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Hunting Tips | Calling and Decoys

Gain the advantage with these great deer hunting tips.

Bring your whole bag of tricks

Always carry more than one call. If the grunt call isn't working try using a softer or deeper tone than you have been using or switch to a fawn bleat. It also doesn't hurt to have the rattling antlers ready. No one sound will attract all deer. So find a call that the buck you're after will respond to. Good luck and remember above all else to be safe.

Call while walking

While walking to your hunting area during hunting season, try using the Tending Grunts, this call works best while you're on the ground and moving through the leaves. The Tending Grunt is used when a buck chases a doe as the rut approaches, he will make 7-15 soft grunts in rapid succession, while trailing her. It's a buck's way of asking her to stop so he can breed with her. While doing this call I've had many deer run up on me unexpectedly, so keep your ears and eyes open!

Calling from a stand

When you are sitting in a tree stand and are trying to grunt in a buck. Take a hose that will reach from your stand to the ground. Then when your hunting get the hose climb up to the stand and lower the hose till it touches the ground. Then grunt into the hose and the deer won't look in the tree when you grunt. Think about it, if you were on the ground and herd a grunt where would you look? You would look where the sound came from, which is the tree stand. When you grunt into your hose not only will the deer not look at you but also it makes sense that a deer wound think there is a deer on the ground grunting. I know this works because when I sit in a tree and grunt without the hose, the deer looks at me and runs off. When I grunt into the hose and the sound comes out on the ground, the deer come right to me.

Don't call to often

If you call too often, the deer will get spooked and it will sound unnatural. You should grunt every 20-30 minuets, also vary the loudness of your call. If a buck is close you don't want it to be too loud. If you see a buck 150 yards away and it is windy, blow your grunt louder until you get his attention, he will raise his head and look in your direction. Once you do this grunt softer and softer, this will signal him to come on over.

Give it a whistle

When you have that buck coming to you in your shooting lane, and he has his head down grazing. Give a little whistle and the majority of the time this will stop the deer and he'll raise his head to see what's going on. This will allow you time for that perfect shot.

Know your partner's call

If you hunt with a partner, know the sound of his calls. If you know the sound of your partner's call you won't waste your time sneaking up on your partner

Organize your calling

If hunting with a partner, simulate a group of deer by calling back and forth to each other. This may encourage a buck to walk in and see what is going on.

Secure your deer call

If your deer call doesn't have a lanyard on it, you can make one from a leather boot lace. Put the lanyard or lace around your neck and it will be there when you need it.

Start out calling low

When using a grunt call, start out calling low. You never know when a buck might be close by. Start out calling low and the buck might come right on in. If your first two calls don't bring in a buck, then you can raise your volume to reach the distant bucks.

Stop a running deer

If a whitetail deer is running away and it hasn't yet winded you, you can give a short whistle and about half the time the deer will stop and look around to see where the whistle came from. This will give you time for a quick shot, before it runs away for good.

Stopped in their tracks

During muzzle loader season my brother and I decided to do a deer drive. I went to my stand and my brother would drive this wooded area towards me. When you set up your deer drive, make sure the guy on the stand is down wind of the drive area. After a short time, I could hear the deer running and then I could see them. There were five deer and they were running like a freight train. I pulled out my coyote call (rabbit distress call) and gave it a blow. Those five deer all stopped dead in their tracks. If you prefer a standing shot, try the rabbit distress call.

Stopping a deer

Here is a trick I use and have great success with. If you have a hard time tracking a moving deer that is in range, try blowing a snort call. I have seen that calling will most often stop a deer dead in its tracks. The animal will be on the highest alert so be prepared for a quick shot. This trick is most effective when your viewing area is more open.

Try a decoy with scent

If deer decoys are legal in your state or province, try using two of them, say two deer or a deer and a turkey. Place them so they are staring at each other. This gives the illusion that the animals are looking at each other. Put some of your favorite doe in heat scent close by.

Try dove decoys

Next time you are watching your favorite area from your stand, place 3-4 dove decoys on the ground. Doves are very skittish and will take flight at the first sign of danger. Any animal that comes along and spots the doves will think all is fine. Naturally, doves must be native to your area for this to work. If they are, give it a try.

Use a turkey call

When walking to your stand use a turkey call. Use the turkey call often as you walk. This will make the deer think you are a gobbler and not a hunter. Also when sitting in your stand or even in a ground blind try using a turkey call along with your deer call. I found when I was turkey hunting I saw a fair amount of deer. After that I tried a turkey call during deer season and it works! Use the call just like you would if you were trying to call in that big tom. Before you know it, there will be a deer showing up in your hunting area. The deer hear the turkeys and figure that it is safe to go to that area if the turkeys are hanging out there. Plus both deer and turkey feed on the same clover and grasses, so if the turkeys are there, the deer will think they can find food in that area.