Will a grunt call work for Mule deer?
Contributors to this thread:Mule Deer
From: Boly
25-Oct-16
We can hunt Mule deer here during the rut and I was wondering if a grunt calll will work on them? If it does work which one should I buy? Thanks
From: Jaquomo
25-Oct-16
Some guys have luck with them. I've called a few in with a soft grunt, but way more by rattling, bleating with a "can" and with a bite call from Lohman's called the "Cmeer Deer". That thing can be golden. Best grunt call I've used for them is a half-second burp.
Muleys don't really do loud challenge grunts like a whitetail, but will make soft grunts when tending a doe.
From: coelker
26-Oct-16
Around here it seems to have very limited success. Most mule deer areas have low buck to doe ratios and as a result it seems that even on a hot doe there is only 1 maybe 2 good bucks at most. It can be done, but I have had no success with mule deer rattling or calling. More success using a predator call to bring in mule deer.
From: Shiras
26-Oct-16
The area that I hunted for mule deer I've had great success with calling them in with a grunt. One was a real nice buck that was cruising the hills and as he was walking away I grunted at him, he immediately turned and came in on a rope. Too bad I tanked the shot...
I guess my advice would be to at least try it. It's not going to hurt.
From: Saxton
26-Oct-16
I mule deer hunted once with Powder River Outfitters. My guide "cmeer deer" bite call. I was amazed on how that thing worked.
From: Jaquomo
26-Oct-16
Interesting, coelker. Where I hunt on the plains they always run away when they hear a predator call or a loud fawn distress call.
From: Boly
26-Oct-16
With he ones that you have had success, what grunt call did you use?
From: Shiras
27-Oct-16
Coelkr, We have had does come screaming in to a fawn in distress call. It's crazy how fast they will come in.
Boly, I use the HS True Talker (or whatever it is called).
From: Medicinemann
27-Oct-16
I have had fawn distress calls work well for does of any deer species.....especially Sitka Blacktails.
From: Boly
28-Oct-16
Thanks for the responses. I'm going to give it a shot and hope for the best, maybe I'll get lucky this year.
From: Wild Bill
02-Nov-16
I've called in several mule deer with a grunt call, but often they only come in to 80-100 yards. Now I often use it along with a decoy. If I see a buck a couple hundred yards out, I get it's attention with the grunt call. Then it will sometimes come in and check out the decoy.
From: PowellSixO
02-Nov-16
Every time we call coyotes near deer, they get up and shag azz. Even with a fawn in distress call, they're gone. We called an open meadow last fall, and as soon as we put the fawn in distress call on, 20 deer we didn't even know where in the area got up and took off like rockets.
From: Wild Bill
23-Nov-16
I grunted a muley buck in this morning. He was passing by about 400 yards out. I grunted once. He looked my way and then slowly came in, saw my 2 decoys, and circled about 80 yards downwind.
From: grasshopper
26-Nov-16
Heres something for practice, turn the volume up.
MFDC0489 from Steve Hilde on Vimeo.
From: Jaquomo
26-Nov-16
This guy came to the bleat, looking "through" me at the decoys on the other side. Ended up shooting him a week later as my time was running out.
This guy came to the bleat, looking "through" me at the decoys on the other side. Ended up shooting him a week later as my time was running out.
I just hunted 14 days for muleys. Didn't have much active luck with a grunt call (they would look, then carry on) but called 15 bucks and a bunch of does into my bow range with a soft fawn bleat and decoy combo. Sometimes static decoys, sometimes actively decoying with the doe hat and Heads Up. The fawn in distress call sent the does running every single time I tried it.
From: Zbone
26-Nov-16
Watched a documentary on mule deer migration and was surprised by the amount of their vocalization... They seemed to be low grunting and mewing all the time...
From: glass eye
29-Nov-16
I just got back from a Northern CA muley rut hunt in the Eastern Sierras. In an act of desperation I blew a fawn bleat at a 4x4 that was about 200 yards away and following a herd of about 30 deer that was moving up the mountain away from me. Instantly he did a 180 and ran to me and stopped at 25 yards. He went from 200 yards to 25 in a matter of seconds. I was at full draw but didn't have a clear shot. I was shocked how to see him respond like he did.
From: Dutchd
03-Dec-16
First archery Mule deer.
First archery Mule deer.
I had this guy appear about 70 yards away in some thick stuff walking away. One soft grunt and he turned and came on a rope. Stopped at 17 yards with his head behind a tree. I couldn't resist.
