Originally Posted by
Mr. Deer Hunter
I would only do it in the peak of the rut, and only then if I knew that there was a large buck that I wished to attract.
If you do anything too much - you will scare them and they will quit doing it.
Where do you get some of the information you post??
To the original poster, I have grunted in deer (bucks and does) on opening day. Depending on the stage of the rut determines how agressive I get. I agree with stabinslab that the pre-rut starts when the bucks shed their velvet. I've also grunted a buck in from over 150 yards away during the first week of December.
I use my calling like this. The first couple weeks of season I only use short contact grunts on deer that I see that I want to try to get to shooting range. Getting into rut I will start "blind" calling. Just throwing out some tending grunts to try to get a deer to come into range that may be out cruising for a doe. I will also throw some doe bleats in there. In late season I have found doe bleats to be the best. Bucks are looking for yearling does that are coming in for the first time and for does that didn't get bred in the first rut.