didnt know was even there. In hopes of stopping her running off i did a quick buck grunt.

That made the buck i also didnt know was there, stick his head up from a bush and let out a buck growl/roar (sounds exactly like the Predator clicking, google it to see what i mean) and i later learned that is pretty much the most aggressive noise a deer can make.

I never got a clean shot at that one but he had a big rack and a huge neck (im not one for head shots so i never got a clear shot at him). But i guess he thought my sneeze and grunt was a type of snort/wheeze or something, but he was definitely not happy with another buck around.

Second interaction was this year with a 1.5yr old 3 pointer. I used a doe bleat and he came from accross a field in through a cut through and was looking for the doe that made that noise.

Both the gunt and doe bleat was made by my Extinguisher call. YMMV

 

[MiG25]

I was predator calling and had a rutting Muley Buck (2 1/2 years old, think 18 year old boy) come in to coyote vocalizations. I assume the pick on somebody your own size wasn't working for him and he was looking to vent his frustrations.

 

[hoytcanon]

I can probably count on two fingers the times I have heard deer actually communicating in a non-snort manner, both times was a doe making a sort of "buzzing" sound to that years fawn that was still with them. The "alert snort" they use is another mater, can be heard any time of day any day of the year.

I have been listening to deer vocalizations by wild deer in the woods my whole life... I know that many of the sounds are overlooked by fellow hunters, not realizing that they are deer. Some sounds that deer make are quite odd sounding and even close to being unattributable to deer by most folks... bleats and grunts are the most common, I have heard dozens of bucks making tending grunts while tracking/courting does, and dozens of does bleating to fawns, or to bucks when in heat... I have also watched and heard bucks in battle and just prior to battle "snort-wheezing" to intimidate each other and to express aggression... as far as the alarm snort (blow) goes, unfortunately most of us know that sound all too well and it is never a good thing, mostly the jig is up at that point.

 

[45ACPKING]

I have a deer call made for me by a friend from Haida Gwaii.
Just two sticks cut a certain way with a heavy elastic band in between. the ends are tied and you blow gently from one side.
The sound is near perfect for mimicking a fawn looking for it's doe.
I've used this call many times with success on incoming deer that have held up due to sensing something off.
gentle blow on that call and in the come.... most of the time.
blacktails and mule deer though.
I haven't had the opportunity to try in in good whitetail country yet

 

[53Izzy744]

I have a deer call made for me by a friend from Haida Gwaii.
Just two sticks cut a certain way with a heavy elastic band in between. the ends are tied and you blow gently from one side.
The sound is near perfect for mimicking a fawn looking for it's doe.
I've used this call many times with success on incoming deer that have held up due to sensing something off.
gentle blow on that call and in the come.... most of the time.
blacktails and mule deer though.
I haven't had the opportunity to try in in good whitetail country yet

Sounds like a handmade version of this

 

[PinkyPlinker]

Called this guy into a 10yd shot. Bit of bleat can, bit of mature buck grunt. I find calling is only effective during rut. Keep it simple and not very often. Whether bleat or grunt, no more than 3 in a row, each lasting about 1sec with 1-2 sec between each bleat/grunt. No more than once in 10-15 mins, mix up bleats/grunts.

 

[centerfire]

Thanks for all the good info! guys

 

[John Y Cannuck]

I have been calling game, including deer for 40+ years... I have called in and shot many WT bucks over the years, but the fact remains, they totally ignore calling 95% of the time. I have called to visible deer hundreds of times to watch their reactions and interest level, in all phases of the calendar cycle... summer feeding, bachelor groups, pre-rut, peak-rut and post-rut and even winter yarding a few times. When it all comes together, it can be spectacular. I once rattled in 6 different bucks in an hour and arrowed two of them... but most of the time I see no response and no sign that any deer are interested. Over the years I have fallen into sequences and patterns of calling that have produced best and I tend to stick with those... truthfully, I am probably stuck in my ways and should experiment more like I did in the early years, but these methods have seemed to work best, so I gravitate to them. What I can say is, don't give up... keep at it and eventually it will pay off... it is a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to dupe a wiley, old buck and put him in the freezer.

I also have watched reactions, and note that they tend to ignore doe calls in particular. However, I have had does answer a doe call with a call of their own, even had the same doe come running to me twice.
I had a huge buck that was grunting ignore a doe call, but came on a trot to a buck call.
I continue to use a doe call, because I think it makes the deer feel a little more comfortable, even if they seem to be ignoring the call.
I think there are other factors at play. For example most of my positive experiences have been farm country deer.
In deep bush where I do most of my hunting, at least in my experience, deer seem much less inclined to come to calls of any sort. Come they do, but less often. But I still carry and use both calls sparingly, and quietly. Most real deer calls I have heard are quite soft, with the exception of the grunting buck already mentioned.
If there is one rule in Whitetail hunting, it's that the deer have no rules.
As such, the doe that answered my call, let out the loudest wail of a call I've ever heard from a deer. Louder than the can call I was using.