Calling Big Bucks

An interesting blog topic was proposed to me by my buddy Tom from Wisconsin.  He told me that the first time he came to Iowa, he was unsure what to do with his calls.  Tom said the rut in Wisconsin is very different from the rut in Iowa; calling works in Iowa.  I also got in a similar disucssion about calling with my brother.  He asked me when to call and what to use?  This year will be my brother's first year bowhunting.

I thought about both Tom and Ryan for a while, as well as some of my own experiences in the stand in southern Iowa.  This blog will share some of the success stories I have had calling and when I think it is appropriate to bust out the grunt tube or antlers.

Grunting

The past two years I have shot nice bucks.  Mainly, I got lucky and was in the right area when these deer came through, but it was more than just luck.  I never gave up on shooting these deer.




2009 Buck



The reason I can say I never gave up on these bucks is because both of them got past me.  The 2009 buck I shot at and missed twice.  I thought the buck was gone after the second shot, but he didn't know I was there.  He ran off about 70 yards and stopped.  At this point I didn't have anything to lose, so I grunted and snort wheezed at him.  He came back and the third shot was a charm. 





2010 Buck

In 2010, this big brute was coming through the timber at 40 yards.  I turned and grabbed my bow and when I turned to face him he was at 20 yards trotting with his nose to the ground grunting.  I was at full draw and couldn't get him stopped.  So I let him get passed me, let down, and grabbed the grunt tube.  I already knew this buck was aggressive so I threw him a deep grunt.  He wheeled around and walked right to the tree.  I shot him at 7 yards.

Grunting at a deer is like calling a turkey.  The best turkey calling you will ever have is when a turkey is in a bottom and you are on the ridge where the bird can't see if there is a hen or not.  It is better when you know there is a buck in the area (you can see it), but they really don't know if there is another deer there.  If a buck can see where the noise is coming from, and doesn't see another buck then the buck probably won't come in. 

I would not recommend blind grunting hoping to draw a deer in.  This alerts deer to your calling; similar to turkey hunting.

The multiple deer I have grunted in have been fooled by a Primos Buck Roar.  This call has been out for a few years, but Primos is still selling it for a reason; it plain works. The Buck Roar has a grunt chamber as well as a snort/wheeze chamber.

Primos Buck Roar

There should be no reason to start grunting until around Halloween.  If a buck is not responding to your grunts, it is probably because he doesn't hear you.  Grunt louder and he will either come to you or stay put.  If a buck has no reaction to the call, there is no reason to keep calling and condition other bucks in the area to your calling.

Rattling

The other aspect of calling is rattling.  I like to rattle early in the rut around Halloween, and anytime when the rut action slows down.  A little tingle of the horns can get that big boy out of his bed to see what's going on.  Unlike grunting, I like to rattle when I haven't seen any deer.  Blind rattling can provide instant action.



Rattle Bag

I remember a hunt a few years ago.  It was Halloween and my wife had been texting me to come back to Des Moines, get in costume, and hit the bars to go out for Halloween.  Well, I ignored her for a while because it was prime time to be in the stand.  The action had been slow that night, and I was thinking of leaving early to head back to DM.  Before I got down I rattled one last time.  I sat there for 10 minutes and then turned around to see a giant 10 pointer coming my way.  I got ready to shoot, but the buck never presented a shot.  He was about 45 yards and I needed him to come another 10 yards to get a shot.  This is just one example of how rattling can bring the big boys out of bed.

Rattling Antlers



I used antlers for a few years, but hated the fact that they are bulky and are difficult to keep from making noise after you are done rattling.  A rattle bag is okay, but I don't think they produce as true of a sound as antlers.  A couple years ago, Knight & Hale came out with the Pack Rack; which is what I currently use for rattling. 

Knight & Hale Pack Rack



I love this call for a few reasons:

1. The Pack Rack sounds great (same benefit of antlers)
2. The call is very compact, both ends are connected, and it is easy to pack (same benefit of a rattle bag)

Knight & Hale came out with a larger version of this as well.  That is another topic I want to discuss:  size of rattling call.  There are two schools of thought:

1. Bigger rattling call brings in bigger bucks because it represents a bigger fight.  Plus, they are louder and make more noise.
2. Smaller rattling call represents smaller bucks fighting over a hot doe which brings in the big boy because he think he can win the fight.

I like the second option.  Not all big bucks are dominant, and the dominant bucks are going to come in to see what's up no matter how loud the call is; basically the size of the fight.  This is why I carry the smaller Pack Rack; I think it attracts any buck.

In the rattling scenario above, and a grunting scenario where the buck won't commit because he doesn't see anything, those are the times when a decoy could help that buck close the distance.  You might want to try one out.  I have never decoyed, but thought about it and may start in the future.

I hope you enjoyed this blog and that it helps you this year during the rut.  Good luck and stay tuned for more updates from the stand.

Muddyhunter