Here’s an out of the box calling technique for anyone who isn’t skeered to try something new. There’s a good chance that some folks will call bullchit on me here….or reference crack pipes, etc…. but I’m being dead serious when I tell you that it works. I’ve called up several out of their beds doing this in the past few years just playing around with it. The whole thing came about from me listening and observing deer behavior at night during the rut from my back porch. I got bored one day and said what the hell, why not?? All I’m doing is simply imitating what I heard from the real thing.

In order for this to work you need to have a spot where you can get in relatively close to where the buck is bedded during the rut….. and it needs to be where he’s able to hear you but not see you. Down the edge of some young pines where they meet a hardwood drainage would probably be a good example…The more familiar you are with the property and exactly where the deer like to bed the better off you’ll be trying this. Part of the reason I’ve had success with it is because I know where the bucks are likely bedded and I’m able to get in relatively close without getting too close.

Alright here it is……..Were gonna do this in the middle of the day during the rut on a fairly calm day when the woods are quiet. You ideally want a little wind to take your scent in one direction but the idea here is for them to be able to hear you. For whatever reason it seems to work best in the middle of the day. First, ease in toward your selected bedding area just like you would normally slip in to your stand….but once you think you’re close enough for the deer to start hearing you then you’re gonna switch gears from a sneaking hunter to a rutting buck……

Have a spot picked out 50-60 yards ahead of you where you’re eventually gonna sit down and watch. Instead of trying to walk quietly and slip into that spot like we often do…..start taking one step every 2-3 seconds with a little stomp at the end of each step….Remember, you’re wanting the deer to hear this….You’re imitating the way a buck walks when he’s posturing…..A lot of you have probably seen them do this. Deliberately try and imitate an old bowed up stiff legged buck slowly moving in……make each step have that authentic sounding little stomp at the end….Pause a few seconds every now and then and listen….About halfway to your spot….stop for 10-15 seconds and use an antler to thrash a little sapling several times…….just like a buck rubbing and working over a sapling......Once you do that then keep going toward your spot to sit down doing the same walk…..Deer aren’t scared and spooked by noise…there’s a chit load of noise going on in the woods during the rut…….they’re spooked by noise that sound unnatural…..Do you know what you sound like when you try and slip into a spot when its real quiet in the woods?......You sound like a hunter trying to slip in on him….

So….once you get to your spot where you’re gonna sit…..take your foot and paw out a spot in the leaves where you’re gonna sit…..picture a buck pawing out a scrape and do the same thing they do……make it sound just like a buck cleaning out a scrape….…once you do that then sit down and blow your grunt call one time with a long deep grunt…..”Errrrrrrrrp”……now put it away and get ready………be super still and quiet and listen for anything to respond…..Give it 30 minutes or so and if nothing is happening….get up and move on down the edge of the bedding area repeating the process.

Now that may sound goofy to some of y’all but its exactly what the bucks are used to hearing. If you’ll make each one those actions sound real as you possible can it’ll make the deer more likely to respond than if you just went out blowing a grunt……he’s hearing numerous sounds he’s familiar with that are persuading him it’s another buck approaching……but you need to fully commit to it if you’re gonna do it…..I mean you’ve got to be willing to go full retard. Try it sometimes when you’re bored and just wanting something do during the middle of the day. You might be surprised.