Ever since calling became popular I’ve heard folks on hunting shows and in magazine articles, etc…..recommending the tactic of using a grunt to blind call every so often in hopes that a passing buck in the distance may hear it and be drawn your way. I’ve done it a lot over the years and I have had some good encounters with bucks during that time as a result…..not a ton of them but some. Over the last few years though, I’ve completely changed my mind about calling blind like that and decided that its probably not a good idea. Sure, I’ve called up a few doing it….but for every one I called up there were probably 50 I ran off and never even knew it.

Something I’ve come to realize is that during the rut….bucks probably respond to our calling more than we realize. However, a buck with some age on him is rarely gonna just come walking in and expose himself. They’ll respond to the call but they’ll stop out in the distance and wait to check things out first. They want to see and/or smell the source of the calling. They’re very patient too and will stand there as long as they need to. The vast majority of the time they won’t ever commit to coming any closer without that confirmation of seeing/smelling……..Its during this time when they’re out in the distance waiting that the either the wind shifts or the hunter gets impatient and gives himself away and the buck leaves without the hunter ever knowing he was there. If you’re gonna go out and do any calling….you need to have a solid game plan ahead of time or you’re gonna run far more bucks off than you call in.

Another thing I do different now is that when I do feel like I have a good situation where calling may be successful….I no longer blow my grunt call multiple times. What I do now is I make one or two long deep grunt that’s loud enough I know it can be heard for a little ways and then I put it down and leave it alone. If a buck is in the mood to respond to calling during the rut it usually isn’t gonna take multiple calling sequences to coax him….he’s gonna be coming when he hears that first “Errrrrrrrrrp”……

Now, we’ve probably all been in the turkey woods or deer hunting when all of sudden out of the blue you hear a gobble or grunt and you’re like “Damn, where did that come from?!?”…..You know you heard one gobble generally in this or that direction but not exactly sure…..Then it gobbles again and you ‘re able pinpoint where it came from a little better…..and with each gobble you hone it on in…..Well, you’re allowing that buck to do the same thing when you pick that grunt call back up after two or three minutes and blow it again. He's gonna know exactly where to look for movement and how far he needs to move in to see it. What I’m hoping for with my one or two grunts is that he hears it suddenly but doesn’t get a good read on the exact distance and location…..I hoping that he misjudges where it came from and maybe moves in too far or looking for the source of the grunt……I look at it now a lot like calling turkey.....You want to make him search for you without knowing exactly where you're at.

I’m sure we all have our opinions of the subject. It’s just something to think about before pulling that grunt call out next season and tootin away on it.