These days, every hunter in the woods has some type of deer call, and odds are, it’s a grunt call. Face it, grunt calls get all the press. And, buck grunts do pull in their share of big bucks. Who can say that a big, dominant buck charging in to a grunt call isn’t exciting? From the late pre-rut to the post-rut, buck grunt calls enrage these testosterone-fueled animals, and the sound of another buck often is their undoing.

But, there are times and locations when other calls make better attractors. If there are very few bucks in the area, a nearby subordinate buck may consider the sound of a buck grunt call a threat. Why fight if there are plenty of does to go around? In that case, a different type of deer call comes in handy.

How about during the early season when bucks are still in bachelor groups and not interested in meeting new friends? Or, during the late season, when food is on the minds of most bucks, which are weary from the rigors of fighting and the rest of the fun stuff associated with the rut. These reasons and more are why hunters should keep a fawn bleat call handy.

One of the reasons few hunters use fawn bleaters is that they simply don’t understand these calls and why they work. A fawn bleat call plays on the maternal instincts of the doe. And remember, a buck may be following. When a mature deer hears a fawn in distress, it’s going to investigate to see what’s happening. But be aware, however, that responding deer will be on high-alert, and often circle downwind to get clues as to what’s happening. When deer smell the hunter, the gig is up, and often the hunter hasn’t even seen the deer.

In general, keep your calling sequences fairly short — 10 to 15 seconds, and wait 20 to 30 minutes before calling again. Whitetails have fantastic hearing, and a long calling sequence gives them time to pinpoint the source of the calling. Start quietly in case there’s a deer closeby and get progressively quieter.

The fawn bleat is a sound created by the fawn to announce a form of distress, which can vary in intensity. A fairly calm fawn bleat can express that it’s simply lost or separated from the doe. This call is a “contact call,” and usually quiet and short. This call sound can be used anytime deer are not in sight. The result may not be a buck charging in, but will make any deer nearby more confident that other deer are nearby, and there’s safety in numbers.

The other form of fawn bleat is the “full distress” call, when the hunter mimics the sounds of a fawn pleading for its life. This is the type of call often used by predator hunters. The sounds of a panicked, struggling fawn draws response from predators and mature deer, so be prepared for anything when producing these sounds.

As opposed to “contact calls,” the “full distress” call can be very loud because the hunter is mimicking a fawn fighting for its life. Hunters also should call erratically, because a fawn defending its life will not be subtle. It will be screaming at the top of its lungs with every breath it takes.

Another factor to consider when using a “full distress” call is the predator factor. Hunters must realize that when imitating the sounds of a fawn in distress, they also are ringing a dinner bell for anything that preys on fawns, and that can mean grizzly bears, mountain lions, brown bears, or critters less likely to munch on you instead of a fawn, such as coyotes and bobcats.

Another important element to remember when using either fawn bleat calling method is to be selective in shooting. Often as not, the animal first responding to the call is a doe. When does are in the area, be alert to following bucks.

Buck grunt calls are fantastic calls that work a lot of the time. But, hunters should remember that other calls can work just as effectively.

Deer hunters can up the odds in their favor by using a bleat call instead of a grunt call

Read all Articles »