Proper use of a grunt call?

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:18 am

I recently read a post where someone referred to their "usual series of grunts" and couldn't help but wonder if I am doing it right.
How long is the duration of a typical grunt?
How frequently should it be done?
Is it a series of grunts opposed to just one?

Thanks!
David

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:49 am

In my experience, with certain exceptions (such as calling in or to an aggressively rutting buck), you do just as well staying still and being quiet as you do when calling.

My own technique is to make like a stump.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:37 am

So when a grunt call is used how long is the grunt? 1 second 5 seconds?

rutman · Post by **rutman** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 11:38 am

Totally agree with both previous replies. Deer investigate from downwind pretty much every time.

Maybe use one when the buck of your dreams is upwind and not presenting a shot.

R.J. · Post by **R.J.** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:32 pm

Here is a summary from an article on " calling Whitetail deer "

Contact calls are used by deer to let their presence be known and to locate other deer, they work well to attract deer at any time. Mating calls are used primarily during the rut and can be used successfully at that time to attract deer.

Another good quote ...

If the deer does not immediately flee I snort back, imitating another alarmed deer. Deer that hear a snort in response to their own snort often mistake the sight or sound that alerted them for another deer (as long as they don't smell danger).

I've had real good luck with grunt calls , doe bleats etc. the majority of the time ... ( occationally deer react poorly ) . If you read further I will explain , based on my experience on stand with calls ...

Here is a " text book" example from this morning Dec 18th ( it has a good call ending , but a poor shot ending ) ... I was invited to hunt a property approx 1 hr North East with forum member " bobby jost " ... he has seen nice bucks and arrowed a beauty 10 point last week ( calling as well )

Basically , if there are deer in the area , they hear you walk in , but if you walk in with the wind in your face ( which is my preference ) ... they dont know what you are unless you bump into them or they see your siloette ..

We walked in at approx 6:15 am ... and get settled in the stand by approx 6:40 am ... I do my usual contact grunts ( bahhhhhhhhhhh , bahhh , bahhhh ) ( 3 seconds , 2 seconds , 2 seconds ) , which is meant to show any deer within earshot that it was other deer they just heard walking around ...

Bobby is approx 20 yards North of my stand ( we can see each other ) ... he compliments the set up with a doe bleat ... ( beehhhhhh , behhhh , behhhh ) ( 2 seconds , 1 second , 1 second ) ...

We stay quiet until approx 7:00 am .... Bobby does some light spar rattling ( we figure the peak of the second rut is over and want to persued a nearby buck that there are some stragglers ) ...

7:05 am ... I hear some branches break in the cedars approx 80 yards away and see a form ... looks big bodied so I think it is a buck ... It walks back into the heavy cedars , out of sight ...

7:10 am , I see nothing so I hit the grunt tube approx 10 times with loud short bark / grunts ( bahhh , bahhh , bahhh , bahhh x 10 total ) ( approx 1 second bursts ) ( it is suppose to be a buck with a hot doe , barking off other bucks )

7:15 am a nice 8 point walks in looking around ... he stands for awhile looking my way but can't see the buck that just made the noise ... he is approx 50 yards from me now and 70 yards from Bobby ...

Bobby does a few light doe bleats and the buck eventually comes into shooting distance ( approx 35 yards ) ... He stays there until 7:30 am .... it doesn't look like he is coming closer ... I bracket the vitals with my 30 and 40 marks and launch another 2216 with 125 grain Wasp of the deck of my Vortex ... the shot sounds sweet at impact but just after impact the buck ran and approx 10 yards into his retreat he " alert flagged " his big white tail , as he went thru the wall of cedars ... ( tail up alert is not a good sign from my experience = non vital hit )

We left him for awhile ... then checked the shot site ... lots of long dark hair ... his tracks show he bounded about 50 yards then once thru the wall of cedars , he walked off casually ... the blood trail was minimal .

This was the most amount of blood in the snow 50 yards when he started to walk off casually...

We tracked his casual walk thru the cedar swamp ... the blood went down to single drops every now and then at approx 80 yard intervals ...

Tracked him for about another half hour until it was evident he was not vitally hit ... and backed off ...

Bottom line .... good series of calls brought him in , but I failed to execute the shot !

( low brisket I figure from the hair and blood evidence ) .

On many other occations I have had deer react well to grunts and bleats .... but occationally I have had deer blow out when they pin pointed a call location and didn't like what they heard ...

I have been out of country for 7 weeks of the bow season in our area and have still managed to arrow 3 deer successfully , all interacted to misc calls ...

Some factors to consider ... How heavy hunted the area is .... How spooky the deer are from recent pressure , ( in new hunted areas with low pressure , they deer almost seem retarted ! ) .... Rut drunk bucks react differently , etc. etc .

Anyway .... believe 50% of what you read , and 100 % of what you experience yourself ...

Hope the long winded story above helps you out ... especially with the duration of calls ( bahhhhh , bahhh , bahhh )

Here is the link to an article ... ( understand , it is one of many , and you will find many different opinions ...

http://www.outdoorscentral.com/artman/p ... e_50.shtml

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:49 pm

Great advice RJ. Too bad about the buck. I have had good luck with calling the bucks this year. Had two come in, one was shot and not recovered

. The other came in behind me and I could not get a shot. He was trailing some does and did not react to my calls until I "barked" at him, based on one of your earlier posts.

The buck I killed two years ago also fell to the short, sharp, barking, grunts of a deer chasing a hot doe.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 2:54 pm

Thanks guys.
R.J. I think it was your post that I was reading when this all hit me. Thanks for taking the time to be so specific. I am having luck with my calls I just want to make sure I am doing it right.
After reading about your snowstorm doe I went to new area to lean against a tree and wait it out by the field edge, I faced the area with the most tracks and did what I thought were grunts. About a half hour later a buck passed right in front of me, came up from behind me where I wasn't expecting him, from dead downwind. I wasn't sure if I had anything to do with it or not, he didn't make a sound.
The duration explanation is exactly what I was after.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:08 pm

deer calling is just like talking to people...

loud grunts are like yelling come here
low grunts are just like saying, hey im over here and come chat with me

the only time loud ones should be used is when the rut is on or you want to stop a deer.. but 9 times out of 10 ive called all my deer using low grunts

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:52 pm

crazyfarmer wrote:deer calling is just like talking to people...

With the exception of after a good conversation with people, you don't focus on their vitals.

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:08 pm

Sometimes I focus on the vital area of a woman with a low cut shirt

.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:40 pm

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:57 pm

LMAO... Now you know why bucks make all different types of grunts when chasing doe;) Just picture a hot blonde with a low cut shirt running in front of you;)

but back on track..

I always have good success with low tending type grunts early and late.. when the ruts on, you can get creative with your grunts.

buzz · Post by **buzz** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:15 pm

pydpiper.
Give this site a try.
i've posted it here before but don't know if anyboby has looked at it ?
It is a good basic call site. I like it because you can see what time of the season to use the call and you can hear the calls as well.
good luck buzz
http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features ... /index.cfm

DoDFire · Post by **DoDFire** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:18 pm

I aint ever had a grunt call work for me,,,I guess I could use it for target pratice on a stump to get it out of my bag!!!

huntman · Post by **huntman** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:42 pm

i have had great luck with grunting. My series is similair to RJ but not 10 times i usually only go to about 5. I have had many bucks come out to my grunts, but as mentioned always always down wind. The pricks know what their doing!! lol just when you think you have them fooled the fool you!