My first year bow hunting and I know my tactics to getting deer close to range are going to be different then with a rifle. I got a doe and fawn into range yesterday and gave some grunts but it wasnt really curious at all. So what I am asking is could somebody tell me some how the deer calls work. I heard that a doe bleat is suppose to go Bleeeeeeaahhhh and a buck grunt sound more like Boooaa soething like that. Some things i read say to mix it up but really dont know what i am doing. Deer here in NOva Scotia are not that plentifull as they are in the states either so i know it may not even be that effective but any help would be appreciated

I'm not going to tell you how to call deer. I will tell you whats worked for me over the last 20 some years.

I usually don't blind call, meaning I don't call if I don't see a deer (buck).
When I do see one and I don't feel he is coming my way I will grunt, once and watch his reaction. If he reacts positive and doesn't come or if he ignores it I will give a second grunt, many times this is when he's looking. Many times that is all it takes and they've come straight in.

When one doesn't hear it or doesn't react, I may grunt louder. Watch the deer reaction and body language. They may thrash a tree, make a scrape etc and come shortly after. I'll grunt a few times to keep him interested and say that I'm over here.

Mix in contact calls. A contact call is a bleat that is elongated and rises and then falls off at the end.

Here is a link to many calls of the whitetail deer.

http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features/practical_bowhunter/deergrunting/deergrunt.html

Thanks, Rob. That is a great site. I've never really used deer calls. How loud should I call?

Rob gave some good advice. I never blind call except when using my rattle bag. I use a Hunters Specialities True Talker which allows me to make several different calls and I have had as much success calling bucks in closer utilizing the doe bleat as with a grunt. I have also called in does using the fawn distress call. Year before last, I was watching a nice 6 point walk my way on a trail leading to a 30 yard shot. When he got around 50 yards from me, he made a sharp right up a hill on another trail. I grabbed my call and sounded a quick doe bleat which he ignored. I blew it louder and he stopped and looked my direction. I blew it loud again and he turned around, came back down the hill and continued on the trail leading to a perfect 30 yard shot. Without the call, I had no chance at him. I learned the calls by listening to audio recordings and practicing a lot. Drove the wife crazy but it has paid off!

Thanks for the site, it was great help.I was out this morning and 2 does came out. they were about 70 yrds away. I tried the fawn call but they were not paying any attention to it just stayed there eating the maple buds. I managed to cal one into about 40yrds with the doe grunt. she wondered around for a while bout 20 minutes the start to let these blasts of air out of its nose kind of sounded like when a whale breaths air. let like 6 out the ran off. I am not used to being close to deer since it is my first bowhunting but what was that that the doe was doing. I take it, it was bad cause she went funning off

Great pointers all the way around. In my area, I've found that if you blind call with a bleat call (i use a small primos one) the does are usually on their way. In full rut I've had some real good luck as well with bucks. But, that said, i've used both in the presence of deer that didn't seem to care one way or the other. But I think it is worth noting, that I've never, at least from the deer that I've seen, scared a deer away by calling. One can only guess about the ones I didn't see.
I did change the direction of a buck a few years ago who was headed away from me and got him. Not sure how close he would have come, but I got him to about 75 yards and then decided to make a move with my SKS, and put him down. Two min later a doe came from the other direction, looking like she was saying "did any of you hear that loud bang"? I let her live, since I had other things to do that evening and didn't feel like cleaning two deer.
My first ever kill with a bow was opening day last year, and it was the easiest deer I've ever gotten. The evening before I put out some prerut doe piss and came back early the next morning. An eight pointer was already under my stand and ran off. The bleat call called him back twice before the sun came up. The third time he was a little more cautious, but I got him. Another larger eight point came out after I was on the ground with out my bow. I saw him a number of times that season, but the fourth time was his last, since bow season was over and I was sporting my 30.06.
At first I was totally against calls. I thought they sounded fake, but have found that when things aren't going your way, have some fun and use them.

Thanks Rob that was very informative, great web site