Making the Call: When & How To Call For Deer

Understanding Buck Behavior Scenarios Will Help You Make Better Calling Decisions

By: Pat Kolbe, Buck Fever Outdoors

It was the opening night of a chilly Wisconsin Gun Season Opener, but the early afternoon action was hot. Sitting in a treestand on the outskirts of a nasty bedding thicket, I was witnessing some frantic rut action involving several does and small, immature bucks. Two basket racked bucks were wildly chasing three does in and out of the pockets of thick brush about 60 yards away. Ears pinned back, noses to the ground, and an orchestra of grunts created a scene that certainly could be paired with the very definition of ‘the rut.’ Then, all of a sudden, things went quiet, the movement stopped and I could no longer see any of the deer. 

This was my opportunity to strike. I thought if any mature buck had heard the circus that I just witnessed he just may have approached the area to check things out. I had just finished a sequence of four doe estrus bleats followed by several loud grunts, when I saw the giant central Wisconsin ten-point appear from behind a big oak tree. Seemingly being pulled by a string; he was headed directly towards the base of my tree. 

Unfortunately that is where the good memories of this story end. I was overtaken by an ironic case of ‘buck fever,’ rushed an errant shot and have been forever haunted by the miss of what would have been the largest buck I had ever taken with a gun.

Knowing When it's Time to Call

Despite my failures on executing the shot, I learned a valuable lesson that day. In retrospect, it was the perfect scenario for that specific calling sequence. There was no doubt that the circus of activity and probability of a hot doe had brought that big buck into the area. However, when things went quiet and I became aggressive with my calling, that buck just had to come searching to see if that was the action he was hearing earlier. 

The ability to understand scenarios unfolding around you in the whitetail woods can help you make the best decisions on how and when to utilize your arsenal of deer calls --- doe bleats, buck grunts and rattling. I’ll take you through four more scenarios and what you should do to take advantage of these situations.

Scenario 1: Calling Blind, No Deer in Sight

Most of the time I do not like to do a lot of ‘blind calling,’ that is, making a series of calls without having a visual of a buck. I prefer to have a buck in my vision before I call so I can analyze his behavior, mood and actions. I also feel it is so valuable to be able to judge his reaction to calls so you know what to do next. But, let’s be honest, sometimes you get bored on stand. It’s been a slow morning and you haven’t seen a tail. Maybe it’s been three hours since you last saw any movement. It just might be time to take action into your own hands and create your own deer scenario. In this case I try to paint a picture of a false scenario by utilizing multiple calls. Using my Reel Game Calls Buck Reel, I may offer a series of estrus doe bleats, followed by a series of buck grunts --- wait a few minutes and repeat. Another scenario could involve aggressive buck grunts followed by a 20-30 second crash of a pair of real shed antlers to simulate two fighting bucks. Combine the scenarios to create the illusion that two bucks are fighting over a hot doe in the area. Calling blind gives you the flexibility to create your own scenario and play it out utilizing your calls. I usually prefer to stay quiet and wait to see deer before I call, but there are times when you can make things happen by blind calling. Be ready --- don’t be hesitant to grab your bow as soon as you are done with the calling sequence --- things can happen fast, and you want to be ready if that big buck runs in to check out that false scenario you just created. 

Scenario 2: He’s in Search of Love

He’s within sight, making his way down a well-used doe trail. He’s in search mode. Nose to the ground, head and neck shifting from side to side in hopes of picking up the hot scent of a doe-in-heat. This is a perfect time for you to bust out that doe bleat can-call, and hit this love-struck buck with a series of bleats. I like to start softer, and increase my volume and tone if it’s necessary to get his attention. As soon as I get him to stop and raise his head, I’m going silent. Let him come investigate and try to find that doe. If he puts his head back down and ignores the call, I’m at him again with the doe bleat. If he hasn’t found that true scent of a hot doe, he’ll be sure to come check you out.

Scenario 3: Staking His Territory

You’re sitting in your stand and when you look to your left you can see a the top of a small sapling shaking wildly in the distance. It’s a giant buck shredding a tree, making a rub. All of a sudden he appears out of the brush, seemingly on a mission. He stops and demolishes another innocent tree, then proceeds to paw and kick the dirt back underneath an overhanging branch, claiming his territory with a fresh scrape. It’s time to challenge this buck. Grab your grunt call (I prefer a MAD Game Calls Hyper Growl) and don’t be afraid to hit this call with some volume. Many times this is all you need to grab his attention and put him on a path to seek out his opponent. If he’s not quite impressed or interested, it’s time for a territory-challenging snort-wheeze. Grab your bow --- his testosterone level is sky-high and he’s not going to accept another buck invading his space.

Scenario 4: Cruising from Afar

You’re sitting in a spot that allows you to have a wide vantage point of the area, maybe overlooking part of a field. Suddenly, there’s a giant buck cruising through the timber on the opposite field edge. As he gets out and looks to cross the cut-corn field, it’s time to grab that grunt call and get loud. Give him a series of deep buck grunts, each one increasingly louder until you know you’ve captured his attention. If he stops and locks his eyes in your direction, stop and wait for his next move. If he comes your way, stay quiet and let him maintain his approach. If he continues on his way, hit him again with a loud grunt or grab that set of horns and clash them together. Until that buck is headed your way, you can’t be too aggressive --- odds are he’s a goner anyway, set to cross that field and maybe never to be seen again.

Making it Work

Without a doubt, calling can be a tremendous weapon in the whitetail woods, adding to the hunting experience by being able to connect with a buck on his level. However, with anything related to whitetail deer, we must be careful not to be sold on the words ‘always’ and ‘never.’ There is no call or sequence of calls that ‘always’ works. Likewise, it’d be foolish to go afield without any calls claiming that calling ‘never’ works. Truth be told, calling is probably going to fail more than it is going to work - but when it does work, you could be sitting behind the buck of a lifetime. Being willing to try and experiment is step one, and being able to quickly analyze and assess each scenario so you can make the best decision on when and how to call, could be the difference maker this fall.