Are bucks more territorial in their bedding areas?

[Eddiegomes83]

Just curious to what your guys's experiences are with bucks im their bedding area. Are they more territorial and respond to calls like grunting and rattling better? Or do they seem to shy away from those things? Thoughts?

[JoeRE]

Yes I think they are - or maybe just curious depends on the buck. But its easy to overdue it and keep in mind a buck knows his bedroom very well so if you re-enact a huge buck fight with him bedded 100 yards away it will probably just scare the bejezus out of him. Hard rattling or loud grunting doesn't seem to work on public ground very often just in general even here in Iowa - for mature bucks. I have have very good luck with a light sparing sequence or 1 or 2 soft grunts when I know a buck is close by in the bedding, usually I want to be able to see him. I don't even carry rattling antlers anymore and just rely on the grunt call usually only trying it when I can see the buck's body language. If he is acting submissive or nervous don't even bother but if he is rubbing a tree or something like that there's a very good chance you can get a response.

As always when calling, plan on the buck responding by circling downwind if I think that is going to happen I like to set up about 30 yards upwind of a large obstruction so he has to come within bow range and its usually a matter of shooting him the second before he smells you. Have managed to do that a couple times and have been busted by others.

[mainebowhunter]

Like Joe, I have given up the rattling horns except in circumstances where I see a buck screeching wide open through a piece and I am trying to get his attention. I have had a lot of luck with a grunt tube. Less is more typically outside the rut. Killed a buck a couple of years ago that I grunted out of his bed.

The key to that hunt was wind direction. I typically will call AWAY from the direction I know the deer is bedded. I needed a straight SE wind so that when I grunted and that buck tried to circle downwind I would get a shot. If you have 0 shots downwind, calling can be tough. Now you just gave up your position and he will blow out. I have watched happen so many times. Hunting a just off wind, I do not call.

If possible, I want to call the buck through me not around me. The example I gave above, it worked perfectly. He ended up coming through me rather than around.

[Boogieman1]

ive never had any luck rattling other than calling in another hunter. I've heard the tickling especially in early season. Heard 2 matures go at in once and it was nothing a man in a tree could duplicate. I see the grunt working as a what u got to loose situation. Think most new guys get bored in the tree and just comence to bangin the heck out of horns and blowing on the party horn. Think in the wrong hands they will cost u more opportunities than the will ever create. The only advantage I have over a buck is the element of surprise and I'm not giving it up.

[Stanley]

I'm kind of the same on the rattling part. Haven't done any rattling for years. I did do quite a bit years ago. I can honestly say I have never rattled in a buck in and killed it. I have grunted a few in and killed them. The problem with soft calling; if it's windy and your set up correctly they won't hear it at all. That said I think a soft grunt or two may give the buck a direction to head when he leaves the bed.

[Stanley]

ive never had any luck rattling other than calling in another hunter. I've heard the tickling especially in early season. Heard 2 matures go at in once and it was nothing a man in a tree could duplicate. I see the grunt working as a what u got to loose situation. Think most new guys get bored in the tree and just comence to bangin the heck out of horns and blowing on the party horn. Think in the wrong hands they will cost u more opportunities than the will ever create. The only advantage I have over a buck is the element of surprise and I'm not giving it up.

Yeah... I have seen a few guys over the years walking around grunting continuously. Never could figure out what in the world they were doing.

[Eddiegomes83]

Yeah I honestly don't do much rattling. I was just curious if anybody else was doing it. I don't have much confidence in it I have only called in one buck one time and couldn't get a shot. I have had lots of success grunting bucks in. And no there are numerous ones that I would have never got a shot at had I not grunted. But I guess I will never know of the ones I scared away while I was grunting.

[Tennhunter3]

Depends on that individual bucks personality.
I think they have a rank system yes.

Territorial depends on how many mature bucks are in the area. If the areas full of big rubs i would think the bucks in it would be more aggressive.

That being said a 7 year old mature buck with no competition is probably not going to act as aggressive and territorial they are loners that have smaller core areas.

I don't call or rattle too me thats telling another buck my location. Even if he believes im a deer he would enter downwind which would bust me.

[tgreeno]

I think the problem with blind rattling & grunting on pressured public land is: alot of idiots are doing way too much of it and educating all the bucks. So I keep quiet unless I have eye's on a buck and grunting is my last resort.

[Jeff25]

I've never had any luck rattling or with doe bleats, iv called in a few young bucks with grunts but that's about all.

[bowfreak8]

I rattled for years and can only recall one nice buck i rattled in. It was a 10 point which i ended up killing. I still rattle occasionally but the situation has to be right. Usually i feel it does more harm than good.

[IkemanTx]

I will say one thing... bucks don't like ANYTHING sneaking in on their comfort zone. They expect to know if something is within a certain yardage. if anything pops up within that comfort zone without them having heard/seen/smelled it in advance, it can freak them out.

If I know I had a good entry into a bedding area, I won't do anything to draw attention to the fact I'm there.

[PK_]

You don't need to rattle. Just grunt a couple times. It is extremely effective. Just make sure he can't get downwind before he has a hole in his hide.

[Horizontal Hunter]

I think the problem with blind rattling & grunting on pressured public land is: alot of idiots are doing way too much of it and educating all the bucks. So I keep quiet unless I have eye's on a buck and grunting is my last resort.

Exactly the same here.

Bob