Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Grunt Tube usage

I�ve grunted a lot of bucks in the past few years. Last weekend I saw a nice buck across a clearcut, probably 300 yards away and In some head high brush where i had no shot. I grunted at him a couple times and he closed the gap to about 120 yards in less than 5 minutes. I let him walk but I�d have never had the option to shoot if i hadn�t grunted at him.

If I�ve got young bucks harassing and running does around me, sometimes I�ll grunt for them. They don�t usually pay it any attention when they are focused on the doe, but it�ll attract other bucks. Killed a good buck doing that earlier his year.

I use the buck roar

I like to think I've had good success with rattling and grunting. Mostly cold calling and one (or more) would show up. There's no doubt in my mind that some came in due to calling. Some probably would have showed up regardless. I've probably scared some off calling too. I've had deer within sight that ignored the snot out of it. Obviously, it doesn't work everytime, but I've had enough show up after calling that I'm confident it works.

I use one of the old black True Talkers and a rattle bag. I like The Can call for a doe bleat. I like to use deer pee too. Some folks may think it's crazy, but years ago when I actually killed a bunch of deer and cleaned them myself I would take a needle and syringe and extract the urine out of the deers bladder. Now that was some farm fresh pee.

Bham Fred, sluggun and others who have had success with them, do you have a methodology you follow?

methodol...too big a word for what I do.

early season just tickle em together anytime you see a buck out of bow range, no hard rattling.

pre rut, hit em a lil harder, start slow and easy in case a buck is close an unseen. I once snuck up on a two year old and BANGED a huge set together as he fed 30 yards away. He ran 6' off the ground with even looking back. Scared the chitt out of him.

rut..BANG em. You cannot make too much noise. Those who have heard a REAL buck fight will understand. It is loud and violent.

Late/post rut back to bow season plan. Bucks don't want any confrontation but can be tickled into range.

I've had a lot of luck over the years with grunting. Methodology-wise, it's kind of "make it up as you go along"... but there's some principles that I usually follow.

One... when you have a buck in sight and he's not going to travel close enough to shoot, grunt to stop/redirect him. A lot of times he'll act like he doesn't hear you, but then he will eventually commit (think about a guy that doesn't want to seem overeager to talk to a girl that he's convinced thinks likes). When he's close enough to be seen, do NOT grunt when he's looking toward you - wait until he puts his head down or is looking another way.

Two... when blind calling, anytime during the rut and after (till the end of the season) can turn into an encounter. If I'm in the woods, I'll hit the call more often - on plots I use it more sparingly. In blind calling, it's been my experience that good bucks usually come to investigate it right at dusk. I killed a good 8 this year on a plot in December just before we first saw chasing by grunting three series starting at 4:30. The wind for that plot was perfect - to circle and get downwind of me, he would have been in a totally open area - and I just don't think they do that very often. He slipped into the plot at dusk from an area he could smell the plot, but not me. If you have a plot that always holds does, it's a great tactic to utilize.

As far as the folks that don't have any success with it, I'd guess that there's at least four things that might be wrong. First, it's being done in an area where they aren't any bucks around (no brainer there). Second, it's being done where bucks can easily circle to the downwind side of the grunting without being seen. Third, an inferior call is being used or it's not on a proper setting. For years, I used a True Talker, but now use a Woodhaven. Some grunt tubes I hear don't sound realistic, especially on cold days. Fourth, it may be a bad setting is being used. Personally, I've never heard a buck sound like most of the call settings that read "trophy/big bucks" - they're just too deep from what I've heard in areas I hunt. Halfway between "big buck" and "young buck" is the setting I use. Like Fred, if I forget my grunt tube during the season, I feel like I'm going out ill equipped.

We had a guy in our club that evidently had been watching to much outdoor channel and had most of the gimmicks they use. One those kinds that always sees big deer but never kills anything. One morning he had signed out the area next to my area. Turns out we were hunting about 200 yards apart on opposite sides of the creek. He couldn't see me and didn't know I was there. Just after good shooting light he started calling and did so every 15 minutes. He would do several can calls then blow a grunt call like playing a tuba. It was the most awful racket you have ever heard. This went on for over an hour and I, having give up on seeing a deer, couldn't take it anymore so after one of his calling sequences I grunted back at him a couple times. He went to can calling and blowing his grunt tube like a mad man. Every time he would get quiet I would grunt a couple times and this would set him off again. He finally gave up and left about 9:30 and I was able to hunt in piece and quiet.

I use one all the time. Had a lot of success with it. It is the only one that half way sounds like a real deer. Quaker Boy buck brawler. In the early season I just grunt 3 short grunts right before dark when I think they are about to come out. Especially if I am hunting a food source. The best time to use it in my experience is the week before chasing starts. I've grunted up I don't know how many doing that. I do one long deep grunt, then about five tending grunts.

I've had good success using a grunt. I use the primos original buck roar. My biggest buck was killed using a grunt. I was watching a spike and a 6 point 200 yrds away in a 2yr old clear cut to see how they would respond. I played with them for 5-10 minutes. When they would start to walk off I would grunt one time and they would stop and stare. They never would start to come may way, so I let them wonder on off and enjoyed my encounter. When I pulled the binos away from my eyes I caught horns gleaming in the sun out the corner of my eye and he was standing there like a post card picture. He was looking in my direction trying to find the buck that kept grunting. It's my avatar pic.

I used to blind call with not much luck. Now, I only call when I see or hear something. Like others have said, only call to get their attention and then go quiet. If they continue to walk away, call again. Sometimes they come closer, sometimes they circle, and sometimes they just don't care. It's a useful tool if used right, but not a given. I think it's all in their current mood.

1. If I have deer within sight and they're leaving, I'll hit my grunt call. I think one issue is people blowing it too loud. I've never heard a real loud grunt from a deer.
2. Yes, I call blind all of the time with mine. Especially during the rut.
3. I have 2 extinguisher calls. I set one on doe and one on buck and blow them one after the other so the pitch for each doesn't change.
4. Doing a sequence of a buck with a doe. This has worked pretty good the past few years. I'll also do a rattling sequence using a buck grunt during.
This has worked off & on over the years.