Grunt calls- How not to get winded

Titan_Bow

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
1,118
Location
Colorado
Throwing this topic out there for discussion. I’m out in Nebraska this week and I’ve been having a blast Bowhunting from the ground. I’ve had a bunch of encounters this week with bucks but things just haven’t come together.
Twice I’ve seen a buck off in the distance, grunted at him, only to have him come in behind me and wind me. Another time I was set up blind calling sparingly, only to have a nice buck sneak in down wind.
I’ve been hunting a long time, and I normally just restrain from calling, but it can be fun! I’ve actually shot bucks that have come in to a grunt call, but terrain and wind just happened to be in my favor. When hunting from the ground and being mobile on these prairie bucks, maybe calling isn’t a smart move?
Interested to hear what others have to say, any pointers or tactics you have employed that work?


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mikear

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 11, 2017
Messages
171
If grunting is working, try a decoy. Set it up with the wind in your favor if he circles the decoy. Doesn’t have to be fancy, the Montana 2D decoys will work and are more packable than 3D style decoys.
 

Scrappy

WKR
Joined
Jun 5, 2013
Messages
767
# 1 Throw the grunt tube away #2 get a decoy for prairie hunting #3 when you see a buck that you want to come in and he can hear you just snort wheeze with your mouth #4 kill buck while he is posturing beside your decoy.
 

WCB

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
3,286
# 1 Throw the grunt tube away #2 get a decoy for prairie hunting #3 when you see a buck that you want to come in and he can hear you just snort wheeze with your mouth #4 kill buck while he is posturing beside your decoy.

ignore #1 agree with #2 and #3 is iffy. I have never had luck with a snort wheeze some people do #4 agree and be ready to shoot a deer that is slowly walking. I have yelled at bucks to try to get them to stop or have tried to keep non-shooters from destroying the decoy...they could not have cared less and ran it right over.

I have hunt prairie deer A LOT and have grunted a ton of them in and killed a few. If you can keep them from perfectly pin pointing your call it works out much better. I never call when they are looking for the sound and I also never call directly at them. Once they hear the call wait till the look away I muffle the call or direct it to one of the sides of me the best I can. More times than not I still have the buck come directly to my tree. But if the don't pin point it they normal wander over to you then come stomping over in a half circle to wind you.

Also, if you can try to set up where the buck can't circle or won't want to circle down wind without getting shot. Could be a brush pile or fence line. Maybe you are in a tree line or patch with a open pasture behind you. If it is just basically open pasture where the buck can just look and see there is no deer there a decoy will be the ticket.
 
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