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Grunt calls

DroptineKrazy

DroptineKrazy

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
3,050
Location
Brunswick, Maine
Who's using what? and lets hear some success stories that were the results of using a grunt call. Don't leave out the brand of call either. I wanna know what works for you guys.
 
I've grunted in and killed three bucks.
The first was circa 2003 with a H.S. True Talker, never saw the deer just woke before hand just woke up from a nap, scanned the field and blind grunted a mature buck up from the creek bed 75 yards away.
The second was 2015 or 16. Saw a buck working a scrape line on the far side of the same creek about 100 yards away. Grunted at him twice to turn him around and once more to convince him to cross that same creek for a 15 yard bow shot. I believe that was a buck commander grunt tube.
The last was this past rifle season.thought I heard a grunt coming from that same creek so I responded. Had no response so after 2 minutes I grunted again and a few minutes later a buck came in from the hill behind me. This was with the buck commander grunt tube.

The first buck was a mature deer 4 1/2 at least, the other two were 2 1/2 year old deer


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HS True Talker. There was a solid crust on the snow, it sounded like breaking glass when you walked. I was on day 4 of a remote tent hunt and ready to quit and come home, but a buddy of mine showed up for one day so I stayed to accommodate him. I found a fresh buck track, he had just worked a scrape, so I started off after him, it wasn’t long and I knew this was a mess, smashing that crust I sounded like a bulldozer going through the woods, so I stopped in a horrible spot and blew on the grunt call a couple times, defeated and ready to quit I was just about to leave when I thought I heard something way in the distance, after a few more grunts on the call it got closer, eventually I could tell a deer was coming, this whole ordeal probably took almost 40 minutes, he would walk and then stop, and then I would grunt, over and over this went on, finally he was getting close, I had one shooting lane down and old logging skid trail, I was rattled pretty bad and that’s not like me usually, his nose hit that trail, then rack, and I dumped him right there. The drag was brutal and we had to bring him out by canoe, the buck was nothing special by rack standards but it was a great hunt. HS True Talker is all I use anymore.
 
I blind grunted in a 2.5 year old a few years back using an “Extinguisher” It was sometime around thanksgiving.

I had another encounter, but I can’t say for sure if it was coincidence or my calling that brought the deer in….To be honest, I never saw the deer until I checked my camera on my way out. Big 8pt came through about 50 yards above me that morning.

That may have been a different grunt call, but I can’t think of the name.
 
Last edited:
2003
1st day (early October)

had a small 2 yr old Y buck walking away at like 60 yards. Grunted and he turned and walked right in to 20

I used it as just a natural call and I think he just felt comfortable
 
I just remembered another encounter where I called in a 1 1/2 year fork horn with grunting and then kept bringing him back as he would walk off, he came back into bow range three times before he stared from a distance at my tree and then moved off.

Me and a friend also grunted and rattled a buck in once but can't attribute that to grunting solely.

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I will not hunt without a grunt tube I consider it that vital. I've killed multiple bucks that were out of range and got them to investigate the source of the sound killing them.
However, I do not ever blind call. Years ago I blind called on a pretty quiet day. Wasnt 10 minutes later I saw a nice buck circle downwind of me maybe 140ish yards away and he got me. I use it when I see him and know he isn't coming my general direction. I use a woodhaven tube. Excellent call
 
Like everything else this stuff is regional too, in NY you mite as well throw a hand grenade at deer versus rattling, the one time I hunted Kansas after 2 dry days I finally tried rattling like the big shots on tv and guess what it works, all my action that week was while rattling.
 
I watched a doe run into a thicket of young pine trees while I was elevated in the tree. I rappeled down and went after her. The thicket of pines had a fire buffer all the way around it that was grown up enough there was no way to walk thru the grass/scrub without making a bunch of noise. Once I was on the downwind side I slowly took some steps thru the loud stuff toward the pines the doe was hiding in. 5-10 slow but deliberate steps and soft grunt, wait, move and grunt, wait, etc. It worked to get me into the pine thicket and within bow range but the pines were to dense/thick to allow me to see the deer for a shot. I heard her get up and move around in there, I'd grunt and move a couple steps closer. She must have thought I was just a horny young buck and allowed me inside the kill bubble.

All other experiences have been negative or had no effect

Cheap flextone
 
The Away call has is my go to everyday call. I use it exclusively as a soft doe bleat. Works amazingly well in thick cover where the bucks can't see that far and has to come closer to get a look. I have had good luck with this call all during the season and have called in dozens of bucks. To many to detail but a couple that stick out: Had a very nice 8 point come by during peak of rut and he was nose deep in a doe and out of range. Gave him a bleat and he turned and looked .... hit him again when his attention went back to the doe he was following. He eventually followed his doe into bedding cover. 3 hours later he came back looking for the doe that had called to him. One call and I had him on a string. Ended up shooting that buck at 25 yards. Another buck I had at 75 yard end of December and he was really spooky. I bleated to him and he stopped and looked. Every time he would look forward like he was going to keep on his current path I would bleat at him. Took a few minutes but eventually he came right at me and I killed him at 10 yards. Another buck I was watching chase a doe all around the islands and cattails I was hunting. She eventually came by me at 50ish yards but the buck lost her location as he was in the cattails. He popped out, stopped and looked for her. Hit with with a bleat and over he came at a fast walk. The doe must have been pissed another doe was after her buck because she let out a really loud, extended bleat and took off running and or course he turned and went after her. No doubt she saved his life that day . I did not close the deal on the that buck but a super exciting encounter. I have much better luck using the doe bleat vs a buck grunt and reading the deer and calling at the right times are the key. Nothing works all the time but I won't hunt without my Away call. It has proven it's worth time and time again.
 
I use it all the time. I blind call in super heavy cedar swamp and it gets bucks killed.
 
michigandrake said:
The Away call has is my go to everyday call. I use it exclusively as a soft doe bleat. Works amazingly well in thick cover where the bucks can't see that far and has to come closer to get a look. I have had good luck with this call all during the season and have called in dozens of bucks. To many to detail but a couple that stick out: Had a very nice 8 point come by during peak of rut and he was nose deep in a doe and out of range. Gave him a bleat and he turned and looked .... hit him again when his attention went back to the doe he was following. He eventually followed his doe into bedding cover. 3 hours later he came back looking for the doe that had called to him. One call and I had him on a string. Ended up shooting that buck at 25 yards. Another buck I had at 75 yard end of December and he was really spooky. I bleated to him and he stopped and looked. Every time he would look forward like he was going to keep on his current path I would bleat at him. Took a few minutes but eventually he came right at me and I killed him at 10 yards. Another buck I was watching chase a doe all around the islands and cattails I was hunting. She eventually came by me at 50ish yards but the buck lost her location as he was in the cattails. He popped out, stopped and looked for her. Hit with with a bleat and over he came at a fast walk. The doe must have been pissed another doe was after her buck because she let out a really loud, extended bleat and took off running and or course he turned and went after her. No doubt she saved his life that day . I did not close the deal on the that buck but a super exciting encounter. I have much better luck using the doe bleat vs a buck grunt and reading the deer and calling at the right times are the key. Nothing works all the time but I won't hunt without my Away call. It has proven it's worth time and time again.
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Who makes that call? Never heard of it.
 
I use a grunt call during the rut. It’s a cheap, it even sure the brand. Have blind called in a 4.5 year old one time. Usually it’s just 1.5 to 2.5s.
 
BTaylor said:
Primos rubberneck worked well for me until I left it in a tree about 15 year ago. Have voiced grunted a few in as well, mostly young dumb ones.
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I'd like to get good at voice grunting. I was reading an article about some alleged expert who was going to break it down, but lost track and don't know what came of his future instruction. I did yell "stop you son of a *****" at a running buck and it gave me the chance to kill him, but don't think that counts as voice grunting.

I have had results from using every grunt I've used. The two I haven't lost are a MAD inhale/exhale and I think an old Buck Roar. I had some Quaker Boy ones that were just as good. Can't say the brand has been a difference maker for me, although I know some people swear by their brand/ model.
 
use your own vocal cords for calling, sounds better than something you can buy.
 
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