Blind Calling Whitetails
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Scout
29-Nov-23
Do any of you have any experience calling to whitetails?
From: Hunts_with_stick
29-Nov-23
Yup, i bleat and grunt quite a bit. Seemed to work well for me.
From: xtroutx
29-Nov-23
It works well around my area.
From: Scout
29-Nov-23
Do you have a specific sequence you use?
How often do you call?
From: Bou'bound
29-Nov-23
Yes and rattle
From: VAMtns
29-Nov-23
Yes , the only trouble with blind calling is when I see a buck and the reed is wet , but I have had luck blind calling both bleat and grunt
From: t-roy
29-Nov-23
I do very little, if any, blind calling. I will do a few rattling sequences during a morning or evening sit. If I see a potential shooter buck in the distance that is not going to come by me, I’ll generally grunt or possibly snort/wheeze at him to hopefully get his attention, but only if he is not looking my direction. I will always wait till they’re looking away. If he can’t hear my grunts, I’ll lightly rattle. Their ability to pinpoint the location of the sound is uncanny. Personally, I’ve had very few positive reactions with a bleat call. I hardly ever use one anymore.
From: ahunter55
29-Nov-23
yes with the rattle (blind) or at times they are going another way & I can see them. It's worked for over 6 decades for me.
From: deerhunter72
29-Nov-23
I’ve had some success using a grunt call. I only snort/wheeze at big deer. I can only say that I’ve rattled 2 deer in. The can bleat call worked very well when those calls came out, but hard to get a reaction anymore. Whether they come to you or not, they know exactly where you are when you use a call.
From: Paul@thefort
29-Nov-23
A Snort Wheeze (mouth) brought this Kansas buck 150 yards to my decoys and for a 15 yard kill shot. Yes, Grunts, Bleats, rattling, and snort wheeze, works sometimes. Blind calling with grunts and bleats also works sometime, All worth doing.
From: Tomr
29-Nov-23
Not sure how this forum thing works….. I was blinded in the early morning and the deer was calling, close enough right? Anyway I had a buck at about 120 - 150yards away, completely dark growling and roaring for 45min to an hour with a couple 5-10minute pauses every 30-45 seconds got some decent video with audio, want to know if the buck was distressed or frustrated… seems like a long time to be frustrated 50km gusts of wind and it sounded like he was 30 yards away it was that loud……….. anyone that replies, i would love to send the video if there is a way too
From: TREESTANDWOLF
30-Nov-23
Only when I see him which is probably not called blind calling.
Like Paul, I use the snort wheeze a lot with a decoy and when they are in eye sight walking away.
I’m no expert but it definitely can work and the has been nice ones taken by doing so. .
From: Charlie Rehor
30-Nov-23
Annually, I am fortunate to hunt whitetails in 6 to 10 states and every state is different. Usually it’s based on hunter pressure. Try a rattling sequence in Massachusetts and the deer will stop running only after 5 minutes. Rattle in the Midwest on 11/1 and it’s a decent chance a deer will respond.
I see you’re from New Hampshire so if I was hunting there I would try to find a funnel between bedding and food and sit silent. Good luck. C
From: Scrappy
30-Nov-23
If I have to cough or sneeze a snort-wheeze always follows. In the midwest it's the only call I use and just do it with my mouth.
From: Michael
30-Nov-23
I have had very good luck blind rattling in the Midwest. Kansas has been the best state for me to blind rattle in as far as deer responding to the call. Minnesota has been the worst state as far as deer numbers responding to the call.
I prefer to call on those mornings when you have high pressure. There is a small window to call when the wind is calm and the thermals are pulling strait up into the air.
When I see a buck passing by out of range. I will grunt first. If he doesn’t hear it then I will rattle.
From: t-roy
30-Nov-23
^^^ Good tip, scrappy! If it’s cold out, my nose runs quite a bit. Whenever I finally have to blow it while in the stand, I try and mimic a snort/wheeze.
From: Mpdh
30-Nov-23
When blind calling, you better have your bow in hand ready to shoot. As someone posted earlier, the deer can pinpoint your location and be right on top of you in seconds. They come in on full alert and will spot the least little movement. I got caught once this season, when I bleated with my bow still on the hanger. Buck came out of the brush straight toward me until he was under my stand. He smelled my tracks and got out of there in a hurry before I could even pick up my bow.
From: TREESTANDWOLF
30-Nov-23
Only when I see him which is probably not called blind calling.
Like Paul, I use the snort wheeze a lot with a decoy and when they are in eye sight walking away.
I’m no expert but it definitely can work and the has been nice ones taken by doing so. .
From: RD
30-Nov-23
Yes this year after Nov 1st I did bleats 3 days in a row and had both bucks and does come in. I've called for years with success but this year I extended the bleats, more like calling moose, and was surprised how well it worked. After the third day my tags were filled.
From: Scoot
30-Nov-23
I don't do much true blind calling. Occasionally I'll rattle blindly, but that's mostly out of boredom. :)
I bleat with my mouth. This has been very effective for me- called in a ton of deer (bucks, does, and fawns) that way. I'll typically grunt, and if that doesn't work rattle, if I see a deer that isn't tracking to come my way. I usually snort wheeze only when I have a decoy out, but I'm wondering if that should be my approach or not- going to experiment with that a bit more next year, I think.
From: mattandersen
30-Nov-23
I've definitely had luck in OH and PA blind calling. But be ready as others have said. I've blind grunted and rattled bucks in. It is awesome when it happens. Never when they are looking your way. During the rut I call more. Every 20-30 min I'll grunt and rattle. My best day I rattled in 7 bucks in an hour and a half one November afternoon in Ohio. The last one was a solid 10 pt I shot.
From: Paul@thefort
30-Nov-23
I might expect that if the buck to doe ratio is high like 1:10 does or more, bucks might not respond as well to a variety of calling. I hear in Texas on private property they try to have a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 and the bucks seem much more responsive to rattling and calling.
From: Shuteye
02-Dec-23
Over the years I have had good luck grunt calling and on several occasions I have had two bucks respond. Have also had luck calling does with a fawn bleat. I mainly shoot does for the freezer. Calling doesn't work all the time but when it does it is exciting.
