Talk the talk when targeting bucks

How to communicate with bucks

Learning the lingo of the quarry you hunt, and using that ability to enhance your odds of success, is challenging. Achieving “Deer Whisperer” status may be a stretch for most hunters. But with reasonable effort, many can up their deer hunting game by learning the how, when, and where to communicate with big bucks.

Employing “vocalization” can provide the edge needed when hunting a trophy buck. But it’s not a tactic you can learn with a few minutes of practice on the way to the stand. It takes practice, and more importantly, some understanding how to best utilize the technique.

What is Vocalization?

Adding the proper use of vocalization to enhance success is worth the effort.

Steve Cobb of Union, SC knows a bit about communicating with wildlife. He’s won multiple major calling championships for wild turkeys. In the deer hunting world, he’s close to “Deer Whisperer” status, and he employs vocalization to lure bucks in close enough to harvest throughout the hunting season.

And that’s quite the feat, because Cobb is primarily a bowhunter. So he calls bucks into his personal space for a kill shot.

“Vocalization is the ability to communicate with deer. And to be successful requires the hunter to understand the process,” Cobb said. “Using the right calls, at the proper time with realistic sounds enhances your opportunity to lure bucks close. But if not performed in a realistic manner or setting, calling can make bucks skittish and even push them out of an area.”

Vocalization is a major part of his deer hunting strategy.

“Vocalization strategies help me kill big bucks, while increasing my enjoyment of deer hunting,” Cobb said. “It’s a challenge to literally talk to a game animal and have that animal do something different than what it was likely to do, simply based on my call.”

Cobb said the first order of calling is to understand vocalization does not override any of the normal keys to success of deer hunting.

“As always, scent control is paramount because when you call a deer you become the hunted. So scent control and having the wind to your advantage is crucial,” he said. “Plus, your set-up location, movement and concealment are all more important because the goal of a buck responding to vocalization is to literally approach your location.”

Setting up

Setup strategies are crucial, and different hunters develop a plan based on the type of land they hunt.

Chip Hamilton is a veteran hunter from Townsend, SC who employs vocalization to enhance his success. Hamilton had the advantage of owning and operating his own deer processing facility for years. He learned by talking to hunters who killed big bucks on how they employed vocalization techniques.

He has been a striper fishing guide on Lake Hartwell for nearly 30 years (864-304-9011), so the outdoors is a way of life for him.

“I’ve learned from my experience, and from talking to hunters who killed big bucks, the value of vocalization,” he said. “It’s particularly effective during October when most of South Carolina is experiencing either pre-rut or rutting scenarios. My best success employing vocalization tactics, including grunts and bleats, has come from hunting open hardwood, or mixed hardwood and pine, ridges, and bottoms.”

Hamilton said he prefers this type setup because from an elevated stand he has good visibility of the area. And that’s crucial to seeing deer approach.

“If I can see the deer early, I’ll call and get his attention and watch his reaction,” he said. “The buck’s reaction dictates whether to continue calling, or if he’s approaching, I visually track his approach to my position. I’ve found my success rate is better when I see the buck first, then call and track his movement.”

Hamilton said the buck’s reaction to his call enables him to determine the frequency he should use. Seeing the impact of specific sounds, such as grunts or bleats, and based on the deer’s reaction, he knows what’s working.

“I can back off if he’s steadily approaching, or try a different call if he acts interested but isn’t committed to an approach,” he said.

Hamilton said that not all hardwood areas are equal in terms of where he’ll employ his vocalization tactics. Deer must be in the area hunted to be successful.

“My favorite scenario is to get in the hardwoods, but adjacent to thick cover, such as a cutover area, where I know plenty of deer are located,” he said. “The value of having multiple does walk through the area is a real asset because whether they’re in estrus or not, they’ll leave scent. And bucks that cut their trail will usually follow. I like to see doe deer when vocalizing. And if acorns are around in the hardwoods and thick bedding cover is located nearby, it’s an ideal setup.”

Bleats and grunts

Hamilton said both bleats and grunts are effective. He employs both. But he often has better success using bleats.

“Bleats have been productive calling in big bucks,” he said. “It’s a simple call but it’s a sound that’s natural for deer to use and hear. It tugs at their social nature too. I prefer calls that I control by air because I can personalize them better. I may drag the sound out for example. And sometimes that seems to attract positive attention from bucks.”

Grunts are effective and are a common form of communication used by deer.

“When performed properly, and not overdone, usually the worst scenario using a grunt is no impact. But it doesn’t alarm the buck,” he said. “But I’ve seen them turn on a dime and approach. And occasionally I’ve had them seem to ignore the call, but later saw them approaching from a different direction. Be ready for them to circle around and slip in.”

Hamilton said one of his big bucks was the result of aggressive calling, originally intended to frighten off turkeys.

“In the fall, turkeys are in big groups and can be noisy,” he said. “They were making a lot of commotion and I wanted them gone, so I began grunting and bleating aggressively to scare the turkeys. It wasn’t working, but then I saw deer movement, and a 2 ½-year-old, 6-pointer walked in. I let him walk, and a couple of minutes later, a mature buck slipped in using the same route and gave me a perfect broadside shot. Aggressive calling can certainly work, but it’s not my first tactic.”

Hamilton said that calling setups for hunters will be unique to the land they hunt. Visibility, ability to be hidden, wind patterns and having lots of deer in the area are the essential components of a good vocalization setup. Then, hunters must have the patience to let a big buck get into range.

Different scenarios

Cobb said vocalization patterns change through the pre-rut, rut, and post-rut stages. Vocalization can be effective during any phase. But specific calls may work better at various times.

Cobb said grunts and bleats are effective throughout the season but how he uses them varies. Other more advanced calls can be learned and are effective, but after many years of calling deer, he generally sticks with the basic calls with good success.

“During pre-rut the ‘tending grunt’ is one I’ve used with excellent success,” he said. “This is a simple, three- to five-note, short, non-aggressive grunt. During pre-rut in our area, vegetation is usually dense. So I won’t always see a deer before grunting. But it’s good if I see a buck slipping and I need to move him my way.”

Cobb said that during the rut, bleats are highly effective. “I’ve called in more deer by simply bleating than grunting during the rut,” he said. “Bleats work well because does will bleat when moving away from a pursuing, non-dominant buck, or when alone and looking for a buck. Any bleat can potentially cause a buck to move in that direction to investigate.”

Another excellent call during the rut is a bleat-grunt combination. Cobb makes a series of one bleat followed quickly by one grunt while turning his head to mimic a doe and a buck moving through the woods.

“The bleat is the doe and the grunt the buck following her,” he said. “It’s attractive to any big buck in the area.”

Deer hunters go to great lengths to get big bucks within range, expending considerable time, effort, and dollars in planning and scouting. With a little effort, hunters can significantly enhance their odds of success using proven vocalization techniques.

Tone it down during the post rut

Steve Cobb said post rut vocalization is effective. But the location changes, and so does the intensity of the calling.

“During post rut, I move from the rutting areas to near food sources because that’s where the deer go,” Cobb said.

Cobb said grunts and bleats both work during post rut, but in addition to toning down the intensity, he backs off the frequency.

“One universal truth of vocalization, regardless of how realistic your sounds and setups may be, it’ll come down to a buck’s nose,” he said. “When a big buck hears a call, he instinctively relies on his nose to tell him the truth of the situation. To take him, you’ve got to overcome his prime defense. That’s a core component of successful deer calling and it’s as important as the sounds you produce. They both must be right for vocalization to succeed.”