Every fall when doing my hunting seminars for Primos Hunting Calls I talk to a lot of hunters about deer calls. In this business you meet many experts that know about deer vocabulary. After giving them my advice on which call that I like the best, they make their purchase and head to the woods with dreams of taking that monster buck, that most of us dream about taking each year. Not sure if their new toy will work, they sit in tree stands for a few hours. Blowing the new call, they expect to see that big buck come running in on a string. This is a great plan, but unfortunately it does not quite work that way. There are three phases of the rut, pre rut, rut and post rut. A big part of calling deer is knowing what calls to use for what phase of the rut you are hunting. The rut may start in Florida weeks before it starts in Ohio. The rut will last longer in the southern states. It can last as long as a month and a half. There are generally two ruts that occur in a season. The second starts around thirty days after the first rut. This is when doe that have not been bread yet come into their second estrus usually breed .Ok lets talk some about calling. Most deer when responding to a call or rattling will approach from the downwind side so eliminating or covering human odor is a MUST. Calling near dawn or dusk is the best time. Calling near bedding, feedings or breeding areas is also good. The use of doe or buck urine when calling or rattling is also a good tactic. BUCK STUDS DROP DEAD DROPS takes the use of scents and lures to a higher level. BUCK STUDS provide the most effective method for attracting deer in close for the perfect shot. The variety of scents available enables you to use BUCK STUDS products throughout the hunting season. Remember DO NOT call too loud. So lets talk about what type of call should be made for each phase.

PRERUT - During the pre rut I like to use soft doe grunts and bleat. Bleat calling works on both bucks and does at all times of the year, especially during the early fall season. From the time a buck sheds the velvet from his
antlers he is he is ready to breed. At that time he is constantly checking out
the does, anticipating the rut . Both the bucks and does will check out the bleat sound to see where the sound is coming from. The best way to hunt the pre rut is to find a Buck's Scrape line and hunt it with out disturbing it. Look for the buck's travel zone in fencerows and thickets and keep an eye out for buck signs like rubs, scrapes and droppings. This is the time when a deer call like the Primos Power Buck and Doe MODEL # 729, works well. The Power Buck and Doe produces grunts as you exhale and bleats when you inhale. Because of the adjustable O-ring and six different setting the Power Buck and Doe is a great call for any phase of the rut.

THE RUT - When hunting the rut, I like to hunt the feeding areas, this is
where the does will be and if the does are there then the bucks will not be
far. The doe grunt, as a rule, more often brings in bucks. However, during
the rut, if you spot a buck chasing a doe, he'll more likely respond to a
buck grunt to try and defend his property and territory. When the bucks are just about to "break-loose" into the peak of the rut, rattling is deadly, I
get great response using grunting/rattling combinations or bleating/grunting
mixes. Primos has a new call out this year for rattling and grunting in bucks
its the Buck Board MODEL # 731. The 2 in 1 design is perfect for grunting and rattling. When blind grunting and rattling remember be careful with any
movements you make. A buck may approach very cautiously and spot you. On the other hand, he might come crashing in, so always be as ready as possible. In areas that the does out number the bucks ,the bucks will not have to compete for the does so rattling may not work as good as aggressive calling would.

THE POST RUT - During the late portion of the season deer begins to seek shelter from the elements. Cold weather definitely effects when, where and how much deer move. The majority of deer activity will be limited to the mid-day and late afternoon. The south slopes of ridges and draws that offer more warmth for the better portion of the day are great late season spots. Deer will bed and feed in such places throughout the day. During the last few minutes of daylight, they'll leave these daytime haunts and slip into the staging area on the outer fringes of a primary food source. I like to set up on trails leading from the bedding areas to the feeding areas. Another thing to remember when trying to decide what area to hunt you need to be as selective on which call to use also. A second rut will be coming in and you may need to change your calling tactics on a daily basis. What worked one day may not work the next. The best thing to do is play it by ear and use that call seems to fit the situation. Start out soft and if you get no reaction then gradually get more aggressive until you get a reaction form the deer. If you see a lot of fresh scrapes stay on the aggressive side of the calling range.

I have used these tactics to call in trophy bucks every year . Have faith in
your calls and making the right call for the right phase and you to can
harvest that dream buck.
Thanks and good luck.

© Copyright 2001 Donald Parker