On grunts/cans/rattles/etc....

I began deer hunting in '05. I bought a can....a rattle bag....a grunt tube. I hit the rattle bag one time last year.....and the grunt tube.....and 20 minutes later....I had the biggest deer in my woods come by me. Coincidence? I'd say yes. I don't think there's any way he could have heard me from where he was. I also saw a nice 6 pointer that same time frame. Nah.....just coincidence.

I've got a LARGE number of deer in my area.....but I see few MATURE bucks (3.5 or older). I tend to stay away from calls. I simply think I'm alerting the deer to my location. I have too many does for my bucks to consider scrapping for one that's taken. I even grunted when I thought my 12/9 buck was going to leave my set. I eventually harvested him......but I know the grunt had nothing to do with it. It was a last-ditch effort to turn him that didn't work. The doe in front of him turned him towrds me.

I've heard tending grunts; maternal grunts; fawns vocalizing and the death "bleat" (2x). I'll likely always carry a grunt tube......but I'll also likely use it less and less.

Jeff