Deer Hunters of Ottawa... NEED YOUR HELP! (noob needs tips!)

emilio613

emilio613

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Hey guys (and gals) that hunt in the Ottawa area!

Need your help. This is my first year Deer Hunting. I am hunting with a friend, but he is by no means an expert.

I have noticed scrapes, and here are tree rubs in some spots (fresh ones this morning).

What I would like to know, are the following things:

a)What stage of the rut are we in, here in ottawa? (it seems different by region)

b) based on that, what my best technique for calling in a buck? (as in, which calls and what methods to use?) I know there are online sites that provide sound clips that I can try to mimic...but I don't know which ones to use!

So if you guys could maybe shoot me a few pointers, I would really like to shoot my first deer!

Worst part is, he walked by my stand, broadside yesterday morning (4 pointer), but I am using a shotgun, so he was out of range (smoothbore barrel, bead site, etc. Didn't want to risk it).

Please Help! Thanks!
 
Kinda the pre rut right now, the actual rut lasts only a handful of days, you may wanna try estrous bleats and locating grunts. That will at the least get their attention, use scents also.

Maybe some buck urine in a fresh scrape to get them agitated and moving.

Some light rattling may get their attention from a distance and draw them in, but not too aggressive yet.I cannot speak for your location but that is a few things you could try.
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
Kinda the pre rut right now, the actual rut lasts only a handful of days, you may wanna try estrous bleats and locating grunts. That will at the least get their attention, use scents also.

Maybe some buck urine in a fresh scrape to get them agitated and moving.

Some light rattling may get their attention from a distance and draw them in, but not too aggressive yet.I cannot speak for your location but that is a few things you could try.
Click to expand...

I am using scent killer, and some swabs of doe Urine here and there. That seemed to get a good response (rubs etc).

Estrous bleats huh? Are those the little hand held calls (that you tip upside down)?

Good advice, thanks for that! :)
 
The buck I shot this morning was actively chasing a doe. He got himself into a fight and then ended up coming back my way still hot on the heels of a doe. The whole time he was chasing that doe he was grunting every 3-5 seconds.

103_0068-1.jpg


There is a really good article posted a couple weeks back about things that trigger the rut. Personally, I think the rut is just starting in my area.

Doe bleats are a safe bet, they have the potential to attract anything. Mature buck grunts will get the attention of the dominant buck(s) in the area but may scare off small bucks. Young buck grunts are pretty safe. Rattling will get the attention of anything, but especially dominant bucks. YMMV, try different things, you never know how they'll react.
 
diemaco said:
The buck I shot this morning was actively chasing a doe. He got himself into a fight and then ended up coming back my way still hot on the heels of a doe. The whole time he was chasing that doe he was grunting every 5-10 seconds.

There is a really good article posted a couple weeks back about things that trigger the rut. Personally, I think the rut is just starting in my area.

Doe bleats are a safe bet, they have the potential to attract anything. Mature buck grunts will get the attention of the dominant buck(s) in the area but may scare off small bucks. Young buck grunts are pretty safe. Rattling will get the attention of anything, but especially dominant bucks. YMMV, try different things, you never know how they'll react.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of making my own rattel bag (pieces of cedar cut up in a material bag, big rubber elastic around the middle to keep it in place).... Good idea you think? (I don't want to blow 15$ on a rattle bag).

I want to try rattling, but I would need to see how its done (youtube I guess).

Grunting seemed to have worked yesterday to bring in the little guy, but I need a better Doe Bleat call. (trip to walmart I guess haha)
 
Not much science to rattling , if you can get a set of antlers that is the best for sure. just gotta make noise, only gotta watch the intensity. lighter in pre-rut, balls out during. Even can stomp the ground bust tree branches while u are doing this. IT DOES WORK!!! What do you think the noise of 2X 200+lb bucks would make fighting?

I have a bag but do prefer antlers. Bag should work though.

As for bleats, check out you tube, you can use a hand held or a diaphragm type. make sure you use short cries, 2, 3 or 4 in a row.This means she is horny and ready for a buck.Careful of long bleats as this can be understood as a warning call for other deer to be aware or stay away.
 
I agree I have been seeing pre-rut activity here going out tonight.......Funny the guys over on Ontario Out of Doors say the rut is almost over.......lmao
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
Kinda the pre rut right now, the actual rut lasts only a handful of days, you may wanna try estrous bleats and locating grunts. That will at the least get their attention, use scents also.

Maybe some buck urine in a fresh scrape to get them agitated and moving.

Some light rattling may get their attention from a distance and draw them in, but not too aggressive yet.I cannot speak for your location but that is a few things you could try.
Click to expand...

i believe it's now illegal in ontario to use any form of natural scents or even a fraction of a natural scent. must be completely 100%synthetic. new law for this year.
 
be carefull when asking advice online, you're going to get advice from people from other provinces or countries for that matter and what maybe legal there may not be here and vice versa.
just looking out for a new hunter, wouldn't want to see you in hot water. check out the new regulations for this year.
 
fergie.17 said:
be carefull when asking advice online, you're going to get advice from people from other provinces or countries for that matter and what maybe legal there may not be here and vice versa.
just looking out for a new hunter, wouldn't want to see you in hot water. check out the new regulations for this year.
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Yup I knew about the synth vs real urine law. Something to do with CWD and it not being tested for in the natural stuff, bottled in the USA.

Also.... I am kinda turned on by the .gif in your signature... desert eagle.... ###y girl.... ###ual innuendo.... *droooool* If dee were hunting us, I'd be a gonner.

srt4u2nv said:
I agree I have been seeing pre-rut activity here going out tonight.......Funny the guys over on Ontario Out of Doors say the rut is almost over.......lmao
Click to expand...

haha someone else told me that and I sort of laughed (inside...not risking getting punched now! I need both eyes to hunt with!).... I have seen scrapes, rubs and all sorts of activity, yet the bucks are still shy and only feed at like 4am. I would call it pre-rut for sure.

Kelly Timoffee said:
Not much science to rattling , if you can get a set of antlers that is the best for sure. just gotta make noise, only gotta watch the intensity. lighter in pre-rut, balls out during. Even can stomp the ground bust tree branches while u are doing this. IT DOES WORK!!! What do you think the noise of 2X 200+lb bucks would make fighting?

I have a bag but do prefer antlers. Bag should work though.

As for bleats, check out you tube, you can use a hand held or a diaphragm type. make sure you use short cries, 2, 3 or 4 in a row.This means she is horny and ready for a buck.Careful of long bleats as this can be understood as a warning call for other deer to be aware or stay away.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips! I did know about the short vs long bleats, and I thought about the breaking twigs to make it sound real. So don't worry, I believe you that it works! Those bucks are smart critters and they will be able to tell if something is sounding "off". I guess you dont want to be stomping around too much though....we're not mimicking Grizzly bears fighting haha

Does any doe bleat call work well, or do you guys have a spcific favourite? I was just going to go and pick up an $8 Quaker Boy bleat-in-heat call, since it's the cheapest. I have a call (doe bleat), but I think its what one would call....crap? lol
 
diemaco said:
The buck I shot this morning was actively chasing a doe. He got himself into a fight and then ended up coming back my way still hot on the heels of a doe. The whole time he was chasing that doe he was grunting every 3-5 seconds.

103_0068-1.jpg


There is a really good article posted a couple weeks back about things that trigger the rut. Personally, I think the rut is just starting in my area.

Doe bleats are a safe bet, they have the potential to attract anything. Mature buck grunts will get the attention of the dominant buck(s) in the area but may scare off small bucks. Young buck grunts are pretty safe. Rattling will get the attention of anything, but especially dominant bucks. YMMV, try different things, you never know how they'll react.
Click to expand...


I didn't see the photo until now! Friggin slow internet! Nice buck hombre, well done :) Can't really see in the photo, but how many points is it? Weight?

I am hoping to get something like that one day, but for now I guess I have to settle for a 4 pointer...which sucks, because I would rather shoot a mature buck, not some little guy... :(
 
I have one called a quiet talker, you can use it for fawn call all the way to buck grunts, just my pressing on the reed. I like it because it is rubber coated and can make various calls, although not perfect I am sure, but I won't be fumbling around making noise and dropping callers here and there switching between them all. Being quiet is critical!!! Tinks makes a scent stick that I will be trying. Maybe worth looking into for yourself.
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
I have one called a quiet talker, you can use it for fawn call all the way to buck grunts, just my pressing on the reed. I like it because it is rubber coated and can make various calls, although not perfect I am sure, but I won't be fumbling around making noise and dropping callers here and there switching between them all. Being quiet is critical!!! Tinks makes a scent stick that I will be trying. Maybe worth looking into for yourself.
Click to expand...

I have a grunter that I tied to a lanyard that I hang around my neck, and my tree stand is a homebuilt one (wooden), so it has a shelf I can put the doe bleat call on in between uses. Haven't dropped anything yet, and the first day out, I had a yearling/spiker come up to my stand so close I could spit on him lol (I wouldn't, that's just mean). I loved observing his behaviour.

So I can't be doing THAT bad, I just want that one bigger buck to come in closer.
 
Only time will benefit you there. I have been hunting since Sept and only have harvested my doe. Have bucks on camera, saw a few out of range but nothing of size or that has presented an opportunity .We have had extremely warm weather this year, just now it has cooled slightly, but still above normal. Cold weather sure helps to spark the rut. When it does happen the deer do tend to go a little silly, the bucks won't sleep and all they will do is run and chase does. But being out in the right area and time for this is difficult.

Sounds like you are on the right track for sure though.

Remember , luck is the biggest factor. You can improve your odds by spending more time out, using the wind, calls, scents, what have you, but it all boils down to luck. Hunters that stand hunt and report having good success is almost always attributed to time spent hunting.

For myself, it has been the slowest year I have ever seen in my area, but I still go because it just takes that one time when everything happens to be right and the one you want comes by.
 
it's odd, but where we hunt, they were scraping like crazy a few weeks ago, but on the weekend and during the week, we didn't see any new scrapes at all. We sure haven't been having much luck this year - we haven't even been seeing them, let alone got shooting. Maybe I'll take up beet hunting (see other thread).
 
Papaclaude said:
it's odd, but where we hunt, they were scraping like crazy a few weeks ago, but on the weekend and during the week, we didn't see any new scrapes at all. We sure haven't been having much luck this year - we haven't even been seeing them, let alone got shooting. Maybe I'll take up beet hunting (see other thread).
Click to expand...

We found some fresh droppings by a doe urine patch we set out, and some fresh tree rubs right beside it. New scrapes here and there too... I saw a 4 pointer yesterday, but it was too far to shoot it :( (stupid shotguns only! With a rifle it would have been mine!... guess its for safety, but still!)

lol at the beet thread :p
 
Alright guys/gals, I bought a bleat/blat can today. Quaker Game calls, 10$ with tax, not a huge investment. I know how to use it (at least, the estrous bleat - the short little bleats that tell a buck she's good to go ;) ), so let's see what happens tomorrow (providing my hunting partner/land provider doesn't bag that buck tonight without me...otherwise, I will have to use it later on in the season, when new bucks comes into the territory from the nieghbours haha).

I will let you know what I get, reaction wise. If I shoot something, I will post it up :)

If not, I will keep quiet and hope you guys forget how crappy I am at hunting lol.

I have a question!!!!

How should I use the bleat and grunt in combination? How often should I bleat? How often should I grunt, in conjunction with the bleat?

Or should I leave the grunt out of it this time?

THANKS!
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
I have one called a quiet talker, you can use it for fawn call all the way to buck grunts, just my pressing on the reed.
Click to expand...

Are you sure its not the Hunter Specialties True Talker? I had one and it sounds just like the one you describe. It was the best sounding short-med range call I've ever heard. I did find it difficult to get the fawn call to sound correct though.


I didn't see the photo until now! Friggin slow internet! Nice buck hombre, well done Can't really see in the photo, but how many points is it? Weight?
Click to expand...

8 point, not very long tines, but good main beam spread. Not sure as to the weight, but his body wasn't all that big. My guess would be 180ish. There is a better pic and some more details in the 2010 hunting pictures page.


it's odd, but where we hunt, they were scraping like crazy a few weeks ago, but on the weekend and during the week, we didn't see any new scrapes at all. We sure haven't been having much luck this year - we haven't even been seeing them, let alone got shooting.
Click to expand...

The bucks started moving alot for the first couple of days of the rifle season in my area, then seemed to stop as the temperatures increased. They sure were moving today.
 
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