RE: Snort wheeze
 

It seems the OP asked a very straightforward question. He didn'tpoll who has hunted the longest or why some hunters don't believe in using calls. If you choose sitting in a tree waiting for a patterened deer to come by, that's a great choice as it is a proven method that has consistantly been used to harvest animals since the beginning of time. But while it isyour chosen method,there is no need to ridicule orverbally degrade someone who uses a different tactic andhas had successusing calls.

Obviously deer don't make these vocalizations all the time. They are used verysporadically and commonly only during a short portion of the rutting cycle. The snort-wheeze and the newer aggressive grunt callssuch as a 'growl' or 'roar' are simulations of vocalizations used by dominant rutting bucksand are very aggressive calls that should be used only at appropriate times. They will indeed scare off smaller bucks as they are used bymature bucks and that is precisely the deer they are meant to draw in.There are literally hundreds if not thousandsof documented video-recordedharvests available as evidencethat grunt calls,roars, bleats, snort-wheezes,and rattling have brought indeer that would nothave otherwise presented a shot to the hunter. Toimply that these callsdon't work or that discussion of their use inunwarrantedis completely ridiculous.

RE: Snort wheeze
 

I am a HUGE proponent of the snort wheeze call and have had great luck with it in the past 2 seasosn - pre rut and rut....I will continue to use it in the future.

Here are some excerpts from my hunting journal - the first from New york's opening day 2006;

Now the best snort wheeze encounter ever - from this year; It resulted in a 4 year old buck getting a ride on the Tahoe;

RE: Snort wheeze
 

When assessing David's assessment....;).....HOW do you account for the years afield (and GregH's) without encountering this vocalization (much, if any)......or better yet.....simply DISCOUNT it?

Do deer in certain areas of the country only make this vocalization? Only in certain herd dynamics? Only to people who've bought the call?

RE: Snort wheeze
 

Finally, some real observations that I totally agree with. I've never owned a snort wheeze call but can tell you for a fact in the area that I hunt, this call is heard on a regular basis by mature bucks. It is a call made by mature whitetails, and is intended as a warning for smaller bucks but I've seen it also used just as a dominating call to a doe with no other bucks around. I do believe that when you hear this call, you are dealing with one of the more dominate and aggressive bucks in the area. I don't recall ever hearing it from a subordinate buck. If I were to buy a snort wheeze call, I would definately use is sparingly and onlyto dominate bucks.

RE: Snort wheeze
 

OK...humor me. How do you know when you see him....that he's the dominant buck?

RE: Snort wheeze
 

Just speaking for my hunt area! I hunt over a large bedding area, approximately 1/2 mile wide and 3/4 mile long. I use binoculars on a regular basis to not only scout the areas that I'm hunting but also to scout areas that may be 1/2 mile away. In all this area, it's not uncommon to see dozens of does and during the rut, multiple bucks following and/or chasing them. On a still morning, I can hear vocalizations from more than 200 yds. away. In all the cases where I've heard the snort-wheeze, it came from the largest most aggressive buck in the area. I can physically set back and enjoy the show! During the snort wheeze, the buck will raise the hair on his back, turn broadside to show the smaller buck his size, and if that doesn't move the smaller buck out, he will charge! This is not something I've seen just once or twice, but multiple times with the same outcome. Sometimes the smaller buck will move out with a simple look from the larger buck, but sometimes a charge is inevitable.

RE: Snort wheeze
 

Dominance is relative. It depends on who's around. Don't think for one minute that a 2 1/2 won't breed a doe if he thinks he can get away with it.[:-]

If he knows a big guy's around, things will be different.

RE: Snort wheeze
 

Exactly right! Both bucks I killed this year weighed 140-145 lbs! I heard the snort-wheeze from both of these bucks before I put them down. They were both the most aggressive bucks in the area, in fact one of them had a split hoof and was limping, from so much aggressive chasing. I can guarantee that they were not the heaviest bucks in the area, but they were the most dominate due to their aggressive behavior!

RE: Snort wheeze
 

Thanks, Greg.

Personally, Greg....Are you gonna risk blowing a call....on the off chance the buck you're calling toKNOWS he's the baddest buck in the woods?

I won't be trying the call....just an interesting conversation.

RE: Snort wheeze
 

I would! That's the idea, you want to make him think a bad azz intruder has arrived in town and coax him into a shootout![:-]