These deer are noisy! You have seen all of the hunting shows with people hunting the eastern whitetails and when they grunt they rarely get a response from the deer. Coes are a little different, in my 10 years of hunting the little couse I have learnd that you can locate them as easily as elk. But there is a trick, it is knowing what to listen for and how to call. There is only one noise they make while bedded and it is a locating call when they are going to move to a new area or water or feed. I will get to that later. First is a grunt, all deer grunt. It there main form of vocal communication. I was sitting on an old dirt tank and I heard a grunt, this was wierd because it was august in the middle of the day. Then a doe popped out of the brush, sniffed the air, looked around, then gave a short grunt. As she drank, 3 does and 2 fawns came right from where she was and joined her. At this time of year the bucks will grunt a short higher pitch grunt than in the rut. They grunt like this most of the year, with rut the only exception. Second they, the does, will make a baa noise like little goats, they are short and quiet, but get louder and longer during rut. I was out scouting where I hunt and was sitting between the bed area and water on the side of a hill, it was June, and it was hot, in the middle of the day. Then I heard something walking on the rocks above me, turned and looked, it was 3 does. They started walking down the hill next to me and I heard them making goatlike noises. I could only hear them for a short distance because of how quiet the noise is. During rut the does sound like pigmy goats, and the call lasts about 3 to 5 seconds each. This noise in non rut time, I think is what they use when they are not spooked for any reason and are just on the move. During the rut the goat noise drives bucks wild. I know all of you have seen the outdoors shows and the eastern whitetails do a snort wheize, dont try this, it makes the coues run away, I have tried it all times of the year, even rut on the biggest buck and he has ran. I am going to keep experimenting with it untill it is right, because last time out I did it softly and it was about 10 seconds before the buck ran, and he wasnt too excited about the noise, he just trotted off. Deer in distress, they scream! I have seen it twice well heard it. First time, I walked up on a doe and a young fawn and the doe ran about 50 yards away and just watched me. I wanted a closer look at the fawn so I walked towards it. I stood looking at 5 yards untill it got up and screamed, at that time the doe ran straight at me screaming, and I got a little excited. I was only scouting so I had my 357 on me and shot it into the air. The doe stopped about 5 yards from me and stared at me. When I shot the fawn must have ran off because it was no longer next to me. Second time was I was sitting at a spring and fell asleep and heard something in the water, it was a doe not 10 yards from me. When I turned my head to get a better look, I didnt realize there was a deer just to my right checking me out. It screamed, I yelled, we both jumped and it ran off. It is a very startling noise when you are groggy from your nap, I almost had to change my pants! Another I have only heard during rut, and the bucks are the only ones that do it. It is a gurgle like elk make during rut, it is a throaty popping noise kind of like a swallowing sound. I have not experimented with this noise yet.
The last noise is a wierd one, anyone that has been in coues country has heard it. It kind of sounds like a mourning dove or an owl. I never would have believed that deer make this noise untill 4 years ago. I had heard it plenty of times but did not know what it was. It sounds like hoo hooo hoooo hoooo, wierd but true, and it is always the same amount of times, four. I think they use it for location. Me and my buddies were hunting at doz cabezas and spotted a nice 4×4 coues. One of my friends got within 20 yards, pulled and shot, but missed because of the uphill angle. It ran over the little rise and out of site. Then a fork stood up and ran to the top of the hill and made the hoo hooo hoooo hoooo noise. At that point me and my buddy looked at eachother and said what the @#$&! was that?. Then we looked up at the little buck and he did it again. So we just sat down and watched him for the couple of minutes he stood there. I think it has to do with being separated from eachother. It was just wierd. Also I have noticed when they get up from bedding down to go to water they will do it to.
NOw then, you are probably thinking ok this is good info but how do I use it.
there is a certain way to do it.
1. grunt. Walk a trail to where you are going to hunt and do very quiet light grunts while moving and only once every minute or so. I have had deer answer me all year, and on occasion come to me. During rut use a little deeper grunt at a longer interval, 3 to 5 seconds long. With a minute or two inbetween.
2. Bleat or goat noise. Use this one while walking a little faster, most of the time when they do this they are walking a little faster, and not graising. The other bleat is when they are in estrus (does) it is like the grunt a little longer and louder during rut. I havent yet got a whitetail to answer it, but mulies will talk right back.
3. Scream- DISTRESS CALL DO NOT USE
4. snort whieze- Experiment when not hunting. It hasnt worked for me yet, but it will eventually. It is a rut noise for intimidation, and challenge for bucks. So if you dont have a late hunt or archery tag for Dec. or Jan. Give it a try, then post results on the site, cause I would like to figure it out.
5. owl or dove noise. It worked twice for me in Aug this year. As I was walking into the spring where the deer screamed at me I heard it. So I answered with my mouth. It answered back and I hurried to the spring (the deer was on the hill above the spring) within 5 minutes of sitting at the spring a couple of does came in. The other time I used it I was sitting on an edge of a canyon and did it with my mouth again, one answered. So I glassed where I heard it and there was a herd of 3 does and 1 yearling buck. I would have neve seen them if I had not tried that call.
I hope this helps someone bag a great buck this year, or next. Good luck.
