grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas?

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Haus86
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Haus86 » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:07 am

I think the effectiveness of calling depends on the area you are hunting. Public land doesn't compare to low pressured private ground. Deer grunt and make vocalizations all of the time. I don't think sending out a couple soft grunts is going to educate the deer. The problem is guys think their grunt call is a kazoo and call too much and make a bunch of rediculous noises with it. I blame TV for that. I've grunted at quite a few mature bucks, but ultimately what brought them in was a snort wheeze.


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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Bucky » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:20 am

Silence is golden IMO
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby dan » Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:13 am

Haus86 wrote:I think the effectiveness of calling depends on the area you are hunting. Public land doesn't compare to low pressured private ground. Deer grunt and make vocalizations all of the time. I don't think sending out a couple soft grunts is going to educate the deer. The problem is guys think their grunt call is a kazoo and call too much and make a bunch of rediculous noises with it. I blame TV for that. I've grunted at quite a few mature bucks, but ultimately what brought them in was a snort wheeze.



The buck I reffered to was not from public land, it was on managed land owned by Andrae. Andrae don't call at all ever, and only him and his son ( who don't call either ) hunt that land...

I have a real nice buck on film from a few years ago that was coming thru a funnel I was hunting. He was just out of range at about 50 yards and I grunted to him. He looked my way but then ignored it, so I let out a little doe bleat and that really caught his attention and he spun around and started coming in. But he did a wide circle and came in from the complete opisate side and winded me... Thats just one example... But often I seen bucks circle to wind whatever is making the noise...
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby BigRed » Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:21 pm

Ive never had success blind calling near beddin like many have said it does more harm than good. i dont even bother anymore.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Arrowbender » Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:59 pm

Wow !!
It kind of amazes me that many will try to sneak into a mature bucks lair at the risk of blowing him out of the property and yet refuse to accept the fact that deer even old deer hear vocalizations all of the time. Unless they had a bad experience, there is no reason for them to associate deer speak with humans.
Now I am sure that there were plenty of deer that came in down wind that I never saw, but I can honestly say that I have seen way more come in other than down wind.
I will also admit that for how much I preach about calling; I am a very conservative caller. Most of the time Less is More. BUT it is also surprising how many times that when I'm am over calling to a visible buck that I call in others from further distances.

I really can't comprehend the reluctance........

To each his own !!
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby dan » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:34 pm

It kind of amazes me that many will try to sneak into a mature bucks lair at the risk of blowing him out of the property and yet refuse to accept the fact that deer even old deer hear vocalizations all of the time. Unless they had a bad experience, there is no reason for them to associate deer speak with humans.

I never said they associate calling with humans... Although I do think that is the case a lot of the time because a deer around here cannot get to 5 years old hear without hearing humans call, and call badly. Heck I hear other hunters calling all around me every year during the rut...
The buck that circled me on film at Andreas may have heard calling from someone on a neighboring farm, but I doubt it... I think he circled to smell who was making the call and whether or not he should come barging in... A little cautious. Maybe the bbuck is bigger than him? My point is not to say that calling don't work... We both know it does. My point is that I believe in most set ups "beast style" it works better to catch them off gaurd. I already know if the buck is bedded there he is going to come out by me, so why screw with it?
Yes, in some instances they do go the other way or your set up is less than ideal and calling could be a good option. In those instances I have called, with very little success, but its worth a try... If your thing is calling, more power to you... I am quite sure your a better caller than I am. Its just not my thing, and I think most new hunters would do better by laying off the calls except when they are needed... I would be interested in learning some of your techniques, you have obviously had some success with calling... But you would still have a hard time convincing me to call blindly from my set ups. My calling will be to bucks that I can see that are not coming in.... On a rare occasion I might try blind calling when I just can't get close enough to where the bucks are during rut...
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:26 pm

Arrowbender wrote:Wow !!
It kind of amazes me that many will try to sneak into a mature bucks lair at the risk of blowing him out of the property and yet refuse to accept the fact that deer even old deer hear vocalizations all of the time. Unless they had a bad experience, there is no reason for them to associate deer speak with humans.
Now I am sure that there were plenty of deer that came in down wind that I never saw, but I can honestly say that I have seen way more come in other than down wind.
I will also admit that for how much I preach about calling; I am a very conservative caller. Most of the time Less is More. BUT it is also surprising how many times that when I'm am over calling to a visible buck that I call in others from further distances.

I really can't comprehend the reluctance........

To each his own !!


I agree 100%. I am assuming everyone has seen bucks chasing does. It is not quiet and there is plenty of vocalization going on. This doesn't frighten other bucks but alerts them as to what is going on. I have seen 4 and 5 mature bucks chasing the same doe early rut and these bucks weren't scared of each other grunting. If I give a couple of short grunts I assure you another deer doesn't think it's a human. Another thing I have noticed after a couple of grunts, other deer (does) usually head my direction a little later on. What would be the disadvantage there? So I feel calling in moderation is a great tool. I bleated a huge 180 class buck within 50 yards a few years ago. He did hang up but only because anther 130 class buck was back in the direction he came from. He headed back towards that buck and chased him off. If there is a draw back it's the fact that they come towards you a lot of the time making shot selection a little harry. But I'll take that over no action any day. Even on heavy pressured public land bucks are grunting while chasing. What would make another buck think that was a human?
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Zap » Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:13 pm

Maybe the way it sounds.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby headgear » Wed Oct 26, 2011 1:54 am

Arrowbender wrote:Wow !!
It kind of amazes me that many will try to sneak into a mature bucks lair at the risk of blowing him out of the property and yet refuse to accept the fact that deer even old deer hear vocalizations all of the time.


I don't think anyone refuses to accept that fact that deer hear vocalizations, at least I haven't seen it. It's just that it has never worked for most of us in the past. If I am setup on a buck and I suspect he is coming my way I don't want to put him on alert and have him looking for where those sounds are coming from. Most likely if it is an old buck in a pressured area he has been called to many times and probably had some bad experiences. Now if the buck is out of range and going the other way you bet your life I am going to do everything in my power to call him in.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Zap » Wed Oct 26, 2011 1:57 am

headgear wrote:
Arrowbender wrote:Wow !!
It kind of amazes me that many will try to sneak into a mature bucks lair at the risk of blowing him out of the property and yet refuse to accept the fact that deer even old deer hear vocalizations all of the time.


I don't think anyone refuses to accept that fact that deer hear vocalizations, at least I haven't seen it. It's just that it has never worked for most of us in the past. If I am setup on a buck and I suspect he is coming my way I don't want to put him on alert and have him looking for where those sounds are coming from. Most likely if it is an old buck in a pressured area he has been called to many times and probably had some bad experiences. Now if the buck is out of range and going the other way you bet your life I am going to do everything in my power to call him in.


YUP!
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:13 am

Zap wrote:Maybe the way it sounds.

I guess your right, some guys think they are calling reveille, instead of deer. ;)
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby dan » Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:36 am

Lets just use last nights hunt as a prime example... My set up was in the bucks staging area 50 yards from his bed in one of only a couple of trees with very little cover and skylit to the background. I had to sneak in very quietly and slide up the tree and hang a stand knowing the buck I am after could very well be 50 yards from me and watching. It meant no noise and very slow cautious movments. When I FINALLY GOT SET AND SLOWLY RAISED MY BOW, i BEGAN TO STAIR OVER WHERE THE BUCK BED IS LOCATED. I saw movement and made out a rack and then an eyeball in the cattails at the bed right on the transition line. 1st off, I would of never noticed that rack or eyeball if it were not for knowing exactly where that bed was... More importantly to this thread, I could see this deer in his bed... I am often that close. A call would of let that buck know exactly where I was sitting and would of put that eyeball directly on me up in that tree... Calling in that close of quarters to a buck that is likely to come my way anyway seems rediculas to me... Like I said before, maybe in some set ups, but not most.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:43 am

dan wrote:Lets just use last nights hunt as a prime example... My set up was in the bucks staging area 50 yards from his bed in one of only a couple of trees with very little cover and skylit to the background. I had to sneak in very quietly and slide up the tree and hang a stand knowing the buck I am after could very well be 50 yards from me and watching. It meant no noise and very slow cautious movments. When I FINALLY GOT SET AND SLOWLY RAISED MY BOW, i BEGAN TO STAIR OVER WHERE THE BUCK BED IS LOCATED. I saw movement and made out a rack and then an eyeball in the cattails at the bed right on the transition line. 1st off, I would of never noticed that rack or eyeball if it were not for knowing exactly where that bed was... More importantly to this thread, I could see this deer in his bed... I am often that close. A call would of let that buck know exactly where I was sitting and would of put that eyeball directly on me up in that tree... Calling in that close of quarters to a buck that is likely to come my way anyway seems rediculas to me... Like I said before, maybe in some set ups, but not most.

That's awesome!! 8-) Sounds like my hunt Saturday night but I don't think the buck I was watching ever left his bed before dark. Your completely right.......calling in this case would be completely wrong. Obviously that buck never knew you were there when he headed your direction. A couple of grunt calls and he would have had you pegged.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:08 am

dan wrote:Lets just use last nights hunt as a prime example... My set up was in the bucks staging area 50 yards from his bed in one of only a couple of trees with very little cover and skylit to the background. I had to sneak in very quietly and slide up the tree and hang a stand knowing the buck I am after could very well be 50 yards from me and watching. It meant no noise and very slow cautious movments. When I FINALLY GOT SET AND SLOWLY RAISED MY BOW, i BEGAN TO STAIR OVER WHERE THE BUCK BED IS LOCATED. I saw movement and made out a rack and then an eyeball in the cattails at the bed right on the transition line. 1st off, I would of never noticed that rack or eyeball if it were not for knowing exactly where that bed was... More importantly to this thread, I could see this deer in his bed... I am often that close. A call would of let that buck know exactly where I was sitting and would of put that eyeball directly on me up in that tree... Calling in that close of quarters to a buck that is likely to come my way anyway seems rediculas to me... Like I said before, maybe in some set ups, but not most.


I agree 100% with you on that setup. The key to using deer calls is to know when to use them and when not to use them. Kind of like the horn on your truck, you can honk after the accident but much better to honk before the accident. Hunters that are stalking would have no need for vocalization calling either. If my tree setup has me sticking out like a lollipop I surely wouldn't want to alert deer to my location. So answering the original post I wouldn't use deer calls when set up on bedded bucks.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: grunting or other calls while hunting buck bedding areas

Unread postby dan » Wed Oct 26, 2011 11:28 am

I agree 100% with you on that setup. The key to using deer calls is to know when to use them and when not to use them. Kind of like the horn on your truck, you can honk after the accident but much better to honk before the accident. Hunters that are stalking would have no need for vocalization calling either. If my tree setup has me sticking out like a lollipop I surely wouldn't want to alert deer to my location. So answering the original post I wouldn't use deer calls when set up on bedded bucks.


That was my point Stan, if I am set up "beast style" on a bedded buck, I am rather certain he will already come my way... I don't see the two things going hand in hand unless your unconfidant in whether or not the buck will come in.... I think there is a differance between setting up near a bedding area and calling a buck out, and setting up in a well thought out scouted and planned position where you expect a buck to come to to you...
In that case, I would not call, even if I was far enough away to get away with it... If the buck is there, he will likely do as planned so why play with fate... ?
I have called deer in, and done so both successfully, and unsuccessfully, and really, it ain't for me in most situations. When they come in searching for the noise maker all eyes are searching in your area and they seem a little on edge to me... Just try and get an arrow into that! In my attemts to call in deer, I found that most that came in never gave me a shot or spooked before the shot or jumped the string and got a bad hit... I for one certainly like it better when the target animal comes walking in with absolutly no idea anyone or anything is in the area.
Not saying I won't ever blind call, I could see trying it on one of those bedding areas where you can't get in a tree in the direction the buck is going, or in a new area where your unsure of the bedding spots... To each his own... Im not knocking it. Just stating that its not for me.
Some guys call, some guys bait, some guys use scents, some guys do it all... Everybody has there own way of doing things, and mine ain't tooting on a tube.


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