Do Bleat (and other) calls actually work?

[AngryIdahoan]

Looking to try some calling for white tail to see if it ups my game, wondering if others use any calls and if they actually work and have upped success. I’ve had great success bugling in bulls and want to know if there’s something similar for white tail

 

[SuperDUECE22]

rattling, grunting, snort wheezing & doe n fawn bleats can all work great. Just depends on the animal and time of year, some are more susceptible to calling than others.

 

[Randle]

Maybe 20/80 up here. I have called deer in with rattling and bleats/grunts but also killed way more moving and still hunting.
But I am not a sitter so that could be part of it. After I call I like to sit for an hour and just have a hard time doing that .

 

[Broomd]

My wife has killed some real toads with using her bleat can. She has total faith in that thing when I almost refuse to use it.

She pulled a 6.5 y/o gnarly, wily deer out of heavy cover at 3pm, 11/25/19--that buck had seen it all. He's the oldest buck on our wall, never would have happened without that bleat call. I watched her work that beast like she owned him, in the end she did!

 

[Thunt22]

My wife has killed some real toads with using her bleat can. She has total faith in that thing when I almost refuse to use it.

She pulled a 6.5 y/o gnarly, wily deer out of heavy cover at 3pm, 11/25/19--that buck had seen it all. He's the oldest buck on our wall, never would have happened without that bleat call. I watched her work that beast like she owned him, in the end she did!

If you’re gonna tell us that, at least give us the brand

 

[Broomd]

If you’re gonna tell us that, at least give us the brand

 

[Jonesry09]

It's amazing how different whitetails can be. In Alberta, I would say 75% of the time that I rattled, some sort of buck would show up. Not always committed to coming in, sometimes just to the field edge to see what was going on. My 3 biggest bucks all came in to me rattling and grunting.

Since moving to Minnesota, I have yet to rattle (or call at all) a buck out/in. They seem to be so call shy in the west metro in MN.

 

[Erict]

One thing I can say about "the Can" bleat call is that I have never had a deer RUN away from it or get nervous by the call. Most often, they will stop and look back to the sound, sometimes they will continue on their way and sometimes come towards.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I grunted in a red fox on Tuesday, so the call kinda worked.

 

[Wilderness Spirit]

Grunted in two Whitetails the first week of November. The first one a seven point was at 25 yds. when I grunted to him. He turned and walked away. At about 50 yds. I gave him another short series with the same result. When he was at 120 yds. I grunted to him again. This time he turned and walked to me. At 25 yds. he turned and quartered in front of me. I stopped him at 25 yds. and sent an arrow into him. He piled up about 50 yds.. away.
The second one a six point came right in from 100 yds. out and passed by at 20 yds.
The grunt call has worked for me quite a few times over the last several years.

 

[Rich M]

Yes

It is the when where and how much that matters. 3rd week of season on heavily hunted public land, not so much.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

As stated, a lot depends on time of year, but deer make all sorts of vocalizations year round. I find tending grunts work best here in the Southeast and not the big bodacious grunts.

However, I did kill a big, wide, thick 7 point several years ago with a grunt and snort-wheeze that pulled him back towards me to investigate. Was New Year’s Day which is pre-rut to early rut on our property in Alabama


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[BriarBuster]

I have found grunting to be very effective in michigan, during pre-rut and rut. That said, I have never even come close to success trying to rattle. I have also whitetail hunted a little in arkansas and found grunting worked well there.

 

[Matt79]

I’ve killed probably about 15 bucks in Michigan that were called to the tree, with a combination of aggressive grunting and using the “can” call. I’ve passed on probably at least double that many that came in but I didn’t draw the bow on.

 

[Yoder]

I've had all of them work sometimes. Last week I called in a small buck using the can doe bleat. He came in, looked around then left. I called again about 15 min later and he came back. The can has worked for me more than anything else. Grunt calls come in second followed by rattling. I'm hunting PA public land so there aren't a ton of bucks running around.

 

[hiker270]

Depends on the deer and what part of the season your hunting. If your hunting public land where every hunter is honking on a grunt tube or turning a can over then the odds are way down.

 

[MallardSX2]

Never had any luck with the can call. Grunted in and rattled in a LOT of deer over the years though.

 

[Cedarsavage]

They have to hear it for it to work. I've shot a couple bucks that came to the bleat, changed their course and came in.

 

[saltfork]

Like some others have said, it can vary widely. When the rut is on, and bucks are really aggressive, with a snort wheeze, I can usually get a cruising buck to come investigate at least. Sometimes it just sends them running the other way.

 

[YellCoAR]

First hand experience. I took my son hunting a couple weeks ago. He was set up about 80 yards on the other side of a ridge from me. I had a mature buck come 25 yards under me. It had long main beams and eye guards but no other points. I did not want to shoot it. I knew my son would shoot it. So I text my son to rattle his horns. I could hear the rattle clearly. The buck picked his head up and looked in his direction. Then he turned in the other direction and walked away.
I had a few mature bucks come strait in. Just have to catch them in the right mood I guess.