You guys that hunt......

Y’all use them buck calls? The kind that’s a corrugated tube with a reed inside. I’m in a blind and my wife and daughter bought me one to try. Wasn’t sure if these are worth it or if they may spook the deer away. The deer have already been coming up and within easy range of the crossbow........don’t want to throw them off by randomly calling if the calls are bs. Whatchall think? First year hunting btw.

 

I apparently hunt those elusive creature every time I drive. Why are you hiding in a blind? A car horn must be real close to a deer mating call.

 

they can and do work, if the bucks are in the right frame of mind. if you mimic the NATURAL sound of subordinate bucks, it can bring in both dominant, and subordinate bucks. using it too aggressively and or too much, will negatively effect your results, in most cases.

quiet, soft, never more than 2 times in an hour is a good reference. make sure to be ready as soon as you use it, sometimes... they come running in. other times you just need to hit the call once or twice, and sit the remainder of the sit, waiting for that buck to circle downwind, and tell if there is a real deer making that noise.

deer can be tricked but, they are far from stupid. dont over do it. if you dont know what you are doing, just dont do it. your results may vary, good luck to you. Ski

 

That makes sense. Thanks. One things for sure.........I could have a damn squirrel feast as many that are here. There’s 20 in every direction. Noisy f*ckers for sure

 

Yup. My general rule is that if I hear something large coming, it's just a squirrel.

 

So I started in September. Yeah that first time I heard a squirrel coming through the woods I seriously got amped up for a monster buck to come walking up. After about the 20th time and finally seeing how silent the deer are, I realised it ain’t no deer making all that racket

 

This. Use it correctly and sparingly, like any call you have to know what you are doing with them or it will have a negative effect. Coyotes in my experience are some of the most tolerant to over calling and not so perfect calls (I use and app and a couple jbl flip 4’s to call mine in). I usually have a deer call with me but found real antlers mimicking work a bit better getting them to come in. Do some research, practice and record it, what you think it may sound like could be a lot different from actual. Enjoy the time with the family, next time leave the kid at home and tell the wife it’s mating season in the blind

 

Amazing the noise those damn things make, always piss me off.

 

I may or may not have once shot a noisy red squirrel in the head with a 12 ga slug after having listened to it for hours.

 

What Ski said. Also do not snort wheeze a buck that isn’t clearly dominant, you’ll scare off every younger buck within earshot. I pretty much only use a buck grunt to stop bucks that are in range or maybe call one in a little closer to get him in range. The only ‘blind calling’ I do is rattling antlers, and the same holds true - no more than once or twice an hour, and no longer than 30 seconds.

 

Yes to everything above and also note where you are in the season as to what if any calls are used. We are soon going into rut in my area so light rattling and no grunts just yet. As the rut picks up so do the calls. If you see a buck pushing a doe I wouldn’t call at all. He will most likely heard her away from you. Calls work on bucks that are looking for a date. That’s why some people never blind call because it may push something away. Good luck !!
And remember to add your pics

 

I'm pretty sure there's still a pine squirrel pinned about 35' in the air to an Oneida County pine tree with an arrow. It was worth the cost of the broadhead to stick that noisy f@cker

 

I absolutely hate squirrels.

Thanks. I feel better now.

 

2 weeks ago I started squirrel hunting in my backyard.Sniping them with a 22. Good practice and actually fun. I overcooked them though in the frying pan.......I’m a squirrel first timer

 

Tastes like chicken!

 

Quartering them out like wings helped with the illusion too I did find a smoked squirrel recipe I want to try next......the guy smoked them for 20 minutes, then wrapped them in foil with half an onion and a tablespoon or 2 of butter each squirrel and back on the grill for a bit. Looked awesome

 

My grandmother would make pot pies with squirrels and rabbits. Pretty good if you didn’t hit any shot.

 

You just learn to test and compartmentalize it out in your mouth

You can always take the easy way out and wrap them in bacon. Works for pretty much all small game / waterfowl.

 

im from a big family, 7 kids. we ate so much squirrel and rabbit i cant stand it any more. my dad was a hunting machine. was cheap food for a large family.

 

I tried wrapping a squirrel in bacon once but the little bugger was having none of it.
Nipped me right proper, he did.