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Old October 24, 2011, 09:27 AM   #1
SDShooter79
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Deer Calls

Attention Callers!

I bought my first one yesterday, a Primos grunt call. I've never used a call when hunting deer, and could use your advice. Any good videos you guys know of I can watch. Do calls only work in the rut, or can they be used anytime?

Thanks B
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Old October 24, 2011, 09:38 AM   #2
jimbob86
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I've used a grunt call to stop deer for a shot..... never actually had one come in to it.....

It says "Hey, look this way! Smile and wait for the flash." ......
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Old October 24, 2011, 09:39 AM   #3
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My limited experiense with a grunt call is that they work best during the rut to bring a buck in closer, but can be used during the rest of the season to stop a buck (or doe for that matter) in their tracks for a good steady shot.
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Old October 24, 2011, 10:48 AM   #4
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One of the kids gave me a Primos Can call two years ago at Christmas. I used it last year and had a great time with it. The instructions say that it simulates an estrus doe. However, when I've used it, I've had does "turn up" at the stand looking awfully concerned.

Maybe I'm using it wrong, or the acoustics in my part of the woods might be odd, but I'm convinced that the does think it's a lost fawn. Regardless, I convinced one of them to go home with me last year as a meat doe.
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Old October 24, 2011, 11:04 AM   #5
hogdogs
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Electric feeder slingin' corn at first light is a pretty good deer call 'round these parts...

Brent
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Old October 24, 2011, 11:18 AM   #6
Saltydog235
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Yeah, feeders work great unless you have the pigs like we have. Or if you put them out 2 weeks after the season starts and they spook the deer like I did, boneheaded move on my part but its staying there now (hopefully they will eventually get use to it).

I've tried the grunt and bleat calls but never had any success with them. Others I know say they work. I did get a couple of does come running to a fawn in distress call I had years ago, but that's the only response I've ever gotten.
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Old October 24, 2011, 11:26 AM   #7
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Lesson's Learned

Since deer season kicked off, our hog problem has been growing and growing. They come in an eat up all the corn in a single night but there is the problem, we only see the evidence at night.

Well, I organized a hog drive through a bog that's just torn up with hog sign. We walked the entire mile long bog and jumped a few deer but no hogs. After getting back to the clubhouse I went to corn a stand that hasn't had hogs on it yet. Riding back to the club I turned onto the road and 100 yards from me 15 big pigs were crossing the road. I goosed the truck and got near them, jumped out, realized I had unloaded my shotgun and cased it, grabbed my rifle, jumped up on the toolbox but had no shot at them through the thick planted pines. Had the shotgun not been cased and set up where all I had to do was drop a shell in the chamber with the mag still loaded the Benelli and I could have flat out massacred those pigs.

Heck I had forgotten I did have my .357 S&W 66 sitting in the console with two speed loaders of 158grn HP. From now on the scattergun will be in the front seat, mag loaded and ready to drop the first shot in the action and a revolver will be close at hand or maybe the 1911 at the very least.

Dern sneaky pigs.
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Old October 24, 2011, 11:27 AM   #8
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I've had more deer respond to a predator(distressed rabbit) call than any deer call.
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Old October 24, 2011, 07:34 PM   #9
SDShooter79
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Are they effective during the pre rut rifle season?
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Old October 24, 2011, 07:37 PM   #10
hogdogs
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I welcome the pigs to the feeder... I prefer pork over goat... But here at my place, I am too far from any of the nice hog attracting features that my yard only gets deer as far as larger meat haulers.

Brent
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Old October 24, 2011, 08:36 PM   #11
bamaranger
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deer call

I have an old grunt call, I think its a Knight and Hale. I use it starting late pre rut, around here about Christmas time, on through the end of the season (31 Jan). I killed my biggest buck ever, came charging into the call in relatively thick cover, at 19 yds, unfortunately, w/ a rifle. He would have made Pope & Young easy if bow killed, but fell just short of Boone & Crockett.

I have also had a number of immature bucks come in, posing, looking for action, but not really aggressive. Years ago a pal lent me a cassette tape and I learned a call sequence that I pretty much have stayed w/ since.

Two sort grunts (trailing?) and drawn out tending grunt, then a short one again. I call VERY softly in most circumstances. The series takes about 10-15 seconds. I do it every 20-30 minutes if I don't forget. I also do it if I hear or see deer in the distance, or deer "noise". The bruiser that came charging was tearing a tree to pieces about 75 yds away. I heard the racket, called and he came running.

I have a can call, and sometimes combine the two, but no success w/ that. Somewhere I have a verysoft bleat call, that drew a big doe intobow range in early season a few years back, seemed liked curiosity more than anything.

Glad you inquired, I need to find that bleater and take it next time out!
I look at them as another tool/tactic. Try not to get carried away w/ them and use sparingly.
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Old October 24, 2011, 08:44 PM   #12
highvel
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Around here the grunt call works well pre rut, during rut, but after the rut they wont usually come to it they will just stop and look!
I've watched a number of bucks that were out of range or going away from me that stopped , turned and came in to the call.
Be careful not to blow with too much force or you wont get good results because it changes the pitch. It should be a soft guttural sound that varies in length and lasts only about 10-15 seconds.
I use my voice to make a low grrrr sound while blowing the call and it gives a better tone.
Works good for me anyway.
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Old October 24, 2011, 09:20 PM   #13
sc outdoorsman
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I have never used them myself. I am not discounting the effectiveness just that the deer are heavily pressured were I hunt and the quiter you are the better. I have a stand a couple hundred yards from a stand on a neighboring property. The first day I was in the stand this season whomever was in that stand was blowing a grunt call, a bleat call and rattling horns. I shot a nice young buck about an hour on the stand and haven't heard him use them again.
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Old October 24, 2011, 11:52 PM   #14
mrawesome22
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Spend enough time in the stand and listen to the deer. This is the only real way to get good with calls. Experience.
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Old October 25, 2011, 07:58 AM   #15
Rifleman1776
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I make calls and have used a grunt to call in a buck. He came to within 15 feet of me. Ded deer.
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Old October 25, 2011, 08:18 AM   #16
Brian Pfleuger
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Calling and rattling is a hit and miss proposition. I have called and rattled, grunt, fawn bleat, doe bleat, doe grunt far more times than I can remember.

Once, I had a small buck LITERALLY come charging in to my stand and run around in a big circle looking for the bleating doe, not once but three times he did it.

Last night, I had 5 deer within 100 yards in a field. I have a Primo's E-Deer call. I tried it 5 or 6 different times just to see what they'd do...not one of those deer so much as lifted its head to look.

You can expect pretty much any response in the range of those two examples.

Early season, a gentle fawn bleat will bring in doe. GENTLE. It has to sound lost, not dying.

Pre-rut, doe bleats and gentle grunting maybe with gentle rattling can work.

Rut, you want grunts and estrous bleats.

Keep in mind, aggressive grunting and rattling can SCARE smaller or less dominant bucks who aren't looking for a real fight.
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Old October 25, 2011, 12:00 PM   #17
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Last year on the last day of rilfe deer season (Sunday after Thanksgiving) I rattled out of boredom, only seeing doe. Down the hill comes one of the doe that went by looking all over for the two fighting bucks. Right up to 10 feet of the box blind I was in! After not finding them she looked all sad and depressed and turned and walked back up the hill. Was kinda fun. I've never had grunt calls work for me. Ever. But just for those who want to know how to call them here is a video on the deer call I have....

http://www.theextinguisher.com/
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Old October 25, 2011, 01:22 PM   #18
jhnrckr
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it really depends on what part of the country you are in. Up in Northern IL I had a buck come in peak rut and he stopped behind some thick stuff and I had no shot. He came out a little to chase a doe that had come in and I simulated a grunt with my mouth, it stopped him and the doe took off. He stayed around looking to see what buck was in his area for too long and I arrowed him.
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Old October 25, 2011, 01:48 PM   #19
Brian Pfleuger
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^^^^
Almost any indistinct noise will often make a nearby deer stop and look.
I've made walking deer stop and look by making "Baat" sounds and even just going "Psst!".
Once, I had a guy tell me that yelling "Hey!" will stop running deer if they don't know you're there. He was dragging an 8pt out of the woods and said he did it and I had thought I heard someone yell "Hey!" earlier in the morning.... Next time a deer was running by me unaware, a doe at about 10 yards, I yelled "HEY!" as loud as I could. She stopped so fast that she skidded.
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Old October 25, 2011, 01:51 PM   #20
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Thanks a lot, now I have to start messing with the deer, too. You guys are going to give me a complex...
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Old October 25, 2011, 02:34 PM   #21
hogdogs
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I always call the sneakin' off deer... "MATTT"... They stop nearly every time...

Brent
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Old October 25, 2011, 02:37 PM   #22
hogdogs
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I was once sittin' on a porch swing sippin' a fresh brewed sweet tea... Wasn't season (summer actually) and I seen several does with fawns slowly crossing a 40 acre pasture... I messed with them for an hour... the walk would usually take them 10 minutes or so but with me "matt"ing them all the way... they were SLOW!!!

Brent
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