Some observations of the effects of buck calls on does.

[bearhair]

My brother and I set in an area where I was set up in an area of open hardwoods close the the thicker deer bedding area.  My brother was about 80 yrds away tucked in to some thicker stuff where the deer travel through to get from the bedding area/open hardwoods out to the meadow where they spend the night grazing.  

I had the pleasure a few times of watching different does react to the calls my brother was making.  He couldn't tell that the does were out.

A couple of times he did a  couple rattling sequences, a few times he used a can bleat call, a few times he used his buck grunt, and a few times I used a fawn bleat.

All of the times the does were in the open hardwood area about an hour or so before dark and were relaxed and just wandering around with their noses in the leaves searching out the last of the acorns.  None of the does on any of the days were spooked or alerted when the sounds of crashing antlers or the other calls were made.  They never broke stride or stopped what they were doing.  I though my fawn bleat call was going to be way too loud but when i bleated at a relaxed doe 75 yrds away she never looked my way or changed what she was doing. Eventually the does would pass by my brother as that is their trail out to the meadow.  

So in conclusion, what I saw was that the does are definately not spooked by can calls or bleats or crashing antlers but they definately don't go running to the sound.  If anything it seemed to put them a bit at ease perhaps making them think that other deer were also out mulling about.  I often wondered if trying to call in a buck would spook does close by and now I am convinced that it doesn't and will no longer hesitate to break out the calls.

I'm no expert, just my observations from a few evenings in the woods.

[ChuckC]

Thank you.  Observations of the real thing often change our minds as to expected outcomes.  Your observations represent only a few instances of response, but they help understand the big picture.

ChuckC

[ozarkcherrybow1]

Last year, as I was sitting in a ground blind, I spotted a group of does about 70 yards away from me. I blew on my buck grunt tube just to see what they would do...It was like I yanked a rope around them, they all came running toward me like a tornado. Running in circles and right in to where I sat, but never stopped. They returned to their original spot and I grunted again, same thing happened. It was like they were wanting this buck they heard to start chasing them. This happened 3 times in a row before they got frustrated and left the area. I think every deer can be called if the timing is right, and you make just the right sound at the right time.

[Doc Nock]

Saturday AM my buddy in NE PA was watching does and used his grunt call. He'd had some bucks sparring not too much earlier and had the call set to deeper grunts.

When the does heard the "buck" grunt call, they threw up their heads and then beat feat. They were apparently tired of being chased by them onery bucks.

Buddy swears every doe had a buck chasin em but this group...and when they thought a buck was about, they hitailed it outa there!  

Looks like it might just "depend."