Using a Grunt Tube for deer?

[Wannabe1]

Is using a grunt tube good anytime or just primarily through the rut? Appreciate any responses.

[ishiwannabe]

All depends on the type of grunting you are doing with it imo. I know for whitetail, they have a "contact grunt" which basically says "Hey, Im here." I havent carried a grunt into the woods much unless I was hunting, but I read it is a call used all year long...

[Wannabe1]

Hmmm, I wonder if they have the same thing for Blacktail? I need to do some research it looks like.

[Lonnie bailey]

you can call deer all the way through the deer season. early in the season you want to keep the grunts short and soft, when the deer start rutting you can get more aggresive with longer grunts and a little louder.

[John3]

I have "grunted" in many, many does and young bucks mostly before the rut but all season long using a contact call.  It says to the other deer "I am lost, come find me".. This call really does work and has many times for me... When you see the deer or more importantly when you HEAR the deer calling back to you, put the call away. They are looking for you and will come in. I am still amazed at how close they can come to me just from my calling them at a distance. Then you have the day that the deer just don't care and do not react what so ever.

John III

[jcar315]

All season long...that's when I carry a grunt tube. "Don't leave home without it"  as they used to say in the American Express (I think) ad.

I was sitting in my stand yesterday AM and had a couple of yearlings coming through when I could see two larger does coming up the same trail. When the one larger doe got within 20 yards or so of my stand, and certainlly within eyeshot of the yearlings, she was lightly grunting with every step. Always cool to hear deer communicating and I must admit there is something special about calling in a deer.

[Toecutter]

Grunted in a few bucks over the years, but last years was the most exciting...  I saw a deer (couldn't tell the sex or anything else other than it was a deer) come into this thicket beside me.  I heard one grunt and decided to try and answer back.  At this point I wasn't even holding my bow, but as soon as that call went out, it sounded like a freight train coming through the brush!!  Out pops a doe with this nice 7 pter on her heels(no brow tines).  21yd shot and 50yd run!!  My heart rate still climbs every time i think about it!!  Fawn bleats are the other must do's imho. Good luck, have a safe season.

Nathan

[Tom Leemans]

During the rut, I've never been able to turn the head of a buck by grunting at him. Doesn't mean I'm doing it right mind you. I've gotten their attention with a snort wheeze and a doe grunt or snort, but they don't pay me any attention when I grunt at them.

[BobCo 1965]

I like to use a grunt tube only as a last effort to get a buck that has already been spotted that maybe going in the wrong direction to come in.

Keep in mind that usually if a buck comes in from a grunt call he in on full alert - which is something I'd rather avoid if possible.

[John Scifres]

I doe or fawn bleat a lot more than strict grunting.  I have called in a bunch of does doing this.  Bucks...well only occasionally.  It will stop a buck pretty quick for a shot though.

[J. Holden]

My only experience with having this work for me was last year.  I saw a doe from quite a distence away and grunted.  She stopped and looked and then continued on.  I grunted again and she turned and came right in.  Unfortunatley she stopped about 30 yds out.  Outside my comfort zone.  The next evening I grunted at 3 does and they just looked and kept going.  Oh well, it was fun anyway to see the one come in.  Oh, I was hunting a week or two after the rut.

-Jeremy

[NightHawk]

I'm like Tom. It has never worked for me

[hickstick]

also keep in mind a grunt can be used to stop a deer that has been shot.  

Last year I rattled in a small forkie, and the shot ended up a little high (above the shoulder blade) angling down and towards his last rib on the other side.  he had stepped sideways and slightly toward me on release....I wasn't totally sure there was an exit hole (probably got about 15" of penetration)....so when the deer bolted, I grabbed my grunt tube and hit it a few times.   he stopped dead as soon as I grunted...looking back, and a few seconds later I watched his legs go wobbly and over he went.  

and glad I stopped him, cause there wasn't an exit, no blood trail and he was heading towards a swamp.  he would have been dead in a few seconds anyway cause I got both lungs...but who knows if I ever would have found him.

[jcar315]

Grunting deer in (like alot of other things) depends on different factors:

1. personality of the deer
2. amount of cover around you (always good to have some around so they have to come your way to find what was grunting)
3. time of the season (although I have grunted them in from opening day to nearly the end of season)
4. type of "grunt" being used.

The very first deer I ever shot with a bow was one that I grunted in and I have never been the same since. Hooked on bowhunting and calling to deer I can see is my favorite way to hunt them.

[fireball31]

I use a grunt tube and a turkey call when hunting whitetails.  One, I think the grunt gives me something to do if I get to ADD.  Second if I'm still hunting and break something I'll grunt in an attempt to persuade nearby game that I'm really a whitetail.  The turkey call might just be a stupid idea but I cluck on it a couple times if I make to much noise getting into the stand to persuade nearby creatures that I'm nothing to be afraid of.

[Wannabe1]

I appreciate all the responses and am learning as I go. So, taking in consideration that I'm hunting blacktail deer and not whitetail, don't know if it makes a difference but; would a doe/fawn bleat work better than a grunt tube for the non rutting part of the season?