John's Journal...

Rattling, Grunting and Deer Lures - Make Them Work for You

Day 2: Why Deer Calls Do Work

Click for Larger ViewYou won't find any type of deer call or lure foolproof. I've had deer calls fail to stop bucks walking away from me and cause bucks coming to me to veer away. Dr. Larry Marchinton, who extensively researched deer vocalization as a wildlife researcher and a professor of wildlife science at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, told me that, "Deer are individuals with moods. No deer call or lure always will work on any deer, any time anywhere." Because of a deer's social nature, a deer call can and will bring in a buck, when he feels social. But you'll find as many reasons a deer won't come to a call as reasons deer will respond to calls. Click for Larger ViewAccording to Marchinton, "If you grunt aggressively like a dominant buck looking for a fight, and the buck you're calling to is a subordinate buck coming in, the subordinate buck may get run off by dominant, aggressive calling."

On some days, bucks don't feel social. If you try to call a buck then, you may see a white flag instead of approaching antlers. "For this reason, I mainly use soft, contact grunts," Will Primos, owner of Primos Game Calls, says. "I just want a deer to know, 'Hey, I'm over here. If you want to come visit, it's o.k.' I've found this call doesn't spook as many bucks as aggressive calls do and often will bring in bucks that just want to find another deer." "If you're not seeing deer, you can try loud calling to make contact with a buck and possibly call him in," Wayne Carlton of Hunter’s Specialties explains. “For a buck to come to a call, he must hear the sound of that call. If the buck doesn't hear the calls he can't come to it. If I don't see bucks, I'll call loud, fast and long. I'll point the barrel of the call at the base of my tree stand and attempt to sound like a buck grunting as he runs around the area. I call about every five to 10 minutes and believe the more and louder you call, the greater your chances are for bringing in bucks."

Click for Larger viewExperts agree on using these three tactics for calling deer.
* Try calling when you see a buck you can't get a shot, at or if he's leaving your area. You may bring the buck back to you.
* Don't call when a buck comes toward you. If the buck stops and looks away or starts to turn and go away from you, call lightly to attempt to bring him back.
* Blow a grunt call when you haven't seen any bucks to drastically increase your odds of spotting one.

Tomorrow: Why and How to Use Rattling Antlers to Bring-In Deer


Check back each day this week for more about "Rattling, Grunting and Deer Lures - Make Them Work for You "

Day 1: When Calling Deer Did Work for a Buck
Day 2: Why Deer Calls Do Work
Day 3: Why and How to Use Rattling Antlers to Bring-In Deer
Day 4: Why Deer Scents Work
Day 5: Trio Buck Calling for Deer

 

Entry 592, Day 2