I’m struggling to find a grunt call I like. I really liked the original true talkers but my last one finally died. The newer ones just seem poorly constructed, sound like a wounded duck, or as big as my bow. Also interested in what other calls people carry.
I use "The Natural" by Knight and Hale. They made a special edition a few years ago made from cherry wood, and I bought it. You can change the tone (low-hi) by removing the front portion of the call and moving the rubber O-ring. Most grunt calls are made this way anymore.
I think the key to calling is to call lightly and infrequently. The call also needs to sound "beatable" by the buck you're grunting at.
Some guys like to blind call and others will only call when they see a buck they want to come into range. I will blind call, but only if I'm in very dense cover and not in open woods. This will force any buck to get very close to you vs. looking in your direction in open woods, seeing nothing, and not coming in to check it out.
I use a cheap call. Primos Trophy Grunter call. Only $7 but i call in anywhere between 10-20 deer every archery season. That is doe included. Not expensive and works like a charm for me anyway. I never go hunting without it.
I don't even know what make my calls are, imo one is as good as another.
I have one that I really like the sound of, but it's not real loud. The other one sounds more like a duck call, but it's much louder. Both seem to work fine, I use both alot and iv'e killed dozens of bucks off them.
I have 2 MAD calls neither sounds good, have Primos Hand-Free (Small) easy to carry, but tends to freeze up in cold weather, the best of my lot is an old Knight & Hale EZ-Grunt-ER.
I think having a loud grunt call is important. I never grunt to a buck that's close and have killed several bucks that were a long way off and had to really grunt loud to get their attention. Once I get their attention I don't grunt again and let them search.
It's not a duck call, don't use it like one. Once he's heard it, he knows exactly where you're at. At that point i might grunt once more if he seems undecided what to do. Any more after that only hurts your chances.
If he still needs some convincing, I have a small white sock with a golf ball in it tied to my pull up rope. It's on the ground under my stand and I'll give it a jerk and let it fall back into the leaves. Now he's seen some motion and heard more noise. Since I started using that trick it's doubled my success when grunting. Deadly effective.
It's hard to call an older buck in if the woods are open, if they can't see the other buck most likely they will spook. I think adding the visual would definitely help, I imagine a deer tail on a string would work great also.
I got a Rut Roar this year to try.Did alittle blind calling with it with no results yet.Also, had a 1.5 old buck in hearing distance and tried it for the heck of it and it did not affect deer one way or other.Had to of heard that call.It is much louder than anything I have.
I think it comes down to timing.
Meaning it's got to be Exactly the right time and place for a Grunt call to be effective.
I've tried tried several different calls and only one time did I have a Buck come in on my Grunts.
Most times they seem to ignore it. I recently bought another call, the Extinguisher.
Came with a DVD and sounds great to me, we'll see what the Deer think.
I know some guys swear by them. Just my 2 cents.
I found my old stand by grunter from years ago...I though I had lost....It is wood and I can't read the name on it any longer, but it sounds better than my other 5-6 calls.
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