Finally…the air gets cooler, the leaves change colors, and that wonderful smell of fall is in the air. You watch as geese effortlessly soar through the air on their yearly trip southward. It is an awesome time of year to be in the outdoors. It also means that “prime time” is approaching. The dream of bucks chasing hot does across the open field sends chills up my spine. It is getting closer, but in the meantime you must plan for pre-rut. Bucks separate from their bachelor groups choosing to battle for dominance of their respected area. This is the time when we are able to use different calling techniques to lure unsuspecting deer within range.
On crisp, windless mornings and evenings, my favorite strategy is to break out the rattle bag and try to tempt deer into my area. Rattling does not work in every area, and it definitely does not work every time. But if it does it is a very exciting experience. In areas where there is a lot of pressure, aggressive calling is not a very profitable venture. Reasons for this are low buck to doe ratios and the deer have probably heard someone else trying to rattle in during their lives. This type of area is where backing off the rattling is a good idea. Instead of using an intense calling sequence, try to imitate sounds of a couple of bucks sparring. Sparring helps keep the social order in the herd without chaos. Normally they are not trying to hurt each other, and the deer can greatly differ in size. I like to rattle for 30-40 seconds adding a couple of different pitched grunts amongst this series. Next you set the rattle horns down and get ready in case you get a response. Be patient, deer will sometimes come from almost a mile if they can hear it. Wait 30 minutes to an hour and try it again, this time with a little more enthusiasm. When you call in an area you hunt a lot, don’t over do it or you will be less likely to get a response. If you are lucky enough to be able to hunt in areas where there is a lot of bucks competing for does, get a little more aggressive with your calling and maybe throw in a snort wheeze before you start your rattling sequence.
T
his reminds me of a couple of years ago when I was hunting a big buck on the edge of a cornfield. After many uneventful days on the stand, I decided to try to call him in. I started my calling sequence with a couple of snort wheezes, breaking in to intense rattling. Within minutes, something was tearing through the corn. The next thing I knew the buck I was after exploded out of the field, corn stalks stuck in his antlers and ready to fight. He shook his head side to side dislodging the stubble from his antlers…his neck was swelled twice its normal size! He proceeded to walk stiff-legged through some bushes where I couldn’t get a clear shot at him and then destroyed some small bushes about 30 yards away. I never did get a good shot at him and let him go. But at that point it didn’t matter, it might have been the most exciting few minutes I have ever had in a tree stand. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t work all of the time, but when it does you won’t forget it.
Another trick that I like to use is a doe bleat. A doe’s vocalization is the first meaningful sound a fawn hears. This makes a doe call more important than any other deer call. During the rut you can use a doe call to lure a buck who is seeking a date, but it is alsa a great social call to use all year. There are many doe calls, but there are two that are the keys to success. First is the social grunt or maternal grunt. It is saying “come here”. They use this to call to their fawns, and also to call to a buck when breeding time is close. The next call is the bleat. I like to use this to try to call deer as they pass out of distance. This call is saying here I am. These are non aggressive calls that will produce time after time.
Using different calling techniques is not a sure thing, but after a little of trial and error you will find a technique that will work for you.
