Calls, what to use when?
 

Hello all,
Being new to deer hunting and willing to take alot of lumps along the way, I have a question:
What type of call do you use to get a deer's attention?
Striking antlers or fake ones together,
a doe bleat.
I know a grunt call can make a buck stop if you spot one, but what if you haven't seen any deer but there are plenty of deer sign around what would you use in this situation?
Are there any good instruction books out there? I've been reading hunting magazines all types I know scouting is very important. Like I said before deer sign but do not see any deer.
Okay, it was a bunch of questions and I appreciate the imput.

Thanks and happy hunting

RE: Calls, what to use when?
 

I have had some success with rattling but the conditions have to be perfect. Good buck to doe ratios are important and it works best when there are a lot of mature deer in the area. I have had good luck with both real antlers and rattle bags. I always have a rattle bag in my fanny pack now and will try it if the conditions are good. Carrying a pair of antlers doesn't work well for me since I am on the move most of the time and they are bulky and hard to pack. I always use a grunt call but haven't had the luck that others have had.

RE: Calls, what to use when?
 

To be honest...this year I'm leavng my calls at home. I'm making some changes after talkng to a president of a hunting club.

1. I'm urinating in a bottle and leaving it in my pack.

2. I'm bringing a shovel in my truck for the dumps and going a long ways from the hunting area.

3. Do all the scouting before the season starts...don;t get bored {And come down from your stand }and start scouting.

Our public places get a lot of pressure and I planto give it my best shot this year.

RE: Calls, what to use when?
 

i think that rattling antlers are the best to use during the rut, and also doe estrous strips

RE: Calls, what to use when?
 

BlueGrass Man, don't be afraid to go "low-impact", as Chuck 7 stated. Sometimes "not calling" is the best method. Whitetails are probably some of the more suspicious animals when it comes to calling. Don't get me wrong, sometimes calling works great, but use it "sparingly and low volume". Except for rattling, most deer communication is very subtle. Watching deer interacting and listening to them is very educational. They will use more body language than vocalization to communicate. Good luck this year!

RE: Calls, what to use when?
 

forget all the rattling and grunting, get yourself a primos "The Can" for around the rut. I saw a 6 pt buck running a doe around70 yds away, I called him up with "the can". Once I used it, he stopped turned around, and walked 25 yds from me, looking around. I was so pumped about this, but then ended upmissing him with my bow. He ran about 75 yds to catch up with the doe, and I saw him 30 mins later still running the same doe, although he would not fall for it again.