Aggressive calling techniques...Do you?

[Kris87]

This may not be an applicable topic to some gun hunters, but for bowhunters, its very important in my opinion. I'm always amazed at the lack of calling, especially aggressive calling to mature bucks. I wish I could detail all the times in a post, I've called a mature buck into bow range and killed him. Its a lot. I'm always amazed at how many hunters don't use a snort wheeze, or a growl, in the woods. I also like to use a half wheeze, which is basically just the first two puffs of a snort wheeze. Its one of my go-to's when a deer is fairly close and a full blown wheeze may be too much. If you have deer close long enough, you will hear all these same vocalizations.

If you see a doe being chased by a buck, grunt and wheeze at her. You're not going to call him off, but if she thinks another buck is close by, she'll often drag the dogging buck over to get him in a fight so she can get away. I've seen that a ton of times in the woods. During the rut, if I see a 1.5 or 2.5 year old buck, I ALWAYS, grunt and call to them to see if I can get them running to me. I think of this as my turkey tactic. Deer are very visual and auditory during the rut, and if they see a buck running towards something, they will follow and investigate. How many times have you grunted at a buck and he just comes, looks, takes a few more steps, looks some more, and then turns and goes way. I see that a lot. If they can't see some commotion, they're not committing. And when that happens, your best bet is to let them get turned and walk away and THEN hit them with a snort wheeze. Now, that said, you have to be prepared for whatever buck you're calling to, to have the opposite reaction. If he's not a dominant buck, he may run with his tail tucked. Some bucks just aren't looking for a fight. That's a risk I'm willing to take.

I'd like to hear any other off the wall techniques.

 

[KKrueger]

More than once I have grunted at small bucks I could see and a larger unseen buck stepped out to put him is in place. I'm sure each time the small buck was like "dude, it wasn't me, I swear".

This weekend I had 2 armadillos chasing eachother, so I grunted like a buck grunting on every step he took. It didn't work but I had the full sound effects of chasing and grunting.

 

[jaydawg]

@Kris87…I’ve always been aggressive when calling deer…been actively calling deer since ‘95…big fan of decoys too…I’m pretty sure I’ve made every mistake that you can, but that’s how you learn…you made a couple of excellent points that I don’t think a lot of hunters realize when it comes to calling deer…lots of “ney-sayers “ when it comes to calling, they try it once or twice without success and then firmly believe it doesn’t work…to each his/her own… that’s probably why I enjoy turkey and duck hunting so much too, it’s the calling aspect…the same applies for scents…sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but if it made that buck stop for 2-3 seconds it’s a success to me…I really enjoy getting critters in close…happy hunting!

 

[Pruitt1]

More than once has the snort wheeze worked for me. If there out of range im always what can it hurt to try to close the distance on a shot. I'm with ya 100% on the calling.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Killed my biggest archery deer in the mountains last year, all due to a grunt and snort wheeze sequence. 100% worked like I was in Iowa or something lol
Heard a 1 1/2 old buck snort wheeze the other day. To your point, deer use a lot of vocalizations regularly

 

[RedFoxx]

i been saying for years if you aint grunting you aint hunting. the monster my son killed last wednesday he started to get down out of stand and stood up and decided to grunt one more sequence...we always do a couple of doe grunts and then do the tending buck grunt...he said he stood up and grunted and sat back down and less than a minute that big monster ran out of woods behind him just a grunting...was not chasing a doe...was grunting at him trying to find them..

 

[uturn]

Funny you say Kris!

This is and has been my tactic for almost all of my big bucks…as you know I posted some pictures from a handful of my lock-ons on my lease the other day and it has all worked (set-ups) or at least that’s my approach for the most part because I can visually see the target buck..in one picture that is some what hard to make out you can see a fine buck that would have gone P&Y probably better than 130 cruising thru my foodplot…I turned him around and he’s the one I had broad side at 52yds!

If I haven‘t seen or had any activity I will do some light tending grunts from time to time and have pulled them out to investigate!!

I also have a couple different grunt calls I carry…one a more what I consider a younger buck or doe and the other a more dominant buck if you will!

It is without a doubt my number one tactic…I’d be lost without it! In fact I truly believe it is why I have so many encounters when others are seeing nothing!!

Great topic, tactic and proven killer!!

 

[James12]

Ya! The snort wheeze and loud grunting (when done right) works like no other during the right times - and like mentioned a doe can actually help. The deer I killed a couple weeks ago (in bow forum), came in behind a doe less than a min after some aggressive calling. She came and he followed.

 

[buckpasser]

I’m a caller too, but be careful with this thread guys. The folks who can’t do it well might be hurt and offended. They also don’t like the term “sequence”. It’s a trigger word for them. Lol

 

[TurkeyBluff]

Should be some interesting opinions on this one.

 

[Grunt-n-bleat]

What specific brand snort wheeze calls do yall recommend?
I have had some success with the Extinguisher grunt call. Most of the time it brings in non dominant bucks, but on the rare occasion it has brought in a shooter or two over the years.

 

[sportsman94]

I grunt, snortwheeze, or rattle most sits after September. I try to grunt in a way that simulates a buck chasing a doe. I must not be real good at it, because grunting rarely works for me. I have rattled in a couple bucks. Either way, I’ll keep trying because I like making noise and like to feel like I’m making something happen. I’ve also never seen real adverse reactions. Mostly just get ignored

 

[RedFoxx]

I’m a caller too, but be careful with this thread guys. The folks who can’t do it well might be hurt and offended. They also don’t like the term “sequence”. It’s a trigger word for them. Lol

i took an entire deer season back in the 90's and decided i was going to learn to talk to the deer.. and when i first started grunting every deer within eye site tore out and ran like it was going to a fire...i kept trying and learning and finally got where i could grunt and the deer would not run...sometimes they would look up and go back to eating and sometimes they wouldnt even look up...it helped that i actually got to hear deer grunting and could try to sound like them... makes hunting more fun for me cause i get to do something besides sit... and i have seen it work so many times...i try to always grunt down toward the ground and let the ground disperse the sound...i will position myself if i have any doez out in front so i can grunt down toward ground without moving so if they do look they dont see anything move...more times than i can count with doez out front when i do the tending grunt have had bucks just bust thru the bushes or cross a creek to come see...lots of times bucks are watching and smelling the doez and you never see them...scent checking... and if they hear another buck they think messing with their girls they coming to check it out.. i have used the true talker grunt for years and you can do the doe and buck grunt with it... i did like the old rubber black ones better than the new ones but the new ones work too...

 

[ddd-shooter]

What specific brand snort wheeze calls do yall recommend?
I have had some success with the Extinguisher grunt call. Most of the time it brings in non dominant bucks, but on the rare occasion it has brought in a shooter or two over the years.

I snort wheeze with my mouth
lol

 

[DSGB]

I don't go to the woods without my grunt call. It's an old adjustable reed call that can sound like a mature buck all the way down to a fawn. I'll use some light social grunts early season and have had both does and bucks come almost right to me. Pre-rut and during the rut I'll grunt every half hour to 45 minutes, usually starting low in case one is close by. Like you said, if I see a smaller buck I will grunt at them, as well as if a buck is walking and not already heading my direction.

 

[Kris87]

I snort wheeze with my mouth
lol

Me too. I practice it a lot. Doesn't have to sound perfect, as they know what it is. I will say, I like the half wheeze better. I hear it more and its much easier to actually do. Its what I mentioned in first post, basically just the double snort real quick. Its more of a "i'm over here in case you didn't know it bud"

 

[chase870]

I'm a predator hunter as well, and I call a bunch of deer up with rodent in distress and various birds in distress. Not sure why but the does usually come check it out and sometimes a buck is wandering around looking at the doe

 

[Dustin Pate]

My best public land buck was killed because of aggressive calling. I was actually trying to turn a smaller, but legal, buck. I didn't have anything to lose and really got after it hard. It did turn him and as I was waiting for him to get clear for a shot I heard steps right behind me. A much larger buck had heard the calling and walked to my tree where I shot him at 10 steps.

 

[James12]

I still use the original Primos Hardwoods Grunt call. Bought a newer one a while back but it sounded different.

 

[chrislibby88]

What specific brand snort wheeze calls do yall recommend?
I have had some success with the Extinguisher grunt call. Most of the time it brings in non dominant bucks, but on the rare occasion it has brought in a shooter or two over the years.

Your mouth makes a better one than any “call”