Using Scents and Calls for Whitetail
Using Scents and Calls for Whitetail
Sweet November! These are the days that deer hunters live for. The first two or three weeks of this month can be dynamic when it comes to buck activity. Lonesome bachelors are looking to hook up to the first receptive female and are, therefore, on the prowl! Optimistic hunters serve themselves best by capitalizing on the frustrations that these bucks find themselves possessing. Calling to deer and using scent products very well could be the key to getting a shot at that buck of a lifetime.
Using Calls
Calling can be useful during many stages of the whitetail hunting season but for the context of this article let’s be November specific. Rattling, grunting, bleeting, and snort wheezing are a handful of the different types of calls that a hunter can use to get the attention of a passing deer. Learning about these types of calls and becoming more proficient with them while using them can up your odds of attracting deer. Like everything, each call has it’s own nuances and you should be practice before hitting the field.
Rattling is where a hunter strikes two antlers or a rattling system together to simulate fighting bucks. During the early part of deer season bucks will fight in order to establish dominance. However, during November, two bucks fighting indicate a battle for the breeding rights to a certain receptive doe in an area. Also, rutted up bruisers are super territorial. Therefore, crossing paths with one another is all it takes at time for a buck to feel the need to reassert his dominance over an area during the breeding season.
Along with their propensity to be territorial, deer are also inherently curious. Hearing a sound like antlers rattling in the distance could potentially attract a buck to come in to investigate. Whether he’s needing to assess the area for intruders on his turf or possibly throw his hat into the ring to breed a doe, a buck will often come to the sound of antlers to check the action. This, however, totally depends on the personality of the particular deer.
Like humans, deer often possess certain personalities. Some are more open to conflict so the sound of a fight might stir them more. Some could be more non confrontational and therefore bolt at the sound of a tussle. Observing a certain deer as you call can give you much needed information as to whether he is engaged or fleeing. If he seems super nervous then you’d bode well to move on to another source of attraction.
Another call to consider is the grunt. For a buck, grunting can mean many things based off of the length and frequency of the grunt. A long grunt every 3-5 seconds for a 20 second stretch can indicate that a buck is out seeking a hot doe. Just the noise alone could entice a curious buck to come to your area. Short and subsequently choppy grunts that last for a series of 15+ seconds could mean that a buck is in hot pursuit of a doe. Making this series of sounds could be useful during the peak of the chasing phase of the rut. One long, guttural sounding grunt or a “roar” indicates that a buck is at the peak of his sexual frustration and is just before breeding. This sound is often by the dominant buck and could come off as a challenge to other bucks.
Speaking of challenging others: the snort wheeze could be the secret weapon in your bag of calling tools. Create this sound with nothing more than the mouth. The snort wheeze is the ultimate challenge from a buck and is him clearly dictating that he is dominant. If a deer has been rattled and grunted to no avail, then the snort wheeze could be that last ditch effort to get him to turn his attention your way. A simple google search of “deer snort wheeze” would help the novice know what the general sound is like. However, if you’re in a pinch then know that blowing the words “whew, whew, wheeeeeeeew” sharply from your mouth in a breathy tone is essentially what you’re going for.
Finally, as it goes for deer noises as they pertain to calling, the doe bleat is a high pitched noise that a doe makes and is an indicator to other deer that she’s in the area. However, the doe estrous bleat is an even higher pitched version of the same sound that let’s the buck that’s chasing her know that she is ready to stand/breed. These sounds mimic that of a goat just to give a bit of context. This sound could be used in conjunction with the “tending” grunt of a buck and could make a desperate buck come galloping in to make a last ditch effort at breeding the doe. Keep in mind, this call is used at very specific times of the year and misuse could cause deer to be more cautious than curious.
We’ve talked about calling to deer but what about using scents to attract deer? Do they really work?
If you ask 10 different hunters then you will likely get 10 different answers when it comes to the practice of using scent as an attractant. Some would lead you to believe that it is all a marketing ploy by big companies to trick folks into spending money. Some would tell you that there are certain types/brands of scent that are like golden drops of heaven to deer and they never leave home without them. I am of the opinion that scent can definitely be an attraction but probably shouldn’t rely on it to make or break your hunt.
There are more scent options as it comes to deer smells than one could shake a stick at. The most luck I’ve ever had using scent was when I disperse in strategic spots where I’d like a deer to stop as he is passing by. Just out of curiosity, a new smell could arouse the nose of a deer and have him stop long enough for a quality broad sided shot. Scent placed on cotton pads and drug along behind a fella could be a nice option as well to cover the smell of human intrusion as he approaches the stand.
I’ve also had great luck using scent in scrapes. Freshening up scrapes with deer scent or even starting new scrapes in spots where I’d like a shot to take place has often been a winning strategy.
Some scent companies would lead you to believe that their smells could attract deer from the far reaches of the next county. Whether or not that is true is up to you and your experience. I believe that it is up to the hunter to use the strategy that fits them best!
Summary
Calling and scenting in deer is all a part of the game that we play during the rut. The good news is this: it’s November and deer season is in full swing. Whether you disagree with the strategies and don’t intend to use them or plan to try them all we can all agree that deer season is the most wonderful time of the year!
by Noel Gandy
November 2020
Check out this article on scent control – Deer Scents and How to Use Them – The Iowa Sportsman
Read this Article on Decoying Whitetails – Decoying Tactics for Rutting Whitetails – The Iowa Sportsman
