grunt calls for blacktails?

Fishbone · 10-23-2003, 05:38 PM

I have only heard what I believed to have been blacktail bucks "grunting" on a few occasions. Does anyone have any experience using a grunt call to attract blacktails? I have been curious about this for a while, and I think I will take a call with me when I hunt the last part of the season in November.

If anyone has any experiences to share or advice to offer I would enjoy reading about it.

Thanks, and best of luck!

10-23-2003, 05:58 PM

In SE Alaska we used a bleat call similar to a dying rabbit coyote call.

Mello-Yello · 10-23-2003, 06:30 PM

Bleat calls (fawn distress) have never become mainstream hunting gear, but there are a lot of old-timers (not referring to you Keta

)that use them very successfully. When I lived on the Kitsap Peninsula in WA, there were a handfull of guys that rattled with very good success also. As for grunt calls, I'm only aware of folks using them in conjuction with rattling, or to stop a moving buck.

I have about two hours of vhs footage a friend of mine took of him calling Mule Deer w/his coyote call (doing bleats). Mostly does w/fawns and a few small to medium bucks. But they really come running to see what's wrong.

I think the key is, patience. In order to have the patience needed, you have to really believe that what you're doing is gonna work. I've never had the patience, but would like to try rattling some cold, clear morning during the late archery hunt.

M-Y

nitrobass · 10-23-2003, 07:34 PM

I've called in does with the distress bleat, never a buck though. I could see maybe a buck following along during the rut but I've never used it then. I've had does come in with their ears pinned back on the dead run. Fun stuff.

Never had much luck with a grunt call for blacktails but I rarely think to use it. I have rattled in some big bucks though without the help of a grunt call.

Ragnar · 10-24-2003, 05:20 AM

For what it's worth.... Cabela's sells a Primos Brand "Blacktail/Muley" Buck grunter. Very deep and raspy. Sounds good if nothing else.
Good luck,
Ragnar

Norm · 10-24-2003, 08:09 AM

I've never heard a blacktail grunt, they always seem to wheeze and snort

. Rattling and throwing in a few snorts seems to work better for me on the westside. Most of the time they sneak up in stealth mode to see whats up. Nothing like have a deer sneak up 5 feet behind you and snort when they figure out your not a deer :shocked: (time for some new shorts). I tried a grunt call a few times, but it didn't seem to make difference. The problem I ran into was rattling a blacktail close enough to get a shot. They are really careful when they come into a rattle. I'm going to try a rattle one in for my son and nephew this year in the late season, but I'm going to position myself 75yds behind them.

riverraider · 10-24-2003, 04:53 PM

grunting and rattling does work for blacktails, but only during the rut. The warm weather in southern oregon has pushed things back a little but its worth trying in the morning during the last week to week-and-a-half of the season.

Fishbone · 10-24-2003, 05:37 PM

Thanks for the notes. My father and I are planning to give rattling a first-try later on in November. I'll post on my experiences.

Thanks again.

McBaine · 10-24-2003, 09:51 PM

From my understanding blacktail bucks don't respond the same way as most whitetails do. Basicly because whitetails are far more aggressive during the rut. But it really depends on the buck and probably could be done. The one problem being if you over call, he wont come.

Chromaflage · 10-27-2003, 06:59 AM

Interestingly enough, over last weekend, I heard two grunts - two different deer, two differnt places - and they were only single grunts. Both were jumped from their beds. Never did see them, brush was very thick.

Other than that - a very rare occurrence. I have also heard a doe bleat after picking off her buck. A decent 3x3 a rew years ago was herding his harem down a trail and accross my path. I watch 3 doe cross, then waited. About two minutes later, the buck sticks his head out from behind a tree - dropped him right there. For a good half hour following, I had to listen to one of the doe whistle and bleat about 200 yards from there.

ORS

Steelie Ben · 10-27-2003, 03:07 PM

Interesting thing happened to me this weekend hunting the cascades. I was hunting a gated road with a buddy, he is rehabing a broken femur and ankle. We sat down to rest about 1.5 miles backe this road so I figured I would try some grunting to see if anything happened. I did some short attention grunts followed by a longer grunt that increased in volume at the end. About 5 minutes after finishing grunting we heard some ruckus in the brush in front of us. I grunted some more and it kept coming, when I stood up to get a better shot if it was a buck I spooked it and it ran off. I would put money on it that it was a buck due to all the rubs and scrapes in the area but I will never know.
SB

Steve Seeger · 10-28-2003, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Norm:
Nothing like having a deer sneak up 5 feet behind you and snort when they figure out you're not a deer :shocked: (time for some new shorts).

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Be careful to watch your backtrail! It's not just deer that'll sneak up to your call... then it'll really be time for the new shorts. Check out my story "Still Trying for My First Deer" & the recent "Cougar Encounter" thead for plenty of examples. I'm starting to think it might not be such a good idea to use a call if I don't have a buddy along to watch my back.

Steve Seeger

Fishbone · 10-30-2003, 05:40 AM

On Saturday evening, during the last 20 minutes of dusk, I listened to a deer grunt about 15 times. Although I tried to quietly reposition myself, darkness fell before I could spot him/her. I was hunting over a few heavily-used trails in a wooded area adjacent to an old (5 yr) clear-cut. The deer was probably less than 50 feet away from me, but my vision was obscured by a lot of dry brush. It would have been fun to identify the animal and watch it while it was grunting. Truth-be-told though, however, if I had spotted it and it was a good buck I probably would not have done much in the way of 'watching & listening.'

Planning to stake out the same area this weekend, and possibly try a little rattling.

BIG4_score · 10-30-2003, 05:33 PM

Primos makes a call named the "can" I have used it for a couple of years along with several of the local bowhunting crowd here in eugene and have had surprisingly good luck. Give it a whirl, its not that costly and you may be surprised! :grin: