Whitetail Grunt Call Basics

        Every year thousands upon thousands of deer calls are bought by whitetail hunters. Despite this, surprisingly few deer hunters actually rely heavily on their grunt calls. The biggest limiting factor is a lack of confidence.

        Every year more and more companies market newer, supposedly superior whitetail calls ranging from simple buck grunts and doe bleats, to sophisticated new calling sequences ranging from tending grunts and doe in heat bleats to old doe bleats and sub-dominant buck grunts. It is no wonder hunters get confused. Who can keep up with it all? Here are the basics on grunt calls and how and when to use them like an expert.

        Some folks claim to have mastered the whitetail "language," especially
grunting, but in truth it is hardly a real whitetail language. Rather, whitetails use basic vocalization to communicate feelings that range from complacency to hyper-excitement. Grunt calls aren't rut-only vocalizations. In fact, bucks grunt year round, although it does become more excitedly in the rut.

        Grunt calls are easy to successfully use. Compared to blowing a mouth call for turkeys or coyote, using a grunt tube is extremely simple to master. The most common questions are where, when and how to use a grunt call. Some expert’s advocate only grunting at bucks they actually see. Others say this is a failed formula for letting an unseen trophy buck walk, as we probably only spot half of the bucks that come within 50 to 80 yards of our stands. Grunt calls are designed to produce sounds that carry farther than we see, penetrating thick cover hundreds of yards away. This is why many successful whitetail hunters keep a grunt tube handy and use them every 8 to 12 minutes.

        One of the biggest shortcomings of many whitetail hunters using a grunt call is not getting aggressive enough with their calling. Bucks will often completely ignore timid calling. When concentrating on the scent of a hot doe, a buck often is not listening that intently or is a buck always likely to respond. Aggressive grunting usually will evoke some kind of reaction, ranging from a buck turning to come running in to as subtle as raising their head and cupping their ears in the direction of the grunting.

        When grunting at a buck you have spotted, start out with a grunt of normal volume. If this does not draw action, you can nearly double the amount of air thrust into a grunt tube call until you get a buck's attention. Let a buck's actions dictate how you call from there, but don't be timid when you need to be aggressive with your calling.

       

  Dominant buck calling is the rage, but don’t overlook the so-called“contact grunt,” that is made when bucks are seeking company. This is a common vocalization made by young bucks, especially in the pre-rut.During the rut these vocalizations are largely ignored by older, more dominant bucks, which usually are more responsive to the so-called “tending grunts”. These are the grunts made by an excited buck that's tending a near estrus doe. Tending grunts often draw investigation by big bucks hoping to drive off the tending buck so they can breed the doe.

        Two secrets to grunt calling success are the degreeof enthusiasm put into you calling, and volume of your grunt calling efforts. It's amazing just how much difference attention to these two aspects of call can make. A few years ago while bow hunting at a ranch in southern Texas, I spotted a buck knifing it’s way through a tangle of mesquite away from my tripod stand. Hoping to change its direction,I pulled a grunt tube from my pocket and let out an excited, loudgrunt. The buck snapped to attention. Its head turned – eyes riveted onthe direction of the grunting sounds.

        When he turned to look back where he was headed, I grunted lower a second time.
The buck and I played this cat and mouse game for almost ten minutes. The buck was intently looking my direction at every call, but not budging.I did not want to over-call the buck lest it would spot me and bolt.Without warning the buck turned to leave. In desperation I pointed mytube call away from the buck, hitting it several times with great excitement in an effort to sound like a ready to breed buck moving away with a doe. The buck froze for an instant, then came my way at first with very deliberate steps, then finally pushing it up a notch to alight gallop. That buck went from passive to excited within seconds ofthe switch in calling technique.
 
       When it comes to grunting, don’t be afraid to experiment. Blow your calls out from your tree stand, not downward. The latter creates the illusion of a buckbeing right under your tree stand. When you have a buck's attention,bend the plastic tube so you send sounds to the side of or behind yourstand. Get in the habit of changing the direction of your grunt tube soyou can make it sound like a buck is on the move. Use a grunt call that can be adjusted to produce a variety of pitches. There are times whenone certain sound carries better than another.
       
        Grunt calls will suffice 80 to 90 percent of your whitetail vocalization needs. Those old deep guttural grunts work year in and year out, but now and then grunting in a higher pitch will do the trick. The key is, be versatile, creative, bold and sometimes aggressive to improve your whitetail grunt call success.