Deer Calls

[trucktoys]

I am looking into hunting White Tail for the first time this fall. I have been doing some reading about the different types of deer calls. What Type of call and what brand do you recommend for mid October? Or would you not recommend deer calls at that time of the year?

[4point&over]

Maybe not so much a call but the most effective deer tool I have found is "The Can" estrus bleat from Primos. I would never hunt deer without one again.

[Dannybuoy]

They come running looking for a fight using the buck grunt tube... Carlton makes a good one .... have also had alot of curious mulies come to see what the noise is , although usually younger bucks or does But if the bucks are following the does ..

[tomahawk]

Wayne Carlton grunt tube

[d6dan]

Maybe not so much a call but the most effective deer tool I have found is "The Can" estrus bleat from Primos. I would never hunt deer without one again.
And don't forget the Buck Roar grunt tube. they work nicely together..

[Wild one]

The two calls I use are a "K'MEER deer and a true talker grunt. Both have been good to me.

[stanway]

Gonna' go way back now;-), even way back before the 'metric era':lol:. I just remembered Dad used to cup his hands together and blow on a blade of grass positioned between his thumbs. I recall him using that a few times as a call when I first started Deer hunting with him in an area just north east of Quesnel. I should've paid more attention.


My Dad still uses a blade of grass as a call.:eek: It sounds like a fawn bleat (I guess) and it will (usually) get any bedded does to stand up and look for the fawn making the call (maternal instinct) and hopefully any bucks around will stand up as well. It has not worked for me, but a standard doe call has.

[BlacktailStalker]

HS specialties grunt tube, black, looks to be about the diameter of an elk esophagus, sounds very realistic, might be hard to find.
Used many others and threw them all out.

Never had a can call bring anything in myself but obviously others have, however I rarely set on stand and call, I more use them while still hunting occassionally letting a grunt or w/e go to make anything second guess my identity. Always makes them stare that much longer even when/if they see you first.

[Spitzer]

X2 Primos Buck Roar/wheeze

[hunter1947]

This is on Vancouver Island.

I never used a deer call in my life ,then last year I decided to try one ,the person at the sporting good store said try this one it is good for calling in deer and predators.

The next day I went out and set up behind a stump in a slash by a timber line.

I blew this call for about 5 min every 30 sec ,next thing I see is this buck coming in from out of the the timber line at a run ,he held up at about 20 yards ,I stood up and let him have it with a shotgun.

On another hunt for deer I blew it a few times when I was beside a timber line and slash.
After about 2 min here comes this black bear headed straight at me.

I waved my arms at this bear and shouted it would not leave.

I thought I might have to shoot it but finally it turned and walked away ,here is what the call looks like and the name of the call.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Picture_1401.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11557&ppuser=941)

This is the deer I got using this call.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Picture_1385.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11556&ppuser=941)

This is the bear that came in to this call.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Picture_1451.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11746&ppuser=941)

This call tells the story from above.

[358win]

Gonna' go way back now;-), even way back before the 'metric era':lol:. I just remembered Dad used to cup his hands together and blow on a blade of grass positioned between his thumbs. I recall him using that a few times as a call when I first started Deer hunting with him in an area just north east of Quesnel. I should've paid more attention.

I tried this on the Island and had eagles, hawks, and even a cat show.

[sobirch]

Found this interesting tidbit while surfing the net trying to learn more about deer calls

"Mule deer are giving a whole new dimension to the term 'maternal instinct.' An intriguing study of mule deer and white-tailed deer conducted by the University of Alberta and the University of Lethbridge shows that both species of deer respond to the recorded distress calls of fawns - cries similar to those elicited when coyotes attack fawns.
But mule deer mothers respond to the calls of any young deer, even when standing next to their own fawns. The white-tailed mothers respond only to their own species' call, and only when they cannot see their own offspring.
Researchers conducted the study by playing recorded cries of different types of fawns from a speaker.
"The fact that mule deer ran to the speaker when their own fawn was standing next to them - safe and sound - revealed they do not help other fawns because they mistake them for their own,"said lead researcher Susan Lingle, who conducted the investigation as a postdoctoral fellow in biological sciences at the U of A and in psychology at the U of L.
"It was surprising just how indiscriminate mule deer females were. For example, the females that weren't even mothers also ran to the speakers to help fawns. That would not be expected if females were simply trying to protect their own fawns."
The results appear in this month's issue of Animal Behaviour.
In field trials using speakers that broadcast the calls of fawns under threat, the mule deer came to the speaker and stayed there as long as the calls played, twisting and turning as they confronted the perceived attackers. Whitetail mothers that came close to the speaker tended to withdraw right away and then stayed safely outside that distance.
The behaviour of mule deer defies traditional explanations that parental care, kin selection or reciprocity play a part in the protection of fawns other than their own. But while the study's findings seem to point to mule deer as superior mothers, the motivation for looking out for other fawns is likely based not on altruism but on simple survival, said Lingle.
"Having a rigid and aggressive response to the simple sound of a fawn distress call may ensure effective defence of a female's own offspring, even though this means the female invests time and energy and puts herself at risk by helping many other animals. In contrast, a white-tail mother waits to assess whether a fawn is her own before she steps in to defend it. As a result, white-tail fawns suffer considerably more predation during the first months of life than do mule deer fawns."
Mule deer may have developed a more aggressive defence because they rely on fighting to protect themselves against predators year-round, while white tails and many other species restrict aggressive defence to the youngest fawns. White tails rely on flight rather than fight most of their lives, so this may affect their ability to mount an aggressive defence," Lingle said.
This project was funded in part by the Alberta Ingenuity Fund and the Natural Science Engineering and Research Council of Canada."

[Ron.C]

I don't know about whitetail, but I've called in a couple deer over the years with "the can" call. I've also used the same call hunter1947 used before, calling in two deer with it. But I've also called in 4 bears with it, so I think I'll try it this weeken for bears "thats another thread"

One thing I did do last year that worked was use a homemade rattle bag. During the rut, I had a nice buck walking out of bow range away from me and he wouldn't even bat an eye at any of my calls. I picked up my rattle bag and gave it a go and this guy spun around and B-lined it straight at me at a run. Unfortunately due to the cover, I did'nt get a shot, but it worked.

What I did was take some old sheds, cut about 4 tines off that were between 4-6 inches long. I also threw in a couple 1" hardwood dowels between 4-6 onches long. I did the same with a couple 3/4" x 3/4" hardwood peices. I through it all in an old wool sock and tied it off at the top.

It does sound quite good when working it. You can easily do quiet rattling like you see when bucks are doing some pre-rut sparring, or you can make it quite loud and agressive.

I'd only ever tried it a couple times before, but I think I will try it a little more often this year during the rut when things seem a bit slow through the day

[thatskindafunny]

Heading into the bush without my deer call has the same affect on me as not taking my compass. I will turn around and get it if I forget it. Have had much success on mule deer with the rubber band type. Only worked twice on Blacktails thou. The secret is to wait at least 15 minutes before you move on. Hmmm, hunting season is only a little bit away.