I have had some great success in calling and/or rattling at this point in time of the season throughout the years/seasons. Some I have on video, others I don't.
One story of where I had an unbelievable encounter of a target buck. This was when I first started hunting here where I live, I believe it was in 2017 on a more serious level. Anyhow, I called a buck in that was on the opposite side of the CRP field of me, standing there with the wind in his face midmorning on a beautiful sunny day, approximately 250 yards away. He stood in the corner of the field in such a way where he could sniff the does bedded within it. At the time, the standing CRP was at its highest growth potential, approx, 6-8'tall., and thick. I was hunting out of my newly placed CRP hang-on.
I seen him right away, as soon as he stepped into the field, and I knew what he was up too. I expected it. I grabbed the binos, glassed for a few moments, watching him work his way through the CRP. Now, I can see bucks within the CRP because I'm up high enough, but not those bedded does.
At the time, I knew where the does were located in the field because from previous hunt watching them get up.
That mature beautiful buck made a b-line straight to a hot doe through that CRP like it was nothing. He got directly downwind from her. As soon as he got within 20 yards of her. that hot doe got up and took off running for her life, zig zagging through the CRP field, but staying withing it, then stop suddenly, and bedded again. Didn't matter, that buck was on her, he'd pick her up no matter where she went, and she played that hide and seek game a few times, getting up, running, then back down. I watched this go on for about 2-3 minutes maybe, then I grabbed my real set of antlers that I use to rattle that I had attached to my hand-line [bow-line], leaving the antlers rest within the honeysuckles shrubs underneath me. I gave them a up and down aggressive motion in the honeysuckle, to simulate something like a deer eating or rubbing. Then I grabbed my doe-bleat can. I first gave the can some aggressive calls. like a hot doe in trouble. The buck stopped immediately in what he was doing, looked my direction while straight out in front of me at 60-70 yards, then he went back sniffing out the hot doe again. Once he found her, again, I then gave my grunt call some real aggressive calls, plus a snort wheeze. Again the buck stopped immediately in what he was doing, and then suddenly turned away from her, came my direction, straight to me through the CRP field that stands taller than him, and stopped at 20 yards, right in front of me. He first looked intensely into the woods behind me, while I was above him, at the honeysuckle with my antlers in it. He was looking for a way into the woods, to further investigate. Now, I ain't gonna lie, I was probably rattling [shaking] more than what I did what my antlers when he approached me that quick. Kinda caught me off guard. He approached me real quick in a trotting fashion, covering ground in no time. My bow was still in the hanger, and I was able to reach it, hook up, get him inside my sight, but I had one limb in the way between us that I originally thought it would not be a problem, so I left it there for more cover for me before the season started. Anyway, the buck stood there for several seconds at 20 yards and I needed him to take one more step, and well, he winded me first, looked straight up at me, blew his butt off, turned and took off like lighting. I never saw him again.
The buck I am referring to, I will go back if anyone is interested in see him? I have the TC captures of him back in 17, I think, which are the photos that made me what to target him, and one other.
Please let me know and I'd be happy to do it, thanks! Once the season is over, or close to being over, I'll share more of my past videos on the channel. Again, I do have a couple examples showing me calling deer in, some are really hilarious, to me anyway, because I was kinda starting off with some new calls and stuff, and it took me some time to figure things out, silly me.
If you wish to have fun, or up the anti a bit, possibly in your favor, then now's the time to start playing around with those kinds of things, especially, around my area. Like someone already mentioned, you can educate the animals too. The more realistic it's applied, the better for the area you hunt in.
Depending on when or where I go today, I may take something with me to attempt to either call, stop or get the attention of a deer. Some places I won't even consider it, others, I do.
One more thing, I probably butchered this post. I know my grammar and spelling is notorious at times. I need an editor, perhaps fulltime too.
Take care everybody!
I played with them in store at my part time gig and they sounded pretty good, but how do they sound in the woods, not wrapped in cardboard? What is the durability like? Any insight is appreciated, thanks
them onto my daypak while hiking on those longer adventures of this place. A Doe-Bleat can and grunt call go with me as well. BTW, I need a new grunt call. Been meaning to pick me up a good one. Something much like one of Creamers would work