What would you do?

[Uncle Bubba]

Here's a scenario that I'd like some feedback on.

Earlier this week after sitting for several hours and seeing no deer activity, I decided to rattle. Within 5 minutes a small 6 point walked up to check it out, and then he slowly walked off.

Fast forward to this morning, sitting silently in my ground blind the same 6 point came cruising by around 7am and another 4 point about 30 minutes later. Around 9am off in the distance around 100 yards away I see a very mature buck easing along the fence line that separates my property from my neighbors. My neighbors property is 100 acres and the lady does not let anyone hunt on her property and I know this buck is not going to cross onto my property.

My question is what would you do to get his attention to possibly come where you are.

Do you:

• Bleat
• Grunt
• Rattle (after already having success with it earlier in the week)

I decided to rattle and the buck wanted no part of it. He bolted off like a wildcat and ran across the field & back into the woods. I have rattled for years with success and have never had 1 react the way this buck did.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Omega]

Here's a scenario that I'd like some feedback on.

Earlier this week after sitting for several hours and seeing no deer activity, I decided to rattle. Within 5 minutes a small 6 point walked up to check it out, and then he slowly walked off.

Fast forward to this morning, sitting silently in my ground blind the same 6 point came cruising by around 7am and another 4 point about 30 minutes later. Around 9am off in the distance around 100 yards away I see a very mature buck easing along the fence line that separates my property from my neighbors. My neighbors property is 100 acres and the lady does not let anyone hunt on her property and I know this buck is not going to cross onto my property.

My question is what would you do to get his attention to possibly come where you are.

Do you:

• Bleat
• Grunt
• Rattle (after already having success with it earlier in the week)

I decided to rattle and the buck wanted no part of it. He bolted off like a wildcat and ran across the field & back into the woods. I have rattled for years with success and have never had 1 react the way this buck did.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Maybe a buck decoy, then grunt and see if he takes the bait, of course he may just be a wuss and want no part of any confrontation, so a doe decoy and some bleats may be better.

 

[cbhunter]

Snort wheeze

 

[mike243]

Doe bleat, sounds like he doesn't like to fight

 

[cbhunter]

Wonder if he heard you earlier in the week and got down wind of you and smelled you. He reacted that way for a reason. What is was is anyone's guess

 

[DMD]

Must be a bigger buck in the area. Either that, or he was just a little close and it startled him. 100 yards isn't near as far in a field as it is in hardwood timber as far as sound is concerned. If it were me, I'd try to coax him in with bleats and softer grunts. Convince him there is a doe in rhe area. He may be long gone for the day, but you never know. They will circle back around to satisfy their curiosity. Good luck.

 

[deerhunter10]

Grunt or bleat. Rattling while it works some, can have the most negative reaction.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Grunting sequence to sound like a buck chasing a doe, short sharp grunts and end with a long grunt.

Why he reacted that way is anyone's guess. Could be he busted a hunter rattling before, or a number of other reasons.

 

[JRC1]

My guess is he is associating rattling with humans for some reason. I would avoid it if trying to kill that particular deer

 

[dsa5455]

I try to never assume that a deer is not coming to my side of the fence during the rut. That is more to keep me mentally in the game. When they are on the move they travel everywhere. Maybe consider switching your location a bit just in case. As for calls, the grunt call has worked for me on rare occasions. If you have eyes on him you might try a snort wheeze. I just try to not do any of it very much. Hope you get yourself a big one.

 

[Ski]

If he's been whooped before then he could react that way. Bucks endure horrible damage in fights. Also if you're rattling and he can't see the bucks making that noise then that could startle him.

Right now bucks aren't having to compete for a hot doe. A week or two ago they did. A week or two from now they will again. But right now there should be plenty women to go around. Timing matters. I like to match the hatch like with fly fishing. Right now bucks are chasing does and grunting every other step, sometimes frantically. Cruising bucks are grunting as they walk. Try sounding like them. Does being chased are letting out short whiny bleats as they run. Mix that sound in a bit to make a buck think there's a hot doe being pursued.

Basically try to understand the phase of rut you're in a mimic the appropriate sounds. Once most does have been bred there'll be a lot more cruising and some fighting again. But right now it's a party and everyone is having fun so might not get best results with the horns.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Start with a few soft grunts and see how he reacts...then step it up from there...but dont beat yourself up....you know he's in the area...stay after him...good luck!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Right now bucks are chasing does and grunting every other step, sometimes frantically. Cruising bucks are grunting as they walk. Try sounding like them.

Yep, watching them do this in the field really helps a hunter understand how to mimic these calls. Deer are extremely vocal right now, and getting one to come to a call is really not that tough especially if you catch them at just the right time. Pops and clicks right now would also be ideal, if you knew how to use your call to make those sounds. I have tried with one of my calls and am able to make the click sounds most of the time when I try, but haven't perfected it.

Another thing that helps is if you can make your call come from where the deer can't see. Having a ridge behind you or other terrain features that force the deer to come looking for the action.

 

[XCR-2]

Ask for forgiveness

 

[Mr.Bro]

Oh yes they have reacted that way. You just didn't see them.
My guess is there is a more dominant buck he is scared of.
Try just tickling the horns on a medium to large buck
Good luck.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

Should have hit him with doe bleats while he walking. If it caught his attention then wait on his reaction if he doesn't turn and come to you let him keep walking then hit the tending buck grunts but make sure your casting the calls away from him.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

Another thing. Take that rattling horn and put it behind the tree you're in and rub it.

 

[rifle02]

He didn't get to be very mature as you said by falling for rattling tricks. He's likely had at least one close call with a hunter that educated him. When he heard rattling without seeing what he was expecting it was his cue to boogy.

 

[Coker]

I thought you were going to ask if we would shoot or not.
I plead the 5th

 

[Uncle Bubba]

I thought you were going to ask if we would shoot or not.
I plead the 5th

Trust me, the devil is tempting me hard!

 

[Ski]

Another thing that helps is if you can make your call come from where the deer can't see. Having a ridge behind you or other terrain features that force the deer to come looking for the action.

That is probably the most critical part of calling. Doesn't matter if you're calling a buck or a turkey, they won't come in if they can see where the sound is coming from but can't see the source.

Imagine sitting in your living room hearing someone talking to you from across the room but nobody's there. It would weird you out. But if you heard that same talking coming from another room then you'd go investigate. Same thing with deer.

 

[Snake]

Light grunt if he spooked that quick.

 

[Dumbluck]

I never rattle at a buck I can visually see. I will always let them walk off for a minute out of sight before rattling. They are smart enough to know how close you are and can pinpoint noise much better than we can. If they look where the fight should be and see nothing an older deer will typically respond as that buck did.

When I need a deer to turn I typically start out with the softest grunt I can and I watch his ears, not his head. If he cocks an ear then he heard you. I'll try another soft grunt again after I know he heard me and watch to see if he stops or continues. No matter what he does at this point I remain silent to see what he does. If he continues and starts to get out of sight I will snort wheeze. After that I will wait a while at least 5 to 10 minutes and see if he responds. If he does not after being completely out of sight will try a very short rattle sequence and then I'm done.

I've had some bucks come back 20 to 30 minutes later to investigate.

 

[Uncle Bubba]

Must be a bigger buck in the area. Either that, or he was just a little close and it startled him. 100 yards isn't near as far in a field as it is in hardwood timber as far as sound is concerned. If it were me, I'd try to coax him in with bleats and softer grunts. Convince him there is a doe in rhe area. He may be long gone for the day, but you never know. They will circle back around to satisfy their curiosity. Good luck.

Yes, there are some pretty large mature bucks on the property that we are not allowed to hunt. This 100 acres is sandwiched by my property on 1 side and my cousins property on the other side. The lady that owns it will let us bush-hog and cut hay off of the property (80% of the property is heavy timber) but she doesn't want anyone hunting on it. This property was originally my
great-grandparents farm so I know it like the back of my hand & it hasn't really been hunted in over 30yrs.

This particular buck didn't hesitate, with the 1st "clang" of the antlers he was gone like he was shot out of a cannon. He didn't blow or anything else, didn't even raise his tail. I regularly see the mature bucks at the fence line but only the young bucks come across the line from their "sanctuary". I've been trying for years to draw the bigger bucks over with no luck.

My property is all timber and that's what I hunt, there is a creek that separates our 2 properties with an old fence line and then there is a small field we bush-hog and it is very common to find multiple rubs like this at the edges.

 

[chris1976]

Here's a scenario that I'd like some feedback on.

Earlier this week after sitting for several hours and seeing no deer activity, I decided to rattle. Within 5 minutes a small 6 point walked up to check it out, and then he slowly walked off.

Fast forward to this morning, sitting silently in my ground blind the same 6 point came cruising by around 7am and another 4 point about 30 minutes later. Around 9am off in the distance around 100 yards away I see a very mature buck easing along the fence line that separates my property from my neighbors. My neighbors property is 100 acres and the lady does not let anyone hunt on her property and I know this buck is not going to cross onto my property.

My question is what would you do to get his attention to possibly come where you are.

Do you:

• Bleat
• Grunt
• Rattle (after already having success with it earlier in the week)

I decided to rattle and the buck wanted no part of it. He bolted off like a wildcat and ran across the field & back into the woods. I have rattled for years with success and have never had 1 react the way this buck did.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

They have probably reacted that way many times you have rattled but you never saw them.