Rob, looking forward t othe calling tutorial if you ever get the chance to write one up....

something i been thinking about...

im pretty GREEN as a DEER hunter...been at it for ...going on 10 years this season...but only 3rd as a bowhunter...and id saw 3rd as a hunter...

prior it was all about funnels and finding where the deer will get pushed to from other rifle hunters...or driving with a crew...

last year was the first time i ever gave calling a real chance...i used antlers and a grunt tube to call in a 4pt the first time ever...boy it was just like on TV he came right in...i was calling "blind" didnt KNOW he was there..

next morning did more blind calling with the can, antlers and grunt tube...has a buck come into a scrape i didnt know was there and worked it and snuck behind me...(1.5yo) had another deer bust me as i put the can or tube down to grab the antlers...just saw a tail...then my buck from last year(1.5) came in and i killed it...as he was on his 15yd death dash i saw another, bigger bodied deer run...area is HARD to spot deer because they walk under the hemlocks and you cant see them unless they are in an opening...that whole morning i was blind calling...(calling to deer i didnt KNOW were there or see) it was oct 13th...

nothing SERIOUS on the antlers...just tapping them togehter a little and grunts were softer and not agressive(not agressive sounding to me atleast..i dont know the deer language)


just wondering...are you guys that have good success with calling deer "blind" calling or just using them on deer you can see???

im a believer now that ive done it...cant saw 100% my buck CAME to the calling...i was calling off and on the whole morning...but i believe it worked for me...

anyone ever see NEGATIVE reactions to calling? id like to do MORE blind calling...but dont wanna spook anything(i know movement is the big thing that can kill you..)

say its opening morning...im grunting and hitting antlers together a little bit...would i spook or make an older deer not come in?? ive heard only young bucks will come into calling that early in the season...but really dont know...dont wanna spook the bigger/older bucks...but if it cant hurt, why not try it..?

Im interested in this also, I want to buy a call but dont know how/when to use one.

Calls, like scents can be hit or miss...I think the reason many aren't successful is that they try it as a last resort, instead of thinking of it as another tool in the box...Kinda like fishing lures, you go out and sling lures all day, don't catch anything, then pull out that new lure that some guy told you that the fish would jump all over, they don't bite that either, so next time you see him you tell him it's not worth a dang...

There is an art, or feel as to when to do what, how long to do it and how hard to do it...

As I mentioned in the other post, I've had good luck using the can and a grunt tube together...I've had good luck with a doe bleat call...I've had good luck with agressive grunting, but it's all determined by the attitude of the local deer and the rut...Early and late, keep it simple and fairly quiet...Pre rut and peak it's fine to get louder and more agressive...Now...I also do a lot of turkey hunting and like turkeys you can sure over call...When blind calling, I usually wait about 30 minutes or so, unless, I hear a deer call or see a deer that I want to bring in...

Location is also important...Heck, if you are over a bean field, let the beans call them in...I like to be near a cutover or a swamp where I know they are bedding...It's cool when you hear them get up and head your way...

As far as scaring...I have, once that I remember, by rattling...Fortunately it was a spike and 2 does that spooked...You mentioned ticking the antlers together when rattling, I've had more success with that than pounding them, but I still throw in a doe estrus bleat and agressive buck grunts as well...I've even been known to put a doe decoy out in a cut corn field as well, anything to make that buck think that he is missing out on something...

thanx NC....

i know a fair bit about callin turkeys...guess i need to learn a bit about deer calling...i really dont know much about deer vocalizations...once heard a few REAL grunts...only bleats i heard were distress bleats(kinda neat to hear in the middle of the night and then hear a pack of yotes fire up...nature at work..) never got to hear or watch a fight(though dad seen it MANY times)

not saying my deer arent vocal..i just havent been in the woods in the fall being still, quiet and scent free enough times...im usually scouting, small game or fall turkey hunting or something else..till i took up bow hunting...

id agree it was a last resort for me...heck i NEVER resorted to it till that time...think i gave it a shot ONE other time and it was like 80 degrees out in october(HOT for here)...nothing was moving lol...sooo i wanna give it all i got to learn what i can and learn to use it as a tool....no i know not EVERY deer will react or come in...but, i already noticed it keeps me alert and looking around...and already learned that it DOES work...now i just gotta learn what the heck im going...

if a buddy didnt tell me that they killed 1 with light rattling, id never thought to do it in the early season..but it makes sense...they are establishing their territories...not BATTLING it out...but chasin off little bucks etc..

If a day is slow I may do a little calling.

my preference is to wait to see a deer, and wait for it to pass me by then call to it. However make a choice before calling to it if you even want to shoot it, if not, let it keep walking, no sense in educating deer is how I see it.

But if a buck or any deer is coming your way and you plan to take it....if its getting closer, but not on a straight shot to you, let it get as close to you on its own, or even let it pass you by a bit then call to it, and pull it back to you, if a deer is looking your way and you call to it, i think they have you pegged, even if youre close and call they locate you very well I think. So just 1 or 2 grunts then let it get curious and come to you.

I don't know how long you've hunted deer, but I will say this, the younger guys coming up have it so much easier than those of us that started in the 60s...Heck, turn on the TV and there are hunting shows every night...Many aren't worth watching, but some are...I remember when my brother brought home and Eskimo deer call, you were blowing across a rubber band to make the bleat...

There was a guy, I believe his name was Jerry Peterson, don't know what happened to him, but he made some tapes a few years ago that kinda went through the basics of how he called them...I wore those things out watching and studying them trying to glean all I could from them...

Like i said in another thread today. I have a DVD for sale on Ebay right now called Mastering the art "a guide to calling deer". Heres the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=150282898024

It's a good place to start if you are new to this.

thanx guys...

dstubb...pop in that Tom Miranda video....goto the LAST whitetailhunt(the headshot) as he is doing the post shot speech...watch behind him in the upper right area of the screen....i thought i was nuts but im 90% sure i watch a pile of deer cross behind him!! forget the number think 5...i enjoyed that video...kinda where i got inspiration to call and where i figured out WHAT i should sound like..the blooper with the can is halarious as well...that should be aired on a commercial! lol

Shoot i already got those DVD's packaged up and ready to ship. I do remember that head shot though, pretty nutts. Maybe i'll go ahead and give them one last watching.

i get bored and a little homesick here at Cape Cod...no tv or internet at the house so i have to watch DVDs on my laptop....i have the Miranda video....missing home...waiting for fall...missing my bow...ya, that dvd is about wore out! and thats how i noticed the deer behind them in the head shot scene...i got bored and put er in slow motion to watch the arrows and hits...think i'll buy more of mirandas stuff in the future...good stuff IMO...