Calling Deer

[Gus]

Just wondering if anybody could give me any tips on calling deer (mulies and whitetails). I haven't had any success with calling mule deer and minimul success calling whitetails. Wondering what types of calls to use at what times of year and things like that. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

[MB_Boy]

Gus......I have some experience in calling....I use a grunt tube occasionally and have had bucks (Whiteys) come in to investigate. I quite often rattle for them as well and have had very good success.....rattle the antlers....then kind of grind them together like the bucks hit a bit of a standstill.....and then back to a bit of rattling......I usually scrape up the ground a bit too......usually not too long but through about a minute or so? I have had them come in very quiet, but also have had them come stomping in at it has sounded like a big bull moose was coming to check things out. I always throw some grunts in and around my rattling.........believe me.....everyone has their own ideas that work and I don't claim to be a pro......just have had some success.
Have not tried any of the bleat type calls etc. so I can't help you there.

Good luck!

[ruger#1]

gus i use a quaker boy doe in heat bleat along with deer antlers for rattleing, had lots of sucsess, the bleat is also good for when your below a ridge all you do is let a bleat go and it will get the deer to stand up if he is bedded down, the bleat i use is like a very small can all you do is turn it upside down and it works.rattle the antlers a few times then a few bleats, then hit the antlers on the ground, to make a sound like deer hoves hitting the ground. then wait for about 10 mins. do it again. keeps looking around as they will come behind you to. do it for about 30 mins then slowly move to a different spot, it works for me on mulies havet had a chance on whitetails yet.

[BlacktailStalker]

YOu guys ever do this on blacktails?

[hutch]

i have had success with a grunt tube on blacktails but only while in rut and they were deer that I had already seen or knew they were there. both bucks and does will come to it but the bucks come with attitude and quick

[ruger#1]

ive had a blacktail buck get up in september from the doe bleat. he was good tasteing it was a little spiker. never would of known he was there he was bedded down.ps big cats also like the bleat.

[Fred]

I have a trio of brand new "Cans" sent to me by a member of Bushnell outdoors who is from Tennesse. According to him they work quite well. We shall see! Fred

[TinMan]

Rattle Mid October to begining of rut. Make as much noise as u can. Branches breaking leaves rustling grunting etc. If u ever seen 2 bucks going at it , it is something to see. Use a Quaker doe can and a Grunt tube. I usually walk around grunting like I am a buck on the search for a doe during rut especially beggining if another buck hears u he will come looking to run u off. Keep your eyes peeled cuz usually they pop up from no where Good Luck and keep your stick on the ice

[Thunderstix]

i have had success with a grunt tube on blacktails but only while in rut and they were deer that I had already seen or knew they were there. both bucks and does will come to it but the bucks come with attitude and quick
Are you talking about a Mulie Grunt Tube, or are most grunt tubes for all kinds of deer.

[tmarschall]

Grunt tubes can get strange reactions some times. We were driving some county roads one day just looking for deer, not hunting, and came upon a nice buck with two does. He started to take his does over the hill when my brother let out a few grunts. The buck turned around and started to charge the truck. Hair was standing up on his back. He stopped about 20 yds from the truck and looked for a while before deciding we were not going to take his does from him. Kinda glad we were protected by the truck. Be prepared for anything when you start calling deer!!!!

[ratherbefishin]

I live in a rural area with plenty[too many] blacktails and that has given me thr opportunity to observe a lot of deer activety.Sometimes rattling or a grunt call has absolutely no effect at all,even when deer are in view, but other times I have been calling-and heard a buck come right in and grunt back.So,I can't say, it's not 100% either way,but the only positive response was right in the height of the rut-the last week in October.

[tmarschall]

My previous post was not meant to imply calls are "magic" and the ALWAYS work wonders. Ratherbefishin is definitely right, you never know what will work if anything. It CAN work wonders, adds a new dimension to your time in the bush, sometimes with surprising results. Another time when I went out to cut a christmas tree, I brought along a set of antlers to rattle, no weapon. I cut the tree then went up on a small hiltop to try and rattle up something. I found a boulder to sit on overlooking a draw, hit the antlers together a few times and then watched. It was less than a minute and I heard a noise behind me. Turned to see the 3-point whitetail (we call em 8-pointers down here) charging in at full speed, hair raised and looking for a fight. The look on his face as he skidded to a halt when he realised I was not a buck was priceless!! That being said, I have never had that kind of response when I had a rifle in my hand. But it was one of those memorable times in the bush for sure!!!

[MB_Boy]

I would tend to agree about the "you just never know" aspect of calling and what an animal will come in to.

One of the largest moose shot in MB came out for what he thought was a couple of bulls fighting......but it was a group setting up their fly-in camp and one guy was using a hatchett and banging on something. Lo and behold they look hear a grunt and look up.....right across the river.....there he is an boom. I seem to recall that didn't even have their guns unpacked at that point.

[PGKris]

I have never actually called in a deer with a grunt tube but if you're on one and he knows you're there, short grunts thru the tube while moving slowly towards him will keep him interested. This works especially well when bowhunting. I walked within 5 yards of a 2 point buck last weekend but it was 1:30am and I was coming home from work lol. This system has worked great for me and a few others I know. I think the best way for deer is just a little doe in heat scent and silence. If you know they're around you can usually get one checking out the smell.

[rock]

During the rut most calls will work, but during other times I find deer are just as curious as anything else, have had success either way, bleat calls I do with my own vocals grunts I use a call, I find doing a young bleat call is dynamite during the rut. Rattling can be very productive but I usaully mix in different calls to spice things up. Good luck don't give up it's exciting when you call in a deer.

[Byson]

Rattling works I have had 2 mule deer come to me, My Cousin and I ran into a few doe he used a grunt tube and one walked right up to use sniffed my boot and took off the deer touched my foot not word of a Lie.

[quadrakid]

done my share of calling blacktails, when it works it is awesome,i,ve had bucks come in fast. one thing i,ve found from trial and error is that calling doesn,t generally spook them,they may or may not come but they won,t generally run away,i ,ve had more success using doe calls than grunts.
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blacktails will come to antler rattling also