mcp9

im pretty much a beginner. looking for the best way to bring in a deer. grunt call? bleater? got my first doe with a rifle last year. gonna give bow hunting a shot. just wanting to be prepared. thanks in advance

Bukmastr

Grunt calls are the bfor bringing deer to you... However, you will do far better as a new hunter by just being silent and being in a good spot.

Gunplummer

I second that. I tried it years ago and it seems like most bucks circle around the noise until they can get a look or get some scent. (Unless there were doe in heat in the area) A lot of guys think that calls do not work, but have no idea how many deer circled them until downwind and then sneak off. It is worse with a bow because now you have alerted the deer and made him nervous. The only way you will know is to try it and see if it is for you.

OhioNovice

If you are doing Archery season earlier (End of September around here), which is way before the rut, you can scare off deer by calling. Best to stay off the calls and do more scouting to find early season food and bedding trails.

ladykiller

I am not a great mighty hunter by any means. I hunt for meat and what ever I can get is put to good use. I have tried the calls before. I only had any luck of calling one in was with a doe bleat can. The kind you flip over. However the trouble I had is that as the buck came in the call box shifted in my pocket and gave away my location. I never used one again. The only thing I use is doe sent and it works well. I do not use it until rut.

FlDeerman

A true talker works for me but I like to call to a deer I see.If you can learn the doe grunt,that's about the best all around call,after all all deer had a mother and it will make them relax,if I blind call(which is not often)I'll use a soft doe bleat once and see if anyone comes looking.

williamswildernesslodge

I think you are much better off to concentrate on scouting movement and set up in a strategic location based on that. I have never had much luck with calls.

Psylocide

It's an interesting thing, calling for deer.

It seems like if they can't see or smell the doe (or buck for that matter), but can hear it in close proximity, often times they'll get really nervous and bolt.

ladykiller

Agreed that is the most effective way to be in the right place at the right time. We have heavy trails that come in off of the corn fields and one of those is used daily year round. It mostly seems to be does coming through.
But we look for the scrapes and see where the bucks are moving. Last year I saw 4 bucks in 1 1/2 hrs. Let the first one go by nice 6. Shot the 2nd a really nice 9. While I was gutting and tagging had an 8 walk by 60 yards and never saw me. Then got back to my spot hoping to bag a doe and had to watch a 10 go by But the moral to the story is scouting pays off more than anything else for me. I knew where to be.

MZS

Keep in mind that when you call, the response might be delayed. So you call, wait 20 minutes, and call again, but the second time you call, the deer is only 40 yds away in cover. Now it has your location pinpointed and will watch you carefully and may back out without you even knowing it. Use the right call and use it sparingly.