Of grunt tubes, scents and can calls

[JR Chambers]

I have never had any luck with this stuff here in the mountains of WV. I watch all the guys that claim they work but have never ever had them work. What am I doing wrong?

[J. Cook]

I grew up in WV and still spend a 9-day hunt there every November.  I've had great success with a grunt tube over the years, but I've never had any type of doe bleat work (including the Can).  I've never personally seen rattling work there either.

[kennym]

I've grunted in a lot of bucks and rattled in probably 20. It worked better before everybody did it, but still I'll try them if the buck is headed the other way.

The can call- not so much, first time I used one was late season and could hear deer walking just over a ridge. I did 3 bleats and to my amazement 3 bucks came straight over the ridge toward me. As my luck runs, the farmers dog started barking at something and they never made it. That was the last time a can ever did anything at all for me.

I'd much rather the deer come by naturally like they don't know I'm on the same planet than come in looking.

[Friend]

A host of different calling techniques hold a significant role within my arsenal. Many of which will be employed during this afternoon’s decoy hunt.

Confidence may be initially built on observing deer responses when calling to visible targets. Note: Avoid calling when a deer is looking your way….Over 80% of my visibly responsive deer these days are from blind calling. I average calling in over 25 deer per season. Often times calling is dismissed as being ineffective as actually being the result of no deer present to hear the calling, incorrect timing, naturally nonaggressive deer, deer moods, lack of hunter patience and a host of other factors.

Two days ago, the owner of our operation watched a guy drop off a local trespasser with a crossbow off my property line across a cornfield approximately 300 yards. The trespasser’s intention was to intercept 150 + class 10 pt walking up the field edge. As the deer and the trespasser got within 75 yards of each other, the owner, who was filming it, snort wheezed and the buck immediately headed directly across the cornfield to him within 35 yards. Note: the owner has already filled his buck tag.

[durp]

What Scott said is true...all three work at the right time and place.

[PrimitivePete]

I will never use a grunt tube, because the damn thing worked too well. I was in a treestand and I watched an 8 pointer pass by me at 40 yards. I grunted a couple of times and he just kept on walking without stopping. I basically thought Oh well I guess this piece of junk doesn't work. About 20 minutes later I hear a snort from behind me and I tuned to see the 8 Pointer staring right up at me. Son of gun heard my grunts all right and he played it off real well as he circled around me to investigate.
As far as scents go, if I know I'm in a solid spot with the wind working right I 'll use the Doe Pee spray just in case the wind shifts and I need a bit of cover scent to hide me a bit. I've had deer real close just sniff it but not get alarmed.

[JR Chambers]

Wow. different results than I have. I will keep at it. I have never had a deer come in that I did not know was there from using the can call or grunting.

[Tim Reese]

In all my years I can only recall 3 times them working and one was a giant 13 pointer. A second time a good eight came to it and one time a young 6 pointer came in to the call. That young one was the only one to come in to blind calling and the two bigger ones I only called at because they were not in range and not coming my way so I grunted at them and they changed course and to me. So to me I only call if I see one and know it’s not coming to me or it’s last day and I’m throwing hail Mary’s. Lol. Bleat cans I have no experience with them.

[durp]

After shooting light I have grunted to get does to leave so I can get down but not to call one in 

[1Arrow1Kill]

Decades ago when grunt tubes, cans and rattling were relatively new in Michigan, I did have some success turning deer that were headed to the next county.  Michigan deer are very pressured and therefore often leery of such techniques these days.  I now only carry a MAD tube which both grunts and bleats, but seldom use it.  Any buck worth his rack has been grunted at and if he does respond will most likely travel downwind to investigate before coming close enough for a longbow shot.

[Sam McMichael]

I have had deer respond to scents, calls, and antler rattling but have never gotten a shot on any of these deer. I really don't have much confidence in them, or perhaps I just have never been to connect the call response to a successful shot.

[electricstart]

Years ago deer scents worked .The last ten years I have tried many different kinds with no luck . Grunt tube and rattling still work to some degree. Snort wheeze will work .  The can never worked .

[dnovo]

I’ve grunted and had some luck turning bucks. When I hunted northern Missouri I had a lot of luck rattling in bucks. Now around my house it hardly ever works.

[woodchucker]

First buck I ever grunted at, took off like a scared rabbit!!!?? 

[TIM B]

I’ve grunted in a lot of deer.  Works well past the rut too.
Tim B

[TooManyHobbies]

Grunts can be awesome or have no effect at all. Once you have a deer or two come in stiff legged with ears pinned back looking for a fight, you will always carry one from pre rut to second rut.
Doe beats can be hit or miss too. As long as you don't over call, it doesn't seem to scare bucks or does. They may not come to you though. It can be a great contact call when the does herd up again in Dec.
I've only rattled in a few deer, and killed two does that came to it, no bucks.
Can call is useless as far as I'm concerned. Never had any luck with it. Never had any luck with scents either.

[SS Snuffer]

Pe-rut late October I've have grunted in a few most of the time they spot me first. Ever Calm works they seem to like it, I use it just to stop deer, I put it on the opposite side of the trail that I'm setting on so I can draw.

[achigan]

Just tonight I laid down a scent(doe in heat) trail to my blind 200 yards. 1.5 hours later here comes a basket rack, nose to the ground right to me. By all appearances the scent worked.

[kennym]

Last eve, I saw 4 small bucks following a doe, they turned the other way so for fun(no buck tag) I grunted twice , not loud or long, just soft grunts. They came in to 20 yards on the tall one and 8 yards for the wider one. The 8 yards was downwind of course, but he went thru a lane where I could have taken him at 15 yards. So yeah the grunts work...sometimes.



Well pix didn't work.  I posted them here last nite...

https://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=177183.180