Rangeball

Bees, care to expand on this?

I've dabbled with this a bit, but have never gotten to the point where I feel confident enough that the FIRST sound coming out of my mouth at the moment of truth won't sound like a deer that misjudged how high he needed to jump to cross a barbed wire fence...

How many different calls do you mouth? Any suggestions on how you gained proficiency?

Bees

Just take your deer call and do a grunt. then imitate it with your own vocal chords. doesn't take to long, you get the hang of it. I can grunt, and bleat. Deer vocals are as different as human voices. doesn't seem to matter what pitch. What I find is: when a deer is ready to respond it will respond to just about anything. If the deer is not ready to respond he won't respond to that 20 dollar deer call either.

good luck grunting and bleating.

Bees

This came about like this.. I had a deer call I liked, and used it exclusively. when bored I would imitate with my own vocals, but would use the deer call in the woods.
One day after I had shot a deer I climbed down and left the deer call hanging in the tree.
I was up another tree when I discovered I didn't have my deer call with me.

I was watching a doe out about 45 yards from me. She was feeding over there and won't come any closer. So I started to grunt and bleat at her using my own voice. She would look my way but won't close the distance. I kept grunting, and the grunts were getting lame, as I was getting a sore throat. Behind me I hear a grunt coming from the pines. I look and see the brown moving up the pines and this 8 points charges out and runs right at the doe. chases the doe down to me, I grunt as loud as I can and the buck stops, spins around, and charges right under my tree, and slams on the brakes. He closed so fast I got the bow about half way drawn. I almost get the pin on him when charges off, back into the pines, never to be seen again.

The deer call is still hanging in the tree and I've been grunting at them ever since with my voice. Now if that had happened with my deer call I would swear the deer call was the only way to do it. But now, I know that using a deer call is one way to do it. Using your own voice is another, and it doesn't have to be perfect either..

Rangeball

Great story. Like I said, I can duplicate most calls by mouth, just don't yet have the confidence to take it to the woods. For now I guess I'll just keep practicing while driving alone...

I believe in the social calling aspect form 99% of situations anyway. For that, you only need 3 calls, and they are all short in duration;

1- Attention grunt, says come here.
2- Bleat, usually estrous related.
3- Contact call- Where are you.

So easy to do with a TT, I can voice #1 pretty well, no confidence in 2&3.

Bees

Doesn't make any difference how good or not good you think it is. The only way to prove it to yourself is to try it, until you are conviniced you ran them off, or you called them in.


Bottom line when the deer hear it and they are ready to respond, they will.

michigandrake

Deertale

I love the A-Way Bowgrunter Plus......IMO it works the best for those of us who wear face masks and it is totally hands (and movement) free. I back that up with a True Talker and a Lil Can. The only problem I have ever had is with the can when it was really wet and it seemed to stick.

Good Luck

coyote170

What PA Hardwoods said is the same for me,great products!