I’ll never forget the first morning I really understood how powerful deer calls can be. I was on Kentucky public land and saw a buck cruising on an oak flat 200 yards above me on a ridge. Every few steps, he’d grunt. It was the first week of November, and I knew what he had on his mind. I tossed out two bleat calls, followed by three loud grunts. On a dime, he perked up and headed my way.
Grunts, bleats, and rattling, when used in the right scenario and with the right volume and cadence, can be a game-changer for a whitetail hunter, especially during the rut.
How To Use a Grunt Call for Bucks
What Different Buck Grunts Mean
The most widely used and known whitetail call is the “grunt” call. There are various grunts, and they all mean something different:
- The standard grunt is a guttural, throaty vocalization used by bucks to communicate.
- A shorter grunt is basically a way to let other deer know a buck is around.
- A longer, deeper grunt expresses aggression.
- The tending grunt, which is a rhythmic, continuous deep grunt a buck uses when courting a doe, is a common sound during the rut.
- A buck roar is used to get other bucks’ attention and express dominance.
When To Use Grunt Calls
A standard grunt can be used throughout the year as a social call, but there are two types of grunts that should be reserved for the rut: the tending grunt and the buck roar. In November, the tending grunt is a way to lure a buck in by making him think he’s hearing a buck tend to another doe. Because the buck roar is the most dominant call a buck can make, it’s just too aggressive to be used outside of the rut.
How To Make a Grunt Call Sequence
For a standard grunt, blow into your grunt tube for a few seconds and then let off the pressure. Use more pressure for a louder, deeper grunt and less pressure for a more relaxed, quieter grunt.
The tending grunt is a sequence of quicker grunts that almost sounds like “tick, tick, tick”.
The buck roar is a long, drawn-out grunt with an exasperated tone. This call is mimicking a sexually frustrated buck at his wits’ end.
How Often To Grunt
During the rut, I’ll grunt every hour or so.
Grunt Call Example Scenarios
- You see a buck far off and want to get his attention and hopefully pull him in.
- You blindly grunt call in thick cover to possibly pull a buck over to your area to check the sound out.
- You spot bucks on the prowl, but out of your shooting distance.
When and How To Use a Deer Bleat Call
Does and fawns bleat to say “hello” and “I’m over here.” It’s a social call, and they use it year-round. The estrus bleat is a vocalization a doe will use when she’s ready to be bred. Like with tending grunts and buck roars, the estrus bleat is rut-specific.
How To Use a Bleat Call
Bleat calls come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The original can bleat call is probably the easiest and most widely used. All you do is turn it over for a perfect bleat or estrus bleat, depending on which can call you buy. You can also make a bleat call on a grunt tube, typically by pressing the “bleat” section, which pushes down on the reeds and produces the bleat sound.
How Often To Bleat
Typically, I’ll bleat every hour or so. Like grunts, bleats are not overly loud or disruptive and occur more frequently naturally.
Bleat Example Scenarios
- Blindly calling during the rut to mimic a hot doe.
- You see a buck with his head down, smelling the ground and cruising for a doe.
- You hear two bucks fighting and want to sound like the hot doe.
How To Rattle for Deer
When To Use a Rattle Call for Deer
I rattle lightly in the early season to sound like two bucks sparring, which sparks interest, and then I ramp it up come the pre-rut and rut to sound like two bucks fighting it out over a doe.
How To Make a Deer Rattling Sequence
In the early season, to mimic two bucks sparring, I’ll lightly tickle the tines of my antlers together, or if I’m using a rattle bag, I’ll lightly roll the bag between my hands.
During the rut, when I want to get loud, I’ll clash the rattling antlers together and aggressively clank them together, or if I’m using a bag style, I’ll clash it together hard between my hands, then roll it hard back and forth to mimic a real fight. I’ll also toss in some grunts and a bleat to paint the picture of two bucks fighting over a doe.
Tip
Don’t be too loud if you think a buck is close by, and don’t rattle when a buck is on his way to you. This could scare him off, especially if he hears the sound but doesn’t see the bucks.
How Often To Rattle
During the rut, I’ll rattle once or twice per sit. If you’ve spent time in the whitetail woods, it’s not often you hear these brawls, so rattling with consistency isn’t natural. During the early season, sometimes rattling can be effective as bucks establish a pecking order, but I keep the rattling to diurnal hours, usually just once a sit.
Rattling Example Scenarios
- Blindly rattling to pull bucks in the area to come check you out.
- You see a buck that’s far off and want to pull him towards you.
- You see a lone buck far out cruising for does.
- Early season, you tickle the antlers to sound like two bucks sparring, which hopefully brings a buck in to check you out.
Which Deer Call Should You Use During Each Phase of the Rut?
- Pre-rut: Use aggressive grunts and rattling sessions. Bucks are fired up and ready to fight for breeding rights, so use that pent-up aggression to your advantage.
- Peak Rut: Now is a great time for tending grunts and estrus bleats, mimicking a doe in heat and bucks chasing her.
- Post-rut: Go back to grunts and rattling, as it mimics bucks fighting over some of the last does to breed as the rut winds down.
Common Deer Call Mistakes
- Calling too much, or too often.
- Being too loud when a deer is close by.
- Being too quiet if a deer is far off.
- Using the wrong type of grunt for a given scenario (e.g. a tending grunt during early season when breeding isn’t happening).
- Not using the wind to your advantage and calling a buck that comes in downwind of you and then smells you.
FAQs
The best call to use is a simple grunt or bleat. These calls can be used any time of the year and will play on the curiosity factor of a deer to come check out the “other” deer they heard.
A bleat can work anytime, but works best during the rut. A buck will hear a bleat and come check it out, especially if he’s fired up and on the search for a hot doe.
For bucks, I’m grunting to make them want to come in and check out another buck. I’m pulling at their dominance strings, hoping they’ll come in to challenge me. During the rut is a great time to grunt aggressively.
Once or twice per sit. This gives a buck long enough to come check you out if he heard you and is interested. Don’t overcall; it isn’t natural in the deer woods.
Break your rattle session into two to three 7- to 10-second sections to mimic two bucks fighting, chasing, and then fighting again.
Yes. In the wild, you don’t hear a deer grunt, bleat, or rattle every 15 minutes, so don’t mimic something that’s not real. Call every hour or so to keep it realistic.