The deer call is not a new addition to the sport of hunting. However, some hunters are afraid to use them because they worry about spooking deer. If you aren’t familiar enough with the sounds of grunts, rattles, bleats, and snorts that deer make, you could be costing yourself a buck. But, if you know the best times to use a deer call and how to mimic the sounds of fawn, doe, and territorial bucks, you are going to have much more luck than sitting in the treestand.

Deer Call Language

The reason some hunters are successful using a deer call is that they have figured out what each call is saying to the deer in the area. Once you learn the deer call language, you will have a much easier time luring bucks to your hunting blind or treestand.

Below, you will find the most common deer calls and what they mean to other deer:

Doe Bleat/Grunt

white-tailed doe deer call

This deer call is usually used from late pre-rut to post-rut, which simply means the time when young bucks look for a doe to mate with. By using a doe call, you are announcing the presence of a lovely doe to nearby bucks looking for love.

Use this call a couple of times every 20 or 30 minutes. Always check downwind to make sure there isn’t a suspicious buck trying to smell the doe from afar.

By using doe urine attractants, you can ensure that the bucks coming for the lady they hear don’t smell you before you see them. We will be covering urine attractants in our next hunting post, so check back with us to learn more.

Fawn Bleat

White-tailed deer fawn in tall grass. deer call

Fawn Bleat calls can be useful all year round. The sound of a lost fawn will get the attention of any doe, but if you think fawn bleats can only be used for doe, you’d be dead wrong. During late pre-rut and early post-rut, the doe you attract with this deer call just might have a buck tagging along.

Start the distress call at a lower volume for a minute or so. Then, gradually raise the volume bit by bit. Always remember when imitating a fawn, you need to keep your breaths short, as a fawn has much smaller lungs than a full grown human.

Snort Wheeze

angry stag deer call If your grunts and bleats are receiving no response, it’s time to bring out the snort wheeze call. The snort wheeze is a sign of aggression to other bucks in the area and can be used all season long.

This deer call is telling other bucks that this is your territory, and you are sure to bring in another young buck looking to protect it. Be sure you are checking downwind!

Another great tip is to use rattling alongside grunts and snort wheezes to create the sound of an epic battle between two males. No creature can resist the sound of a brawl. Not even deer.

Rattling Calls/Devices

Two Whitetail Deer Bucks Fighting deer call

Rattling imitates the sound of two sets of antlers clashing in battle. As I mentioned previously, rattling works best when you put on a good performance filled with grunts, wheezes, and rattles.

These calls can be used anytime throughout the season, but they really shine during the late pre-rut, early post-rut season.

The best part of using rattling devices is the range of the noise. Bleats and grunts can only be heard from a short distance, but rattling can be heard from much farther away. Just make sure that there aren’t any deer in the area and go nuts!

Improve Your Deer Calling Skills

There are many videos and books that will teach you how to sound exactly like the deer you’re wanting to lure. Bone Collector has come up with a very detailed white-tailed deer call training software called Conquer the Call. Follow the link to learn more.

Deer Call Tips

large buck deer call

Once you’ve learned how to make the perfect deer call, it’s time to take what you’ve learned out in the field. But, learning the sounds of a deer can only help you so much. If you combined the deer call skills you’ve learned with the following tips, you will be that much closer to the buck of a lifetime:

Start Soft: The call before you see, hear, or even sense a deer is a blind call. If you start a blind call too loud, you might scare away deer you haven’t sensed yet. Always start off with soft calls to tell if there are any deer nearby. Once you’ve made a test call or two, you can gradually build up to project your call even further.

Be Ready: After a successful call, you need to be ready because you never know when the deer will show up. It could be an hour, or it might be an instant. Always have your bow or gun prepared before making the call or you could hate yourself for missing a perfect opportunity.

Change Things Up: You don’t want to constantly use the same call. Calls change throughout the year and can even be used situationally. Having a range of different calls will ensure you are ready for any season.

Stop Calling When…: You have to know when to call, but you also need to know when to stop. Below are the top three situations when continuing to use a deer call could cost you:

When the deer is facing you or walking your way: Calling will give away your position, so it’s always best to just let them come closer on their own.
When a deer is just not that into you: Sometimes deer are just not interested or curious in the calls you make. If you call too much, that might change the deer’s pattern the next time they visit the area.
Deer on alert: If the deer, especially bucks, are on alert from smells or previous calling, you should stop trying to attract them. If you don’t, they will soon figure out something is not right and take a different route in the future.

Red deer stag silhouette in the mist deer call

For more hunting tips, please check back with us and visit our hunting category. We update our blog frequently with new and exciting hunting content.

Do you have a specific call or brand of call you like to use? Let us know what it is and why in the comments section below.