Deer calls and scents

[Criticalt]

What if anything do you guys and gals use to either call or lure deer to you?
I have a 20 year old tube grunt that has stopped many bucks in their tracks for me but im not sure if its really helped call them in.
I will make low contact grunts for an hour, then a buck comes down the trail. Did I call him in, or was he headed that way? Who knows.
However I do know that a short hard grunt stops them in their tracks and their head stands straight up.....boom!!
So, what is your favorite way to call in the mature bucks? Grunt, rattle, doe pee...etc.

 

[NirvanaFan]

I've rattled in various deer through the years. I've had all sorts of deer come in from little 4 points to a monster 8 point that came in from behind me affording me no shot. I don't rattle too hard. If you go all out thrashing trees and being super loud, you're only going to draw in the biggest of the big deer. I'm happy shooting any mature deer, so I take it a little easy and don't clash the antlers together as hard as possible.

I've only tried contact grunts a few times when I could see deer a few hundred yards away. It's never seemed to draw them in, but it just be me screwing it up.

I've only tried doe pee once. It didn't draw anything in that day. I was thinking of trying it this weekend though.

 

[Airborneguy]

I mostly focus on cover scents. I use an earth spray just as I am heading into the woods every time. I also leave a pillow case full of leaves and dirt in my clothes bag all season.

I've never had luck with calls except to stop deer I need a shot on. Rattling on the other hand I have had success with, and I do believe it brings them in. I've had bucks literally come running in to my rattling as if they were cops responding to calls for assistance!

 

[Criticalt]

I mostly focus on cover scents. I use an earth spray just as I am heading into the woods every time. I also leave a pillow case full of leaves and dirt in my clothes bag all season.

I've never had luck with calls except to stop deer I need a shot on. Rattling on the other hand I have had success with, and I do believe it brings them in. I've had bucks literally come running in to my rattling as if they were cops responding to calls for assistance!

Oh, you mean 20 minutes late!!!

Geeeesh, just kidding!

 

[GOYABEAN]

Distressed fawn call works

 

[Robin]

First time I had a grunt call with me I climbed into a tree stand as quietly as I could about half hour before the shooting light, got settled in and heard a grunt, had no idea what to do, so I figured I would sound as much like him as I could and that is what I did. fifteen minutes later he was right in my shooting lane. How he got there without making a sound is still marvel to me as the ground was deep with dry crackly leaves. He was an eight point, beautiful animal, and tasted every bit as good as he looked.
Robin

 

[Bushmaster]

I use to swear by a cover scent I always use to use by Wildlife Research call EARTH, fresh dirt smell and rotted leaves. Far as grunt calls I don't use them, a low grunt sound will spook most smaller Bucks away. I use Fawn bleats and fawn distress bleats I do with my mouth during bow season, works 98% of times when I see a deer within ear shot of me. NOTE: I said when I see a deer in ear shot, I don't sit and call deer like I would with Turkey or preds...

 

[Karpteach]

I've had does come in on fawn distress many times early in the season. I had a 4pointer come to a grunt tube once in 30+ Years of hunting.

 

[Jaywmustang]

I have had luck with rattling, buck grunts and bleats. I have kicked up bucks and called them back with young buck grunts. I don't use mature buck grunts. They can and will scare the smaller ones away. I called this one back tonight with bleats. My father stand is 50 yards away from mine. He coughed at the wrong time and the buck decided to go in the wrong direction. I bleated 2-3 times every 10-15 mins and he showed back in 30-40 mins. My father probably coughed 10 times in that time. But don't over call. I thought I was going to overcall but the response was good so I continued on.

For scent, I put my clothes in a plastic tote with dirt scented dryer sheets and I also spray down with earth scent. If the rut is on,I will put out doe esterous pee on the tree I am sitting in. If the rut isn't going on, I do the same thing but with just regular doe pee.

 

[Airborneguy]

Where is that deer from?

 

[Jaywmustang]

Scriba area but most people don't know where that is. Scriba it between Oswego and Mexico.

 

[Airborneguy]

Looked very similar to one I shot and couldn't find in Sullivan county. Wishful thinking.

 

[NirvanaFan]

I grunted in 2 bucks at the same time this past weekend! One looked to be a nice 8 point, and one a smaller, but still respectable 6 point. The 8 point came in from behind me, so I turned, facing the tree I was in. He came within 35 yards, but I wasn't able to get a shot off. So, I turned back around and tried to stick the 6 point. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to turn around all the way and get all settled in before I had to shoot. I should have gotten totally, 100% set, but I thought I could make the shot. I hit him, but the shot was high.

I gave him 2 hours before I started trailing him. After about 75 yards, the blood dried up. 200 yards from the shot, I bumped him from a thicket in a swamp. There was only 1 drop of blood on the ground where he was bedded. I'm pretty confident that he'll survive, but I still feel bad about it. Hopefully I see him this weekend and get him. I'd rather shoot the smaller 6 than the larger 8 at this point.

 

[Jaywmustang]

As a hunter u do the best that u can. Sometimes crap happens. I heard peroxide works good for trailing blood. Put in a spray bottle and I guess it foams up when it touches blood. If I was closer I would help look

 

[NirvanaFan]

As a hunter u do the best that u can. Sometimes crap happens. I heard peroxide works good for trailing blood. Put in a spray bottle and I guess it foams up when it touches blood. If I was closer I would help look

I've got a headlamp that helps illuminate the blood when it's dark. I went out and looked again after I jumped it from the swamp. I trailed it for another little bit, but I never saw another drop. I'm pretty sure the buck will live.


I do what I can, but I still beat myself up. I should have done better, and I know I'm capable of it. We all make mistakes, but I should have made the shot.

 

[Jaywmustang]

I have been there. It is a horrible feeling.

 

[FrankenCub]

I've got a pair of antlers put up somewhere so I could give it a try but I don't remember where I put them I have a grunt call I've used a lot but usually oly had doe or really young and dumb bucks come. A button came in a few years ago when I was sitting in a Hemlock, stopped under the tree and I could have knocked him on the head with my barrel. Told him to move on and he walked about ten feet to stop and look around before coming back under the tree. This went on for quite a while finally yelling at him GET OUT! and the damn thing would come right back. Well bout that time I figured he's gotta have some pretty bad genes so I took him out of the gene pool and carried him out lol. Man did he taste good!
Now, where'd I put those antlers???