When to Grunt
Another great tip from “Buckmasters” and an all important one for if you don’t do it right you could inadvertanly scare your deer away instead of bringing them in closer.
By: Rick Kratzke
Do you sit in your stand and wonder if (and when) you should use a grunt call? The truth is that there is no set rule about the right time to use a grunt call — but there are times when you should use one.
Some of the “no-brainer” times to use a grunt include:
• When you hear a buck grunting and want to pull him in.
• When you see a buck that you know is not going to come by your stand.
• When you need to stop a buck for a shot.
• When absolutely nothing is happening and you’re about to get out of your stand.
The above instances are all situations where it would be difficult to do any harm by using a grunt call. “Blind calling” — or just sitting in your stand and making buck grunts at random — can work, but it could also have negative effects, the least of which is putting deer on a higher level of alert.
Like many other things in hunting, a grunt call is a great tool that every hunter should have — but it can be over used.






Excellent tips.
I had a buck once that was already coming into me, and I should have just let him come, but instead I thought using the grunt would be a good thing to do. He ended up taking off the minute I hit the grunt tube.
You live and learn I guess.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:08 am
The one time I don’t grunt is when I have a deer close to the stand because you’re going to get busted. Even if the buck is a ways off the doe standing under your stand will bust ya… trust me I learned the hard way.
I blind grunt a lot of times mid morning especially on those days the bucks are chasing. Never know what you can drag in.
August 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Arthur, I’ve been there and done that.
Moose, very good tip on the blind grunting. Thanks.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:12 am