Let’s talk buck grunts

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Lockdown
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Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Oct 10, 2017 4:41 pm

Obviously we’ve got a few threads on this topic buried in the archives, but let’s re-hash.

I’m interested in hearing everyone’s success with grunting bucks in and ESPECIALLY interested in first hand experiences hearing grunts from 3.5+ yr old bucks. What time of year was it and were they loud aggressive grunts? Was he chasing a doe? Was he alone and grunting softly?




I was sitting on stand last night and I thought about giving the grunt call a try. In the ‘07-‘12 time frame I grunted in and killed some pretty nice bucks. Including my best archery whitetail.

During that time frame I wouldn’t have been caught dead without my grunt call. I have gotten away from it a little as of late. I used to grunt blind every half hour or so during rut. That’s how much confidence I had in it. I’ll admit most of my success wasn’t from calling blind. But from seeing their reactions when I could see them, I didn’t want to risk having a deer “get away” that was unknowingly just out of sight.

Most of the bucks I killed were walking out of my life... but the ol “desperation tube” brought them in on a string.

Grunting talk. Let’s hear it.


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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Tue Oct 10, 2017 4:59 pm

My story is pretty similar to yours Lockdown. Used to grunt my but off. Now I just sit until I see it but can't get it to come in. One of my favorite things to do is give a young spike a nasty deep buck roar and watch them turn inside out! Twice I was doing it and had decent bucks coming in pissed off and ready for a fight!!! First time i just thought it was one of those cool things the second time I was like hmmm that worked pretty good again. I still don't call blind, but I am way more aggressive if they are riled up now.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Finch85 » Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:18 pm

I've had a lot of success grunting in deer over the past several years myself. I would blind call every 30 mins (sometimes less depending on wind noise) and would do it loudly several times. I remember growing up and hearing to grunt 3 times and shut up for an half hour. I don't think some deer hear grunting until the 5 or 6th time depending again on wind noise or if they are walking. Heck, i can remember one buck where i grunted 20 to 30 times in succession and he finally turned around and came into bow range. It was a last resort and it worked! Having said that, I've also grunted at some really big mature bucks that tuck tail and run. They can be very temperamental to calling it seems.

I think the primos buck roar to be my favorite grunt tube. It just produces a loud and throaty grunt and it never freezes up. The snort wheeze is a great feature on it as well.

As far as hearing grunts, I can only remember one time where I've heard a buck grunting that matched the volume that I normally produce on my calls. He's actually the reason I call so loudly. It was mid November and I was setup on a ridge when all of a sudden I hear commotion and see a doe running down the mountain. Seconds later, this buck was right on her tail and his grunts were echoing in the woods! A few more seconds and 4 more bucks were in line and chasing her but they were quiet. At that point I'd never heard such a loud grunt and really haven't ever since. Mostly now I hear softer grunts that if you aren't paying attention, you wouldn't hear.

I know that many beasts probably don't call due to the nature of beast hunting but it is going to be hard for me to give up. Ill try though if I'm tucked in tight on a bed or bedding area. My strategy for blind calling was to set-up in an area where a deer had to come in very close to see who was doing the calling with the hope that he would be well within range. I can attribute most all of my bucks to calling. Maybe only a few that happened by and caught me by surprise. With all that being said, I do like the idea of having a set up close to bedding where I won't have to call. However, my grunt call will always find a place in my pack every time I'm out there.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Ack » Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:12 pm

I've had a lot of success grunting in bucks over the years, and I can honestly say it used to work better in the "old" days then, say, in the past 10 years. Many of those in the early days were 1.5 and 2.5, but back then we didn't pass on too many bucks when given the chance either. My best bucks the last two years were also called in, but each was a different scenario.

In 2015, 7:00 am or so I saw a lone deer walking a field edge about 150 yards out.....could not make out what it was because of how thick it was between us, but something just told me it was a buck. I grunted three times or so, then lost sight of the deer. Turns out it was a buck, and he came on a string right to within 15 yards of my tree, where he eventually took an arrow.

My 2016 buck was around 9:00 am or so, and he came into the area chasing a doe, grunting like crazy. I hit the tube and broke him from the doe, then he proceeded to walk 180° around my position while staying in the thick cover out of sight. This all took place over the course of 45 minutes or so. He then turned back to the direction he came from, and finally came in when he got out in front of me.....dead deer. I was still soft grunting at him every 5 minutes or so until he came in.

I have had some good success in breaking bucks from does.....just have to time it right and make sure it's loud enough for him to hear. I can also say that while hunting in Ohio for a few years, grunting did not work as well on the older bucks I saw compared to the 2.5's. I think a lot of it comes down to the buck's attitude at the time and whether he wants a confrontation or not.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Oct 10, 2017 7:24 pm

Im beginning to think this grunting thing might be regional or atleast not in my area. I spent a good amount of time in the woods every year and I just don't hear a lot of vocal communication going on. What I do hear, is early season does calling there fawns out of cover and during the rut I see 2.5 year olds hound dawging does chasing and grunting all over the country. I have yet to see a mature do it, that's not to say they don't I've just never seen it. In my head I think about how many hunters carry a grunt tube and how many times in a mature bucks life he has heard a hunter blowing this call. I just prefer not to try anything that might give away my surprise ambush. In the case of a what u got to lose and the deer is walking away I will do a call with my mouth. Again I have never really had much success with it.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Tue Oct 10, 2017 8:19 pm

My use of grunt is isolated to height of rut, where you appeal to mating. Where their are running off of testosterone. Seems most good bucks are non social animals. I'm sure there are times when they might work but they are few an far in between.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Outdoor814 » Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:57 pm

The deer society on YouTube has some really great videos on this subject. I would check them out for anyone interested. Here is a link to there page.

https://www.youtube.com/user/dukarthunter33
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Tue Oct 10, 2017 10:11 pm

I won't leave home without it. I have killed a pile of bucks using it. It's key to watching there body language. Watch there tail. First buck I killed this year. Grunted at him 3x until he heard me. He looked my way. Flicked his tail and kept doing his thing, he heard me. Put my grunt call away and waited. Took him 15 minutes to make it 50yds.

Wind direction is a big deal for me when I call. If I have no shots to my downwind side approach or if I am hunting just off wind I do not call.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Grasshopper » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:14 pm

I don't call blind much. Only carry a grunt tube. Really like calling when non shooter bucks are present. They are like a live decoy. I never thought that you could call a buck away from a doe or doe group, but it's possible I've done it more than once. It doesn't work every time, and sometimes it causes shooters to run away instead of come closer. It really seems like the individual animals attitude has more to do with success than anything.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby headgear » Tue Oct 10, 2017 11:42 pm

I think I have grunted in and killed two older bucks, pulled in a few others too so I use it for sure. About half were seen and half were called in blind. I don't sit there and blind call all day unless the kids are hunting with me. Generally I keep it pretty simple, have had the best luck with two short grunts and then silence. Maybe a another grunt or two if I want to pull something all the way in. Of all the things they have in the store a grunt call is high on my list of necessities, they don't always work but when they do they are an amazing tool.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby huntinsonovagun » Wed Oct 11, 2017 12:22 am

For me it’s mostly used once I have eyes on a buck I’d like a chance at. I feel it’s important to make your grunt when the deer isn’t looking your direction. They can pinpoint that sound as well as a gobbler pinpointing yelps in the spring. I have killed a couple decent bucks I can attribute to a grunt call. I have since quit carrying a tube and use my mouth. I grunt by snorting like a pig, but you have to get way back in the nasally part of your throat. You can also cup your hands around your mouth to deepen it a little more. I find that I can get louder grunting this way that any other grunt call and not have to carry that stupid thing in. Give it a try!
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Wed Oct 11, 2017 12:54 am

My grunt call is always in my pocket. Its one of my "must have " items while hunting. I have actually grunted 2 bucks back to me after shooting at them and missing. Neither one was so lucky the second time. I usually only grunt to deer that dont look like they will come close enough for a shot. Once I get their attention I just read their body language to adjust my calling. If they dont come in after a few grunts I'll throw a snort wheeze at them which sometimes works. The majority of big bucks that I've heard grunting kinda sound like the Drurys buck growl call. I've also had a couple encounters with big bucks that made a sneezing/coughing sound. I dont know what thats all about? I've had 10x better luck with a grunt call than I have had with the bleat can.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:18 am

I have called in a few bucks with a grunt. Smaller bucks seem to be pretty easy to get to circle back around. I did call one mature buck off of a doe. It took him about 30 minutes to come back in and check it out.. pre rut seems best.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:10 am

I have had limited success grunting in bucks. Though, I did grunt in my biggest buck ever, 4 years ago. It was mid-October. I was hunting a thick funnel area. So I blind grunted 3 short grunts. And got one deep reply. And that was the only time he grunted. It definitely sounded like a mature buck and it was. I ended up making a bad shot and never finding the deer. Other than that I have grunted a couple other smaller buck in also. But those were the only times I've had success, compared to a hundreds of times nothing happened.
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Re: Let’s talk buck grunts

Unread postby Jhand » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:22 am

The only time I have sucessfully grunted in any bucks where after I saw them and they weren't headed by way. Have had a couple 2 1/2s come straight it to it only mature buck didn't pay any attention to the grunt and kept right on going


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