Common Sense Calling

                       After more than 45 years of hunting whitetails, I have found the one strategy that has worked for me time and again is using deer calls. Like any other deer hunting tactic, however, knowing when, where, how, and why to apply the four primary deer vocalizations is absolutely critical to success.

          For consistent response from deer, it is crucial to make the calls sound authentic and realistic to them. To achieve this, I always apply a large dose of common sense when using deer calls to attract, hold, or stop deer. Too many hunters who have not gotten response when calling to deer usually make their calls sound too loud, aggressive, and repeat them too often. I have also found for maximum success, it also important for a deer caller to try to match the right deer vocalization with solid hunting strategies as much as possible.

          Here are a few tips to help you immediately improve your deer calling the very next time you go afield!

 
PRIMARY GRUNT VOCALIZATION

The most common call is the grunt. Unfortunately, it is the vocalization hunters often blow too loudly, aggressively and too often.   Think of it this way, if you wanted to woo a potential mate would you speak softly or loudly to her? Softly, of course. There are several sub-cadences of the grunt including the social, tending, and trail grunts, and the grunt-snort-wheeze.

Social Grunt

The social grunt sound is made by both bucks and does as a social greeting. Bucks make this grunt to acknowledge other deer­, especially other bucks in their bachelor group. Females also make a more subtle social grunt to greet yearlings, fawns, and other deer.

          It is a brief, soft and non-aggressive sound. Female deer also use it to beckon fawns from cover to be fed or to call yearlings and fawns to their side. It should not be considered a rut-type call. I use it to get the attention of passing deer in hopes of attracting them or at least to cause them to pause for a while.

          Make a short and soft “burrrp” noise. When a buck hears it, but doesn’t see the deer that made it, he quickly becomes inquisitive and will sometimes pause shortly to check out where it came from. It can be used the entire deer season from September through January.

Tending Grunt

This sound is made by a buck that is following a doe in estrus. It is a soft, “urrp . . . urrp” burp-like sound. The buck will make several “urrps” in a row. Each one is spaced a few seconds apart. When made softly, and non-aggressively this sub-sound of the primary grunt is very effective.

          Bucks making this vocalization often exhibit excited body language. Their muscles are tense, their eyes wide open and their ears lay slightly back but not in an aggressive posture. This cadence can be used with good success during the pre-rut (October 5th through November 1st) and during the post- and second-ruts (November 27th through December 5th and December 6th through the 18th respectively). However, it is most effective during the primary rut (November 2nd through November 26th).

          When a buck is following a doe and making this sound, you should make two quick cadences of the tending grunt. Remember that this buck is the most difficult buck to call in. The old adage “one in the hand is better than two in the bush” is appropriate here. Most often a buck like this will only respond if he thinks he can chase off the intruder. That is why it is so important to keep this call low and non-aggressive. If you make it too loudly or aggressively, the buck will ignore it and leave post-haste with the doe–fearing the other buck may be able to take her away from him. This is where common sense comes into play.  

Trail Grunt

A buck searching for a hot doe makes the trail grunt. He could be following her estrus scent or even randomly seeking her out via his calls. The trail grunt is a contact call. It enables the buck to locate and demonstrate to a doe that he is in rut and seeking romantic encounters. This grunt cadence often encourages the doe to respond with an estrus blat if she is ready to be bred (more on that later). Female deer that are not interested will move quickly away from the sound in order to avoid contact with a “rutting” buck.

          The trail grunt isn’t made as often as the tending grunt. This sub-sound is a low, guttural grunt that is slightly extended. The buck will often make it every 20 to 30 seconds as he seeks out a hot doe. If he hears a response or picks up a fresh estrus scent, he will increase the frequency of his calling immediately. It sounds very much like an extended burp after drinking “a cold one” at a barbecue only nowhere as loud or long. It is a “Uuurrrrp . . . uuurrrrp . . . uuurrrrp,” sound.

          The buck is usually moving along with a quick gait and it appears he has a specific direction in mind even though he may not. Sometimes he may actually be on the trail of an estrus doe and his movement will be erratic as he zigzags along the trail in hopes of finding the doe. His body language is also inconsistent showing signs of excitement, then aggression, and even uncertainty as he seeks out his dream girl. This call is best used during the primary rut (November 2nd through November 26th). However, it will also work during the pre-rut and post-rut as well (October 5th through November 1st and November 27th through December 5 ^th, respectively).
 

Grunt-Snort-Wheeze

Much has been written and said about this vocalization. It is purportedly made by mature bucks to attract so-called dominant bucks. In my 43 years of hunting deer throughout North America I have NEVER heard this vocalization made by a buck. I tested the cadence for two full deer seasons in 2003/2004 while hunting from New York to Saskatchewan and never had a single response nor did I call in a single buck while using it.   In fact, when I blew the call at different passing bucks during all phases of the rut, both mature and immature bucks turned themselves inside out to get away. I only mention this call here because so many folks ask about it.
  My advice is to avoid this sound and concentrate on perfecting the other vocalizations of the grunt that have proven successful time and time again. There, I’ve said it. I feel better now!

Doe Grunt

Because the doe grunt doesn’t get the media attention the buck grunt does, many hunters don’t realize that does make grunting vocalizations. The doe social grunt is used as a greeting. A doe makes a different soft grunt to call fawns to feed, they use a deeper, short grunt to scold yearlings, fawns and even bucks, and use yet another sharp-pitched grunt to express annoyance. The most effective of the doe-grunts for hunters is the social grunt.

          This call will often stop bucks all season long. Like the buck social grunt this, too, is a brief, soft and non-aggressive sound. It is slightly softer than a buck’s social grunt. During the rut, however, bucks seek out this sound knowing it is made by a doe and, although it isn’t a rutting sound, bucks often take the time to check out the doe that made the vocalization. Bucks will often lip-curl (Flehmen) near the doe to get an accurate reading on her estrus state.

          The body language of deer making this sound is casual. While it can be used successfully throughout the deer season it will be most effective during the primary rut (November 2nd through November 26th).
  

THE PRIMARY SNORT

This deer call is the most-often heard call in the deer woods. Unfortunately, most hunters believe it is only made by deer running away-so it is not used much. The snort, however, has several critical calling applications for hunters. It can be used to intentionally roust deer from heavy cover, to call back deer that have snorted at you, or to relax deer that are acting skittish as they pass your stand. It is the most reliable and effective deer call in my calling arsenal!

          Using any of the snort sub-sounds successfully, however, takes practice, patience, and a complete understanding about how, when, where, and why to use this sound.  

          The snort should be carried around your neck on a lanyard at the ready because (in some instances) a quick reply is necessary and digging through your pockets to locate the call can lose you valuable seconds in response time and result in losing the deer.

          Over 25 years ago, I coined three terms to describe the sub-cadences of the primary snort, which included the startled-alarm and the alarm-distress snort.

Startled-Alarm Snort

The startled-alarm snort is often made by a deer as you walk along a trail to your tree stand before dawn, or as you walk along a logging road to the cabin, or as you still-hunt your way through the woods. In these scenarios, without warning, you hear one loud, sharp, blowing sound –“Whew!”– then the sound of a deer running a short distance, stopping, and then making another “Whew!” While most hunters believe they have lost this deer, the fact is this is an extremely “callable” deer.

          The deer never winded your presence or it would have fled by making an alarm-distress snort or simply snuck off. Instead, it was startled by a sound–perhaps a snapping twig and it reacts by snorting once, running a short distance (30 to 50 yards), stopping to collect its bearings, and snorting once again.

          You can bring this deer back to you by immediately stopping where you are and making two sharp, but short, snorts with a slight hesitation between the first and second call.

          Most times, the deer will answer with a single or double snort and then head back in your direction. As long as you don’t call to it as it gets closer than 30 yards from you, it will continue to try to locate what it thinks is just another deer that originally scared it. Before long, it is in your shooting lane or in your scope! This is one of the most effective of all deer vocalizations and one that creates a lot of close, exciting encounters with deer. This vocalization can be made throughout the entire deer season.

Alarm-Distress Snort

A deer that has winded, seen, or heard some type of danger makes this sound. Most times, it is made after the deer received a snoot-full of human scent. The difference between an alarm-distress and the startled snort is that a deer makes an alarm-distress call over and over again as it runs off to seek safety.

          How then, can this call aid your deer hunting? You can use the alarm-distress to scare deer from heavy cover that you would have otherwise passed by. This includes a patch of standing corn, a thick stand of conifers, a swamp, a clear cut filled with new growth, a wood lot littered with blow downs, a hay field, or any type of terrain where a deer will hide and hold tight as hunters pass by.

          The alarm-distress snort can be used by someone hunting alone or with a group. For instance, when hunting a swamp or other thick cover, place several hunters on known escape routes. Then, one hunter enters the middle of the swamp and waits quietly for at least 20 minutes. Then, he/she should blow the alarm-distress call. What makes this call so effective is that deer, even wily bucks, have learned that this sound means real danger. It requires immediate escape. In other words, it is hard for a deer to NOT react to this sound because it causes an instinctive response in the deer to quickly leave the area.

          The alarm-distress snort cadence has several sharp “Whew!” sounds made quickly, loudly and without any hesitation. To create the entire illusion, you can also stomp your foot (to simulate a deer’s stomping hoof). Deer will often expel mucus when making this call, which creates a wheezing sound as well. This call can be made throughout the entire deer season.

FAWN BLEAT

This sound is made by deer 18 months old or younger. It should not be confused with an adult blat. The fawn-distress and feeding bleat are two vocalizations hunters can use quite successfully.

Fawn Distress Bleat

During deer season, this call is effective from September through mid-November. After that, does will occasionally respond, but do so more cautiously as their care of the fawns is waning.

          When a fawn is in distress, i.e. when it is in the clutches of a coyote, or injured, or even frightened out of its wits, it will make a loud squealing sound that is so high-pitched, it is ear-piercing. It actually sounds a lot like a rabbit in distress. When this call is blown, a doe will immediately respond to the sound she thinks is her fawn or another fawn in dire need of rescue.

          I have seen (and recorded on tape), does racing in to my fawn distress call and after seeing me, refuse to leave, thinking the fawn is in danger. This is an excellent call to use and will create a lot of doe action. On occasion, I have seen bucks, especially inquisitive young bucks, respond to the call as well.

Feeding Bleat

This is a neo-natal vocalization made by fawns calling to female deer to express their hunger. While is doesn’t have the urgent response of the fawn-distress bleat, does do respond quite regularly to it. It is an excellent call for bowhunters as it is effective from September through most of October.

          The feeding bleat is a soft, lamb-like sound and is repeated by the fawn several times, “Baaaa . . . Baaaa . . . Baaaa.” If there is no response from the doe, a fawn will repeat the sound about every 15 minutes, but I have not heard it more than two or three times in an hour. Again, young, inquisitive bucks will respond to this sound, even more so in the latter part of October.

While I don’t guarantee any one or combination of deer tactics will work time and time again, I can promise you that by becoming a more skilled and knowledgeable deer caller, you will give yourself greater opportunities to see and bag more deer each season. Practice during the off-season especially during spring and summer when deer – especially does and fawns are most vocal. During this time they will react favorably to your deer calls if they are made to sound natural. Remember that most sexual sounds should be made seductively and enticingly. Other sounds, like the snort, are more realistic when they are made louder and to express a deer that is alarmed. Obviously, a fawn feeding bleat call should sound whiny, like the sound of a baby wanting to be fed.   In other words, use your deer calls wisely and with a lot of common sense.

          While I have covered the four primary deer vocalizations, there is not enough space in this article to cover all of the sub-sounds. You can visit my website at www.deerdoctor.com to get more information and actually hear me make each of the calls. You can also get more detailed information from my DVD -- “Tactics for Talking to Deer.”