Rhody Hunter

I just read where this guy recomended that if you made noise or broke a branch to use a turkey or squirrel call to fool the deer and put the deer at ease that the sound is somthing non threatening . Does anybody do this or think this would be a good technique?


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GMMAT

"MY" opinion is....in MY hunting areas.......if I'm calling to the deer, here......ALL I'm doing is alerting them as to my presence.

I don't "typically" use scents or calls.......although I do carry a grunt call and use it SPARINGLY.

BigBuck28

Yes you could do that if u make a decent amount of noise. In my case i would proble just stop and let the woods settle back down.

GMMAT you dont know what your missing by not calling, go to a deer doctor seminar and ud be supprised.I used to be like you but now my eyes have been opend!!

jmbuckhunter

I agree with what Jeff said, I don't want them to know I am in their world.

LebeauHunter

Yeah,

Read the same article. The funniest part (but he claims it worked), is that he got busted from afar with movement in the tree and made owl noises and apparently it calmed the deer down to get them in range. I'm thinking a hoot owl rather than a screech owl.

The article made the following memorable points: (1) If the deer are on high alert spooked, snorting, flagging, etc., nothing is going to save you, so don't bother. (2) the woods are naturally noisy, with birds thrashing, squirrels jumping, acorns and limbs falling, trees creaking, and deer are often on edge naturally. If you know deer are in the area and they haven't spotted you and are not really spooked, then I'm thinking this strategy would work. As long as you don't give your position away with movement, mimicing a natural sound might work. I can also see a bunch of ways it can backfire.

It reminds me of an article I read by some hunter who said he had to use a cane due to injury, and due to the slowness of his movements, and the non-human walking sound (not a biped) he was able to sneak up on deer. I'm calling crap on that one. But the point is still the same, if your noises blend in better and are less obviously human, you up your chances of not being detected.

I compare this to hearing one of those noises at night in bed, the ones where your wife wants you to go check on it. If I start listening and can tell its the wind or the dog, or road noise, I relax, tell her its allright and go back to sleep. If not, I get a little on edge and go investigate.

I don't have any real world experience with this cover strategy. To me it would probably be more successful with stalking than stand hunting. But it brings up a good point about trying to blend into the natural world, and if I might try it if the conditions are just right.

GMMAT

Let me get this straight.......

I'm supposed to have deer in the area......around me.....UNaware of my presence in my treestand.......and I'm supposed to make noises like the forest critters to .......to WHAT? They're already not aware of my presence.Is itsupposed to put them at "double-secret" ease?

I'm sorta making fun of it ,,,,,because I don't know about it. I apologize. BUT.....it sounds WAYYYYYY out there as far as a viable strategy to pursue whitetails.

I DO grab a stick on the way in the woods, sometimes......and do what I can to mask my 2-legged walk.....crunching in the leaves. I read that from Joe Brooks. BUT....I'm already making noise in that instance.

It'll be interesting to see how this thread goes.

Horizontal Hunter

I have had many cases where I spooked a deer, watched the flag and start to highstep on out of there and blown a doeor buck grunt call. As soon as they have heard the call I have watched the flag come right down and the deer slows up and sometimes stops. On a few occasions I have actually had them turn around and start to come in again.

HH

LebeauHunter

GMMAT,

Well, if you read more, that "would" should have been changed to "might" as I showed a pretty big dose of scepticism. I can think of a lot of scenarios where it wouldn't work, and will only pinpoint your location. But if they are fairly far away, a little suspicious, but cannot see you, it *might* work. Also, as Horizontal said, if they are heading away from you, it could settle the deer down. Again, I think it is more of a ground strategy then a stand strategy.

If a mature buck is nervous and circling me in the stand at 100 yards, do I blow a squirrel whistle. Hell no. He will either immediately bound off or stare me down and find me.

I hope that no one ever has the misfortune of hearing me hooting like an owl in my treestand.

If someone has had this type of sound mimicry strategy work (other than a deer call, which is a little less "out there") I would love to hear about it.

m9a9g9i9c

well, this all makes me think of an old movie with Steve martin and Martin Short, the three amigos.
I have no experience with hunting deer yet, I do know how to get close enough to take a good picture with my camera. And as for european deer, it's safe to say that making noises, imitating owls, squirrels or other forest dwellers will make them bambi on out of there.....it might atract other owls or squirrels and you could ask them to tell the deer you mean them no harm....

Frank

Roskoe

Don't know about deer, but I do know it's a good strategy when elk hunting to occasionally cow call when walking quietly through the woods - walking, of course, very slowly and pausing very frequently. Just hope some trigger happy idiot isn't up ahead with a cow tag [8D]