Watch: Best Deer Hunting Call Ever
Russ Chastain 10.28.19
Whitetail guru (or at least respected whitetail authority) Jeff Sturgis talks about deer calls in this video. He runs down the list of common calls and discusses the pros and cons of each, then he finishes off this short video with his favorite deer call of all time.
This is a guy who has killed a bunch of mature deer, so when he talks about hunting and what works, it’s a good idea to listen.
- Rattling — can be great, but mainly where bucks can’t circle downwind of you (and where other hunters haven’t been rattling).
- Snort wheeze — sometimes effective, but it’s an aggressive tactic which will usually repel wary mature bucks.
- Doe bleats — calls it a “Hail Mary” call. Unlikely to spook deer, but often ineffective.
- Decoys — (not a call, but still a tactic to attract deer) Can be effective, but decoys spook more deer than they don’t (this is my experience also).
But what is the best-ever deer call, according to Jeff? A good ol’ grunt tube.
He describes how a seeking buck can be drawn in with a grunt call, and why you should not be aggressive with it if you can see that a buck has heard you and is interested. Stop calling. Oherwise the buck may pinpoint you too well.
I know the grunt can be a great call. I learned that in about 1994, when I burped at a movement in the brush and a big buck hopped out and stared me down. And later that morning, I used my “burp grunt” to attract and slay a whitetail buck.
Anyhow, enjoy the video, and keep your grunt call handy.
