The biggest buck I’ve ever had the opportunity to kill strolled right into range after a simple sequence on my grunt tube. I hadn’t seen the buck, but tried blind calling during a break in the 20 mph gusts ripping through the Midwestern timber. One of the many things I learned from that hunt is that I’d been wasting a lot of time by packing my grunt tube but never actually using it until that hunt. That encounter gave me the confidence to grunt in and shoot two nice bucks in Missouri in the following two years, and I managed to call in a half a dozen other bucks — both out-of-range shooters and younger bucks alike — along the way. And I did it by following the tips below, and breaking some of those rules, too.
Related: The Best Deer Calls of 2024
While there are plenty of ways to call deer, in this story we’re primarily going to cover when and how to use a grunt call for bucks. That’s why we pulled together advice from some of our best whitetail contributors over the years, plus fresh tips from other diehard deer hunters. Learning how to use a grunt tube effectively isn’t difficult as long as you keep in mind that it’s like any other tool or tactic in the whitetail woods. Deploying a grunt tube might not work, and it can actually screw you up when it would’ve been best to keep your mouth shut. But occasionally, it will help you grunt in and shoot a nice buck you’d never have seen otherwise. Here’s how to do it. —Natalie Krebs
Understanding 4 Key Deer Vocalizations
The following bit of information may astound you, or it may just convince you that some wildlife biologists are working too many late hours trying to justify their grants. Either way, here it is: In a massive study at the University of Georgia, approximately 400 different whitetail vocalizations were identified and recorded in a captive deer herd and categorized into 12 different types of calls. A few members of my hunting club don’t have that rich a vocabulary.
That 1988 study remains the biggest piece of published research ever conducted on whitetail vocalizations. Grunts, bleats and other calls are now considered essential tactics. Making them, however, is not as simple as blowing on a tube. For example, a hunter must know the difference between a “tending grunt” and a “dominant grunt” to learn how to use a grunt tube, or he might chase off the buck he’s attempting to call. So how do you make sense of it all? Start here. These four sounds rank among the most important in the whitetail’s vocabulary. Master them and you’ll gain the upper hand in the deer woods.
Photo by Michael Tatman / Adobe Stock
Bleats
Fawns, does and bucks all use bleats during fall, but fawns make the sound more frequently than adult deer do. In the first four months of a fawn’s life, its bleat is best described as a high-pitched neeeah sound. By October, however, the fawn’s vocal cords have begun to mature and its bleat begins to resemble that of a doe or a young buck, which sounds like naaah. I’ve watched does and fawns spontaneously bleat while grazing and walking in the woods. On other occasions I’ve witnessed what appeared to be a doe or fawn using the bleat to communicate with other deer from a distance. When a buck hears this sound, he’ll often associate it with a doe group and come to check out its source.
I use the bleat in several different ways. If the action is slow while I’m set up over a doe decoy and there’s no sign of deer in the area, I’ll give off a couple of bleats to see if I can attract a buck that might be within earshot. Or I might use the bleat when I’m on watch and haven’t seen any deer for some time. I’ll bleat two or three times in an attempt to get a buck’s attention. When I bleat in this way, I do it loudly so that the sound will project at least 100 yards in every direction. I’ve also successfully incorporated a bleat call into my rattling sequence. Two or three bleats just before and after the rattling sequence often will be exactly what it takes to bring a buck to the antlers.
On the whole, the bleat is one of the most versatile calls a hunter can use. It works well from September through January and in nearly every kind of situation you’ll encounter.
Yearling Grunt
Bucks that are one and a half years old haven’t matured enough to make deep, guttural vocalizations, so their grunts sound very much like those made by adult does. Because of their similar tone, I group yearling buck grunts and doe grunts together. These grunts sound like someone burping (grrrunt) and are generally short or medium in length and soft to moderate in volume.
Does and yearling bucks use a soft grunt for a variety of purposes, but most frequently it is used as a locator call. In addition, they might give off a grunt during a confrontation with another deer over food. When this happens, the grunting deer’s body language can range from ears pulled back to standing on its hind legs to fight off the intruder. When used as a locator call, this grunt is made as the deer walks through the woods or responds to the vocalization of another deer. Does and especially bucks often give off grunts as they travel during the autumn months.
If I see a buck moving through the woods at a distance, I’ll grunt to get his attention. If he starts toward me I won’t call again unless he stops. When this happens, I’ll call again to try to get him to come back. If I hear a buck grunt (and I haven’t initiated his grunt), I’ll grunt right back at him. If a buck is in the mood to vocalize, you need to try to call him to your location. As with the bleat, incorporating this grunt into a rattling sequence is also a great tactic.
Dominant Grunt
The dominant buck grunt is very similar to that of an adult doe or yearling buck, but with one very distinct difference: it’s much deeper. If you happen to hunt in an area that has a good adult buck population, you’ll want to master this sound. It’s a great call to use on a dominant buck during the heat of the rut. Most mature bucks are very aggressive during this time and it takes very little for them to come running. There are two 160-class whitetails hanging on my office wall that fell for this tactic.
The dominant buck grunt can be used in the same way that the doe/yearling buck grunt is used. But a word of caution: Don’t use this call if you are trying to work a yearling buck. Chances are you will scare him off, because the hierarchy of the whitetail is such that mature bucks harass smaller bucks from the time their velvet is peeled, so that when the rut rolls around, yearlings will often run if they hear a mature buck grunt.
Tending Grunt
The tending grunt is by far my call of choice during the rut. I’ve never found any call that tops this one for luring in a buck during the tail end of the breeding period. When a buck is with a doe that is in or near estrus and other bucks are nearby, the tending (or dominant) buck will usually make a tending grunt by dragging out a grunt for a minute or longer. Bucks have been known to make this sound for more than five minutes. I once timed one of my research bucks making a tending grunt that went on for nearly six minutes. The tending grunt is of moderate intensity and is a series of short grunts repeated in rapid fashion (one grunt after another, with very little break in between).
The buck that is tending a doe will almost always make this sound when another buck tries to take the doe from him. I like to use this call when the breeding phase of the rut is due to start. When a buck hears it, he knows an estrous doe should be in the area and often will come to check out the action. A tending grunt isn’t foolproof, but it’s as close to the perfect rutting call as you’ll get.
How to Make a Tending Grunt
By placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth and making a ticking cadence (while blowing through the tube), you can create a near-perfect tending grunt on this call.
When and How to Use a Grunt Call
Photo by Andrew McKean
In my opinion the grunt call is the most important innovation under $15 in the history of whitetail hunting. If you’ve piped on a tube for years with little to show for it, you probably think I’m making a rash statement. But I firmly believe that by using these tips to improve your technique, you can grunt in a couple of bucks this fall. One of them might even have a whopper rack.
Call repeatedly. In areas in early to mid-October, it can’t hurt to blow half a dozen moderately loud grunts every 20 to 30 minutes. Do this whenever you’re archery hunting in a draw or on a ridge where deer move between bedding and feeding areas. You should also grunt periodically from a stand near a bedding area. Your calls might cause a deer to sneak over to investigate.
Grunt to out-of-range bucks. “Blind calling” can work, but a grunt call really shines when a buck has been spotted. Grunt at every buck you see that is slipping by out of range. If a deer hears you, he should at least stop and look your way.
Get aggressive. Most of the time, after stopping and looking, a buck will continue on his way. Don’t just sit there: Grunt more, and louder. What have you got to lose? It’s a long shot, but your insistent grunts might turn the buck back your way.
Add to the realism. From around November 5 to the peak of the rut, make some estrous-doe bleats with a can-type call, followed by some tending grunts. Young bucks might race in, thinking a breeding show is about to begin. If you’re lucky, a stud might roll in to steal the hot doe.
Grunt with enthusiasm. Many people grunt in a monotone. Don’t. If you sit and blow three or four soft grunts every hour, you’ll probably never call in a deer. But if you put some life into your routine by varying the volume and excitability of your grunts, you’ll have better luck.
Photo by Michael Tatman / Adobe Stock
Crank it up in the rut. The best calling success occurs around the peak of the rut. This is when bucks are on the prowl, scraping and seeking does. Crank it up by blowing loud, choppy tending grunts every 30 minutes or so. The calls should sound something like urrrrppp, urrrrppp, urrrrppp. Use 5- to 10-second sequences. A buck might come to what he thinks is a rival trailing a doe.
Tone it down post-rut. When the post-rut begins, go back to setting up close to bedding areas and in funnels that lead to food sources and tone your calling back down. A weary buck won’t walk 100 yards out of his way to investigate loud, fancy calls.
Avoid blind calling in feeding areas. Don’t blind-call when bowhunting near crops or acorns, especially early in the pre-rut. Deer are coming to feed in the afternoon anyway, so there’s no need to attract them. Besides, if you call excessively where animals congregate, a doe or a young buck might come over and bust you.
Always pay attention to the wind. One day I grunted at a big eight-pointer. He looked my way and then moseyed off. Twenty minutes later, I heard hooves crunching leaves behind my stand. The buck had circled. Even if a buck moves away, you should watch your downwind side.
Don’t fret about how your call sounds. I’ve heard 10-pointers make wimpy, nasal grunts and 8-pointers grunt deeper than market hogs. The point is: Don’t worry too much about the tone of your grunt tube in October or December. During the rut, however, use a throaty, deep-pitched call; old bucks seem to respond to these best.
Don’t be afraid of grunting. Blow your grunt tube loud enough to get a buck’s attention. On windy days, you’ll have to bear down. Many times I’ve blown a call past its breaking point, sending distorted grunts to bucks 150 yards out; they all stopped and looked. Of course, the closer a buck is, the softer you should call.
Don’t grunt to a nearby buck. Don’t grunt when a buck is within 75 yards and looking for you. He might see you move, or he might not see another deer over there and get suspicious.
Don’t call to an approaching buck. When a buck is walking steadily toward you, don’t call. Grunt again only if the deer loses interest and begins to go in another direction.
Don’t use a grunt tube to stop a buck. When a buck gets in close, don’t fiddle with a call to stop him, not even one of those newfangled hands-free models. Voice-grunt once or twice — something like eck, eck. No matter how bad you sound, a deer will freeze. Draw your bow or aim your firearm before you grunt and be ready to shoot the second a buck stops.
More Tips for Calling Deer
It’s often impossible to call in a buck who knows where he’s going. It’s always worth trying, but don’t lose faith if he just glances your way. Based on my experience, the success rate on bucks that seem to be headed someplace is horribly low, something like 1 in 10. A buck that’s dawdling and moving slowly, however, is something different. Here, my field notes show that at least 50 percent of those deer end up starting toward me — most come all the way in.
Pay close attention to a buck’s body language. This tip is from Jared Mills, an Iowa bowhunter who films his hunts and has the advantage of reviewing the tape to learn more about subtle things many deer callers might miss.
“Let’s say you call to a cruising buck and he doesn’t respond, which is a typical scenario,” says Mills. “In your head you may just be like ‘eh he’s just not in the mood’ or ‘he didn’t hear me’ or whatever. Then [I] go back and study the video and I can see his ears turn back toward me. Well he heard me. A lot of times they’ll mark that location in their head and come back a couple hours later.”
So even when you try calling to a buck and he appears not to pay attention or to be on a mission, don’t discount that interaction. He may circle downwind or he may return later. Be ready when he does.
Simple calls work best. In this respect, calling deer is like calling turkeys or ducks: About 95 percent of the game that’s going to come in will respond to a few basic noises. Rhythm, timing, and volume are much more important than fancy sequences. In fact, you can actually do yourself more harm than good trying the kind of stuff that deer rarely hear except from hunters. In other words, you don’t need to be a master caller to create opportunities. A buck’s attitude is what really determines whether or not he’s going to come to the call. So if he doesn’t respond to the basics and never shows back up — even hours later — take heart: That buck probably wouldn’t have come to anything.
Photo by Bill Konway
Combine grunting with rattling. Often deer hunters think about grunting or rattling as separate tactics, but there’s no reason you can’t experiment with both calls in the same sequence. Here’s what the research shows about the best times to rattle.
Remember, every calling situation is different.
“There’s been plenty of times that we’ve been in a less than ideal setup and called deer right in to us, and there’s been other times where it seemed like the perfect setup with the perfect situation and it still didn’t work out in our favor,” says Zach Ferenbaugh of The Hunting Public, who notes that there’s no one right way to grunt to a buck. “So based off a variety of factors, every time you call to a deer, you may treat that situation a little different.”
Yes, You Can Grunt to Mule Deer and Blacktails
Researchers in that 1988 study on deer vocalizations focused on whitetails in the East and South, and they suggest that whitetails evolved their vocalizations to communicate in dense cover. So how well does calling work with open-country mule deer and Western blacktails?
“Blacktails are more aggressive than other species,” said Don Laubach, a Montana game-call-maker and filmmaker whose Deer Talk call was one of the first products to allow hunters to mimic subtle deer bleats. “They’ll roll right in to the right call. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the density of the cover. I just think they’re more curious. In fact, I’ve called in a blacktail for a hunter who missed a shot with a bow and flared the deer. I was able to call it back into range just by blowing a series of soft confidence bleats.”
Photo by Tom Torget / Adobe Stock
One of Laubach’s favorite tactics for calling mule deer used to be sneaking into the head of a canyon and make a series of low-frequency bleats. If any muleys are bedded in the canyon, they’ll often stand up to locate the sound and hunters can glass the suddenly visible bucks. In the month leading up to the rut, bucks will sometimes walk hundreds of yards to investigate the sound, according to Laubach.
Read Next: How and When to Call to Mule Deer and Blacktail Deer
Calling generally doesn’t work where deer are continually pressured by hunters or other predators. In fact, one reason deer have relatively intimate conversations might be because they evolved around a variety of predators, and by communicating quietly they were less likely to announce their location. —Andrew McKean
Final Thoughts on How to Use a Grunt Call
Remember that to successfully grunt in a buck, a lot of pieces must fall into place. Using a grunt tube to call deer is not a perfect science and it may not work in even the best set ups. But trying these tactics in a variety of situations will, at worst, teach you more about deer hunting. At best, you’ll call a great buck into range.
If a hunter wants to use the language of deer to become a more effective predator, he has to tune his hearing by listening to entire conversations of deer. Just as in human conversations, that will require taking the time to listen to some boring dialogue.