Deer hunting could be tough if you are not guided properly. Any self-confident and experienced deer hunter has a bag of deer calling tricks that help them harvest that trophy buck in every hunting season.
Here we have shared the most effective deer calling tips that work well for us. We believe they will work for you too as long as you have the best deer call with you. You can visit RangerExpert to check out the reviews of today’s most effective deer calls and lures.
Types of Deer Calls
Deer calling can be divided into four types: grunt, bleat, rattle, and snort wheeze.
- Grunt
Grunt calls can be further divided into three types: social grunt, tending grunt, and trailing grunt.
- Social grunt
Bucks communicate with other deer in a herd using social grunts. They can use it year-round, but generally, most effectively during the rut.
Does can also make a grunt, known as doe grunt. They use it with fawns and other does. It is similar to the social grunt but a bit higher in tone and not so deep.
- Tending Grunt
A buck uses a tending grunt after acquiring a doe. This sounds low and deep, greatly heard during the peak of a rut, when mixed with a trailing grunt to mimic a chasing buck locking down a hot doe.
- Trailing Grunt
A buck actively trailing a hot doe makes a trailing grunt. This is a short, consistent, and rhythmic burst. Deer calling using this grunt works best during the pre-rut when bucks begin to rut and start searching for a doe.
- Bleat
Bleats can be either estrus bleat or fawn call.
- Estrus bleat
Does, ready to breed, specifically use this bleat. They use it before contacting a buck. The buck takes it as a ready doe’s signal and comes to check her.
Deer calls mimicking this estrus bleat are great during the peak of the rut. Blind calling with this bleat can bring in a buck searching for his doe in estrus.
- Fawn call
A fawn makes a fawn call when in distress, either when it is away from its mother or a predator is chasing it. This call is useful for bow hunting in the early season when mothers have their fawns with them. Generally, a doe responds to this call whether their fawns are with them or not.
- Rattle
The rattle is an aggressive calling technique that imitates two bucks fighting during the rut. Fighting sometimes takes place throughout the rut cycle. You should know how bucks fight with each other in the different rut phases.
During the pre-rut, bucks are dominant and determined. At the rut’s peak, they aggressively challenge each other with intense fighting for breeding rights. There is little sparing between bucks in the post-rut. But rattling still plays its role for the few remaining does that will finally come into estrus and mature bucks will contest for them.
- Snort Wheeze
It is specifically a superiority call for mature bucks. They use this sound to scare younger bucks when they are ready to fight. They don’t make this sound often. So, use it at the right time. You can use it to turn the territorial instinct of a dominant buck against you.
Deer Calling Tips
- Making the Calls
- Get a bleat can for emulating the sound that fawns and does make. You can purchase bleat cans online or from the hunting stores. Just flip your can over for creating the sound.
- Blow into the grunt tube for making a buck’s sound. Wrap your hand’s palm around the grant tube’s end resting the tube’s mouthpiece on the bottom lip. Blow into it and spread the fingers on your tube’s end. At a time blow into it for 1 to 2 seconds to make the buck’s sound.
- Make snort wheezes for calling mature bucks. You can make this sound by clenching all the teeth together, then puckering your lips. Keep this position of your mouth and exhale three short breaths to make this sound.
- Rattle together the deer horns to make a sparring deer’s sound. Rattling authentic or artificial deer horns together will make the rattle sound and male deer can be attracted to you. You can also use the rattle bags and shake those to make this sound.
- Applying the Calls for Attracting Deer
- Climb on a tree or utilize hindrances so that the deer cannot spot you. When you climb in a high tree ensure to make the appropriate tree harness that can stop you from falling down. You can also hide behind shrubs.
- Never call when a deer is near and staring in where you are standing. When you make calls after seeing a deer near, it may locate you and run away. So, be sure that it is not staring in your position. It will be better to make blind calls to attract them.
- Flip the bleat more than 2 to 4 times. Flip it more than twice to make a doe’s sound. When you are hunting, take fawn bleats to imitate its young’s sound.
- Repeat the grunts and bleats each 2o to 30 minutes. After repeating, wait, and locate that area to watch if you could attract any deer.
- Blow into the grunt tube twice to 4 times. If you hunt when the season is pre-rut, make sounds with your grunt tube aggressively to imitate a buck’s sound that is protecting its doe.
- Use rattle bags combining with all other calls. Rattle bags can attract large bucks. Rattle your antlers or bags together for about five to six seconds. Try making some bleats, grunts, then the rattle bag. Continue doing this in 40 to 45 minutes of interval.
- Make the Snort wheeze sounds at bucks if they are more than 600 ft (200 yards) away. A deer cannot hear bleats or grunts from far away. Snort wheezes can help you here. Generally, this sound goes further and will attract bucks to you.
- Increase your grunt’s intensity once you see a deer. Your grunt’s increased intensity will attract the attention of a male deer.
Using the Calls When the Time is Right
- Apply weak grunt calls and bleat in the early season. Generally, this early season indicates the beginning or middle of October.
- Use louder grunts before and during the rut season. Typically, rut dates are in either October or November but it can vary depending on where you are living.
- Use your rattle bag in the rut season. Deer mostly fight and spar in the rut. They mostly don’t fight in the early season and post-rut, so don’t use your rattle bags then.
- Apply less aggressive calls during the post-rut season. Deer will be less responsive to loud grunts in the post-rut season. So, softly blow into the grunt tube then.