Deer vocalization

[metropig]

I have been hunting for about 8 years now. I hunt a lot, sometimes as much as 40-45 days a season and some of those days are all day sits or both morning and evening sits. I have heard a lot of deer vocalization while on stand. The most common noise I hear is the basic social grunt. The thing I have found most interesting though is more times than not it has come from a Doe. All these different grunt tubes they got have a doe bleat that I have never heard. I'm not saying they don't make the sound, I have also never been lucky enough to see a buck actually breed a doe. But I have had numerous occasions in which I heard a deer grunt several times and I got all excited thinking "here comes a buck" and it was a big ol doe. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm starting to think the hunting industry has tried to trick us into thinking the deer use the vocals they sell so we think "oh, I better run out and grab that new tube cuz the deer are gonna come runnin to it."

[Badger]

Interesting, I can add to this a little from my hunt tonight. I went out on a spot and stalk hunt tonight and happened to bring a grunt call that is adjustable and I had it on the doe setting. First I got busted by a group of does but not a hard bust I had the wind in my favor so the must have just seen me move or something. so I figure it can't hurt to try the grunt at this point so I hunker down and give it a light to medium blow and then one more a few seconds later then I just waited. after about 10 min I figured it didn't work so I started to get up..boom there is a doe 20 yards from me in thick cover she snorted and we had a 5 min stare down then she booked..later on on the other side of the property I busted a single doe and repeated the same proses with the grunt a bout 5 minutes later I she her sneaking in on me but I didn't have a shot. she got to about 10 yard and winded me ran about 20 yards snorting at me the whole time but I never got a shot and she bounded off again. I grunted again and she started coming back but changed her mind and took off. The first doe looked older over 3 at least and the 2nd doe was a youngster maybe 1 1/2. I rarely use a grunt call and certainly never have on does but what I seen tonight tells me it works pretty good..something to keep in mind to fill them antlerless tags..

[Mushky]

Had a doe that was in hot pursuit by a buck go by a stand I was on in NY back in 86" and the buck was grunting. He sounded just like a pig/hog would sound when they're grunting. Never knew they sounded like that. He pretty much had his nose...you know where until he got stuck by my Muzzy. Had the same thing happen two years ago. The doe caught me in my stand and came to an abrupt stop and the buck ran into her and he went a$$ over bambox. Before he could pick himself up...well you know what happened!

I love peak rut.

[Brad]

Had a doe that was in hot pursuit by a buck go by a stand I was on in NY back in 86" and the buck was grunting. He sounded just like a pig/hog would sound when they're grunting. Never knew they sounded like that. He pretty much had his nose...you know where until he got stuck by my Muzzy. Had the same thing happen two years ago. The doe caught me in my stand and came to an abrupt stop and the buck ran into her and he went a$$ over bambox. Before he could pick himself up...well you know what happened!

I love peak rut.

I always relate the grunts to a pig sound too, they do not sound like most calls I have heard. I have heard more grunts from chasing bucks then anything else.

[metropig]

Another thing I have experienced is more doe vocalization during early season. I hunt early, rut and late season. I have heard more doe grunts in the early season, then as the rut approaches I hear most of the vocals coming from bucks. I think the increase in buck vocalization is obviously because they are challenging other bucks and tending does. It's the decrease in doe vocalization that intrigues me. Are they more vocal early season because they are communicating with their yearlings or do they possibly become less vocal as the rut approaches because they don't want to draw the attention of harassing bucks? It's possible there is no change in vocalization but the hunts I have experienced make me think there is.

[Craaaig]

I think deer are naturally more vocal in thick cover. Possible the early season vocalization is because of the heavy foliage and thicker cover at the time?

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