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How many sounds do deer
make?
Deer Talk
Vocalizations identified by Thomas Atkeson and his associates at the
University of Georgia
Snort, Bawl, Low Grunt, Grunt Snort, Grunt Snort Wheeze, Maternal Grunt,
Mew, Bleat, Nursing Whine, Tending Grunt, Flehmen-Sniff, Contact.
Maybe Duke Turnage from Primos Game Calls can helps us.
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Duke Turnage - Primos Pro Staffer |
GRUNT, RATTLE, BLEAT AND BAWL
By Duke Turnage
Primos Pro Staffer
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No, these
are not names of some guys in a rock group. They are the sounds you can
make this Fall to call deer within shooting range of gun or bow. Interpreted
by the deer that hear them, their meanings can change if used incorrectly.
Deer calling can go from good to bad in a hurry, so using them takes a
mind set of what sounds natural to a deer and what doesn’t. Let’s go over
some calls along with their applications in the woods.
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Grunt Calls-
The most common of deer calls, the grunt can be used from early to late
season. Most grunting should be contact grunts- short, single and soft
to tell deer of another deer’s presence. Use contact grunts sparingly and
if the deer is coming, stop calling. Adjustable grunt calls such as Primos
Hardwood Grunter have an “O” ring to achieve the higher; less intimidating
grunts that deer respond to better in pre-rut and post-rut times. During
the rut, tending grunts and aggressive grunts can be made if the situations
call for them. Tending grunts are easily made on in inhale-exhale dual
reed call like the Power Buck and Doe. This sound is that of a buck following
a doe and grunting every breath. Aggressive grunts are louder, longer and
deeper than contact grunts and can be that of a buck showing dominance
or a buck that has a whiff of a doe in estrus.
Rattle- Lots
of hunters have tried rattling to no avail. Two things to consider here:
Picking the right time of season and area to rattle in. Before you give
up on rattling altogether, try this; Shorten you’re rattling sequence to
just a few licks and throw in some grunts. The short sequence will get
every deer in the area to attention, then they can key in on the grunt
calls. Primos has a new rattling system called the Buck Board that is compact
and allows you to make grunts also. I believe this method works better
than the all out battle we associate with rattling.
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Bleat- the
new can calls have made bleats easy for everyone. These calls when flipped
over automatically emit a perfect bleat made by a doe in estrus. I used
one last year for the first time and believe me, they work. The key here
again is timing. Use this call when bucks are chasing does to sound like
a doe ready to be bred. They can be used along with grunt calls to simulate
a buck and doe together.
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Bawl- If
you’ve never tried this or saw it on video, it’s wild. By making the distress
bawl of a young deer, you can call does within feet at times. It keys on
her maternal instincts. This is really fun to do with kids in the late
summer, take your video camera because when it works it’s phenomenal. Let
the youngster cry on the call like a baby non-stop, but be ready for a
doe to run in! Go to a known bedding area, call a couple of minutes, and
then move to another. My daughter Casey and I have done this, it’s great!
Wear good camo and carry some water and insect repellant.
Calling deer
is unlike calling any other game. You really develop a sense of when to
stop calling than when to call again. Try something different this season,
call to the deer in your woods. Here’s wishing you many safe and successful
hunts and don’t forget to “Speak the Language”.
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DUKE TURNAGE, Primos Pro Staff |
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SELF
HELP COURSE ON DEER AND TURKEY CALLING - NATURALLY
BY
ALLEN “horntagger” MORRIS
WEEKEND’S
ONLY
Want
to become a better weekend deer hunter by calling deer while you are not
in the woods. The best thing about this is you don't need deer, the woods
or even better yet time set aside for practice, at least at the beginning.
Your
now thinking to yourself what in the world could this be to help me with
the calling deer. We'll how about calling deer without a call. Without
a call, that's what I said. Just think how great it would be to call deer
without having to move, fumble with the call or change calls.
Sounds
great to me. I am even going to include turkeys into this a little. Now
this is going to be almost impossible for me to actually show you how to
do this. Since we are not using talking papers yet. So you are going to
have to following along then, try it yourself.
LET’S TALK TURKEY
To
start with lets try calling turkeys it is easier to do and it will become
the most useful call when bow hunting. Since turkey's main line of defense
is their eyesight, the last thing you want to do is to try using a call
while pulling on a bow.
I
know some of you might think you will just use your mouth call, that's
great but some of us have trouble with using mouth calls and if a deer
comes into the picture, changing calls might just blow your chance at him.
For once lets give us an advantage and not help the wildlife with their
advantage.
Grab
you favorite call, cassette tape or videotape and just listen to it or
to it cluck. Now you put your tongue on the bottom and raise the middle/back
of your tongue and try it. Sounds bad.
Well
very few things worth doing works the first time. So just practice what
can it hurt. In 1998 bow hunting I kept seeing a lot of turkeys and had
no call so I tried it on them. Almost harvested a few birds that day as
they ran over each other to get away.
After
some practice in 1999, I watched over 156 turkeys in 76 hours of hunting
respond to me clucking. Even while working on food plots I have called
hens and gobbler within 10 feet of me.
Just
wished it was turkey season.
LETS TALK DEER
Now
let's try it on deer. In 1987 I watched a video on calling deer. The first
call I mastered was the fawn cry. This call will scare you for the first
time, if you have never used it before. It is loud, but effective at certain
times of the year with does and yearlings.
That
same deer season after a week of gun hunting on the last Saturday of the
season I thought I would try it. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. I
called for a few second. Within 30 minutes a yearling doe came within in
7 feet of me. That was my first deer.
Since
then in the summer when I see doe's in the field I practice my calling.
For example me, my wife Melanie and our friend Angie drove through Mingo
National Wildlife Refuge, Near Puxico, Missouri, when two does ran in front
of the truck into the swamp.
I
got out with my camera and before I could get any pictures they ran about
200 yards away before they stopped and looked. I started calling and one
of the does ran back within 30 yards of the truck, with me standing in
front of it taking pictures.
A
mother's instincts are strong in does. I also have seen 2 to 3 videos of
other people using fawn cries as a call and they show 3 to 5 does running
right to them.
This
call takes one or two hands cupped over your mouth, tongue on the bottom
and then opening up your hand and at the same time pinching your nose shut
and saying naa.
Try
to find some video's showing someone using a fawn cry call. Sounds like
a rabbit squeal just not has high pitched, somewhat like a sheep or goat.
I do not use this call whole lot but since in some areas of Missouri and
the United States have deer population problems I believe this call will
be used more. Don't forget, to get ready after you call some times you
don't have a lot of time.
The
next call I started using in 1999 was a deer snort. Now you say why, since
this is an alarm call, I watched this video featuring Peter Fiduccia, and
after having problems in getting to the stand in the morning even if I
tried going out an hour before daylight for the last three years. Mr. Fiduccia,
explains how deer use the snort to see if the noise in the leaves, is a
deer or a predator.
So
the first weekend of bow season in 1999, going to our stand with my friend
Steve in which I told him I was going to try this call this year. Same
as always on the way into the stand over 8 deer from different directions
started snorting. So I cupped both hands over my mouth and with the center
open at the same time blew a lot of air out and change the shape of my
mouth. Very hard to tell you without having a way to show you how it is
done. But, you get the picture.
The
deer blew back and I blew back I became a Mexican stand off. Eventually,
the deer would walk away but never ran which aloud us to get into our stands.
That morning before daylight I got to watch a doe mill around under the
stand and watch a nice 8 pointer feeding in the food plot during the morning
for over an hour, even stopping to get a drink from the watering hole.
I
use this call whenever I spook a deer and it has not seen me. After I took
a shot at a doe later that year and missed I got to listen to the doe and
yearling in which I split up snort back and fourth until they found each
other. Even during gun season I watched 5 does snort back and fourth in
a thicket until they gathered at the edge.
So
just try if after a deer snorts at you what do you have to loose, more
than likely it was going to run away anyway.
Also
I am sill working on my doe bleat, but I have not mastered this call. I
will use this call if I need a deer to stop. I just need to practice more.
The
next call of course is the grunt. I just started trying to get this call
down and as soon as I do I am going to add to this the grunt, snort, wheeze
that M.A.D. calls has added to their line in which I believe will be an
effective call right before the rut starts.
By
pinching your nose and try to make a bullfrog noise deep in the sound.
Remember it takes time. If you use hen decoys or deer decoys during deer
hunting season adding sound can only help you.
Since
we cannot make ourselves look like a deer without risk of danger at least
we can sound like one. Just remember this saying, especially when using
a decoy, If it looks like a deer, sounds like a deer and smells like a
deer it must be a deer.
FINDING THE TIME
Ok,
now that you know what the cluck, fawn cry, snort, bleat, grunt, grunt-snort-wheeze
sounds like from the calls, videos and cassettes you have listen to.
I
also told you that you would not have to set a lot of time aside to practice.
Practice while mowing the yard, trimming the yard and the best thing about
this is that no one is going to hear you but your self. Also practice on
the way to and from work. Or even when practicing using your bow during
the early fall. These are times you can't do anything else, and that is
all we need to practice.
Just
before the season, this we will need a little time to record yourself on
a cassette tape making the sounds and record the best sound from your calls
or video and or other cassettes. More than likely you can play them in
your truck or car and make your adjustment to your calling then.
If
after you have read this you don't think you can call as good as your regular
calls you are probably correct. I am not trying to totally replace all
the manmade calls I am just trying to give you another option that does
not cost you any money or a lot of time. Any way some of the calls are
so good I would only suggest using them. But, if you can master just some
of the calls just think of the possibilities,
Just
look at Mr. Ralph Duran with the Missouri Department of Conservation. He
actually does all the calls with his mouth only and does it for a living.
Plus the Indians did it also and I can even do it so I know you can.
Remember
practice, practice, and practice. Remember all you have is the weekend
to hunt. That deer or turkey that catches you off guard or without your
calls this year won't have a chance.
Hope
to see you in the woods this weekend. horntagger
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