I start carrying my grunt call from day 1 to the end of the season. I hunt Ill and Wi. I've carried a can call for the last 3 years and try rattling every year.

My results:

Grunt call - 25%

Can call - 0%

Rattling- 0% (scared a lot away though [&o])

I rarely grunt during Sept. but from Oct 17th through Jan, I do it frequently. I blind call alot during early Nov., works pretty good.

The most important thing is .... what the buck is feeling.

You have to play a tune that they like. If not, they'll simply ignore you. Try to guess his mood, aggressive, passive etc. call accordingly. I have some techniques that work well during certain times of the year which I've written about before. A lot of trial and error.

I hear bucks grunting all the time, meaning, every season. This is a good thing, if you see a buck that you'd shoot and he's grunting, START CALLING.