GregH,
I'm in VA (Fredericksburg area). I've only gotten bucks to respond to deep grunts during the full hot & heavy first rut.

I have gotten pretty good at calling does in pretty regular, during any part of the season, and sometimes, you know who is following them.

I use the "original" can from Primos, along with my true talker. When using the true talker I place my finger at the mid point in the adjustment area to create a higher pitch tending doe grunt.

Pretending to be a lost fawn seems to be the best way that I can tell, to bring in the doe. I only use the true talker as described above if after a while nothing seemed interested in the can. The tending grunt is to establish that mama came in to help out her fawn, in case something may be interested inmama, that wasn't interested in the can.

Be carefulwith the"can". On a fewoccasions, I've used it not realizing that some does were in close (like 80 yards) and they took off. I think thatonce they get close enough they can tell it's a fake. So if I'm not sure I'llput the can in my pocket to quiet it down a little.

I've also found that if you tie something to the line you use to pull up your pack and weapon (I use a single hefty antler) and lower it to the ground to where it is just touching the ground, with no slack, you can create some noise on the ground that sounds like hooves.

I got a nice buck this way once. I had used the can in an attempt to cover my noises once I'd reached my stand and he came running in while I was half way up the tree. After a while I had to ascend since I was getting tired of hanging on 2x4's, but I guess he had already passed through. It was hard to tell since it was dark at the time. Once in the stand I used the can again and he came right back in. I couldn't believe it, it was as simple as calling my dog, but still too dark. The third time I tried it, he came back but wasn't in the mood to get close anymore and seemed spooked. He started to turn like he was going to leave, and I knew the can would scare him off at this distance (30 yards) so I used my line to stir the leaves below and he came right out in my lane. A few seconds later I'd just shot my first ever deer with a bow.

But, ever since him, they've been a lot harder.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.