Thread: 2 week South Island DIY / Potential US Swap Hunt

Originally Posted by Sideshow

@Flyblown has covered most of the bases here @mallard833 if you follow that advice you should have a ball.
On a totally separate note have you tried any of the white tail calls?
When in NY just now I purchased a Extinguisher deer call to try out on them for my trip to Stewart Island this March April.
Just wondering if you had any tips on when to use how often extra? Hunters here in general don’t use them here, just bush stalking them.
Cheers

Generally, whitetail are not as vocal as elk or red deer(from what I've seen in videos, no real experience with red deer...yet,) but do respond to calls. I don't leave home without a grunt call during archery season here in NY(or anywhere I would whitetail hunt for that matter). Their calls are are very soft compared to a elk or stag, and do not travel very far, so I don't find them as useful for rifle hunting. You can easily shoot a rifle further than a grunt call can be heard from(150-200yds max on a calm day). They are great for bowhunting though, as they can draw them in that extra bit you need with a archery equipment.

As for using a grunt call, I find they work best when you can see a deer, but they are too far away(again, mostly for archery hunting). Whitetail are very good at pinpointing sound, so you do not want to call to a deer looking at you. Wait for them to start walking or feeding and stop calling as soon as they start to look in your direction.

A fawn bleat can be useful to call in a doe early in the fall when fawns are still fairly small. Fawns usually bleat when in distress, so a doe may come running, so be ready. I don't use a lot of doe bleats but some people use them successfully during the rut. I find buck grunts useful from mid fall on through the rut when whitetails become territorial. I think multiple short grunts work better than long drawn out grunts(like a roar or elk bugle). Some deer will totally ignore grunts and others will stop on a dime, turn around and charge in, so be ready if you are calling. Grunts can be also be useful to stop a walking deer for a shot. Let me know if that makes sense. For what it's worth, the only time I every hear bucks grunting, is when they are actively chasing a doe during the rut. Hope this helps.