Calling success
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Calling success
I was lucky enough to have yesterday off. Cooler temps and 10-15mph winds. After my morning sit around 830-9am I got down and moved in closer to bedding did some agressive grunting, thrashed a small tree and raked the leaves up with a stick. 5min. Later I had a decent 6pt standing at 25yds. It was awesome! When he left I moved to another bedding area on the other side of a big creek 400yds away. Same calling cycle and about 15min later I saw a big body skirt to the downwind side at 70yds.
Ive only had success blind calling one other time (I rarely try it) and I'm wondering if y'all have any success and what your tactics are, time of year/day etc. I'm in maine so id really love to hear from the new Englanders but all stories are appreciated.
Ive only had success blind calling one other time (I rarely try it) and I'm wondering if y'all have any success and what your tactics are, time of year/day etc. I'm in maine so id really love to hear from the new Englanders but all stories are appreciated.
- Tsom
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Re: Calling success
I'm in NH I just blind called a spike in this morning with a bleat can call. My son was making noise in the leaves so I figured I'd use it along with the noise. Came right in to 8 yards then saw us, turned and got an arrow at ten yd. Years ago I blind called a forkie in with a grunt call. In MN a few years back had a small 6 come in to an ez wheeze 3 times in a row. Was fun playing with him!I don't call much anymore but picked up the can at kittery trading Post last weekend to give it a shot sice a friend of mine has one and seems to work.
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Re: Calling success
I live in northern NY so I'm assuming deer ratios are probably similar. I've called several immature bucks in the past but have never had success calling in anything mature. Likely because if they come at all they circle. That being said I know some guys have success calling deep in the adacks. My assumption is that it is because the bucks may have no human interaction in those remote areas so they are more likely to come straight in. My best advice is to simply determine the mindset of the deer your hunting. If they are pressured and have been called at before blind calling in my experience is a waist of time.
- Grizzlyadam
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Re: Calling success
I'm in NW CT, foothills of the Berkshires. The only success I've ever had with blind calling has been on immature bucks. Any mature ones that responded approached well downwind in thick cover and busted me. I've had no success that I can recall calling to bucks I had a visual on prior to calling. They either totally ignore it or get spooked and run. I've learned the hard way over and over that calling is pretty much never in my best interest and I almost never do it these days.
- stash59
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Re: Calling success
Have had success both blind calling and rattling. In both WI and MT. But only in low pressure areas. Semi wilderness. Crank the pressure up to even just medium and only young bucks respond.
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Re: Calling success
stash59 wrote:Have had success both blind calling and rattling. In both WI and MT. But only in low pressure areas. Semi wilderness. Crank the pressure up to even just medium and only young bucks respond.
Same, I have had success blind calling in Michigan but about 95% of the time it’s a 1.5 year old. I would say only like 1 out of every 20 or 30 hunts that I blind call gets anything to come in.
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Re: Calling success
10-15 years ago I would rattle and grunt frequently, and deer would respond. Then the bowhunting pressure in my area skyrocketed and it seems everyone packs a rattle bag and grunt tube with them. If you rattle at a buck now, he’s more likely to just turn the other way.
True story. Once on a public piece, I had a guy walk in on me over a mile in and set up 75 yards away. For the first 45 minutes, he did 7 rattling sequences. I’m not sure how many he did after that because I was headed back to the truck already.
True story. Once on a public piece, I had a guy walk in on me over a mile in and set up 75 yards away. For the first 45 minutes, he did 7 rattling sequences. I’m not sure how many he did after that because I was headed back to the truck already.
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Re: Calling success
Thanks for the replies. As I suspected blind calling will likely only draw in the young and dumb. After having some success I'll probably try a little on an experimental basis. Maybe do a sequence and try to quickly and quietly move 50yds down wind. Always fun to change things up once in a while.
- Huntress13
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Re: Calling success
Once they are educated, they can tell the difference between a hunter sitting in a tree with no other associated noises. I do think it works better if there are branches snapping, sounds like an animal moving. Also higher winds seems to work better than when it is dead calm. That is my experience anyway.
Twigs in my hair, don't care.
- treeroot
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Re: Calling success
I've taken two bucks in the same year from calling along with a decoy. One was bow season the other was gun. But I found it was 80/20. 80% of the time they would either take off soon as I called or come in to 60 yards and start head bobbing at the decoy and take off. Or a mature doe would blow the whole set up.
The times it worked most of the time it was a immature buck that would charge in. I haven't done it in 4 or 5 years. But if I went that route again it would be a gun season tactic for me. If they hold up 80 yards out, or try to circle downwind at least I might have a chance. If it's my plan going in I tie a branch to my pull up rope and cast it around so I can pull it back in making ground noise.
The times it worked most of the time it was a immature buck that would charge in. I haven't done it in 4 or 5 years. But if I went that route again it would be a gun season tactic for me. If they hold up 80 yards out, or try to circle downwind at least I might have a chance. If it's my plan going in I tie a branch to my pull up rope and cast it around so I can pull it back in making ground noise.
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Re: Calling success
I was on the ground nestled up in some pine whips. I started off with a fair amount of grunting but the end was primarily ground noise and twigs breaking with just a couple grunts to make sure everything thought it was a deer. I have never had success blind calling from a stand.
- Kraftd
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Re: Calling success
Three year olds and under I've had tremendous success with all types of calling, and lately some great decoy hunts.
Especially on lower pressured areas, but even at time in high pressure, I've had good success getting responses from mature bucks, but you have to have a bullet proof set-up that you can get a shot before they get downwind. I only have a couple I trust and they both involve water.
I have also found that for older bucks in particular, the decoy can be key. I can't tell you how many times I've had mature bucks hag-up at 60-80 yards because they could get a visual on where the calling came from and didn't see the deer. the deke usually makes them commit. I don't love carrying it around public swamps, so my experience with this on more pressured deer is a little more limited.
Also, soft early season grunting has been very good to me getting hunch up bucks to come out of bedding early a couple of times.
Like anything its confidence based. Calling is a confidence thing for me. For others, not as much probably. I'm also usually ok taking 2 and three year olds many times, so its a tactic in my toolbox. If I was strictly hunting truly mature deer only on pressured ground, I'd probably be much more selective in my blind calling, and often am when I'm on an older buck.
Especially on lower pressured areas, but even at time in high pressure, I've had good success getting responses from mature bucks, but you have to have a bullet proof set-up that you can get a shot before they get downwind. I only have a couple I trust and they both involve water.
I have also found that for older bucks in particular, the decoy can be key. I can't tell you how many times I've had mature bucks hag-up at 60-80 yards because they could get a visual on where the calling came from and didn't see the deer. the deke usually makes them commit. I don't love carrying it around public swamps, so my experience with this on more pressured deer is a little more limited.
Also, soft early season grunting has been very good to me getting hunch up bucks to come out of bedding early a couple of times.
Like anything its confidence based. Calling is a confidence thing for me. For others, not as much probably. I'm also usually ok taking 2 and three year olds many times, so its a tactic in my toolbox. If I was strictly hunting truly mature deer only on pressured ground, I'd probably be much more selective in my blind calling, and often am when I'm on an older buck.
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Re: Calling success
I think calling works best when it is crisp where the ground noise can be heard at distance. if it is wet, less effective cause all you got is the antler sounds. I also like it right at shooting light for the best results. I have, however, had prob more deer come in to a scrape noise or rubbing a tree noise than antlers. The big boys will come in to the rub/scrape noise, where they will be skittish on the rattle(big fight) sequence. the calling, for me, has done better in about a two week period around Halloween.
- 1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: Calling success
The added noise people have mentioned sure does seem to help. Sometimes I drop down a big branch or something on my bow string and work that on the ground along with calling or rattling.
When I lived in a high pressure area what I basically found was if Walmart carried a bulk stock of it. Don’t try it.. scents, grunts, bleats, rattle bags or horns. I’d here guys calling like no other all the time in state land. A lot of times at me cus they thought I was a deer smashing through the woods
In the northwoods setting I’ve only bumped into one other hunter so far this year. I’ve rattled two in but couldn’t seal the deal. When it’s quiet you can draw them In but if you need to do anything special to get a shot the slightest noise when they are that alert has them pegging you to the tree.
When I lived in a high pressure area what I basically found was if Walmart carried a bulk stock of it. Don’t try it.. scents, grunts, bleats, rattle bags or horns. I’d here guys calling like no other all the time in state land. A lot of times at me cus they thought I was a deer smashing through the woods
In the northwoods setting I’ve only bumped into one other hunter so far this year. I’ve rattled two in but couldn’t seal the deal. When it’s quiet you can draw them In but if you need to do anything special to get a shot the slightest noise when they are that alert has them pegging you to the tree.
don’t be broadcasting when you should be tuning in
- 1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: Calling success
Boy I tell you what when you’re walking through the woods and some guy starts calling at you and you give a couple deep mouth grunts back... then he starts calling like no other. Oh what fun.
Yeah, probably not recommended during the firearm season. Someone could think you’re da Tirty pointer
Yeah, probably not recommended during the firearm season. Someone could think you’re da Tirty pointer
don’t be broadcasting when you should be tuning in
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