Sound is a subtle, yet important means of communication for deer.
I was slipping along a hardwood ridge in the West Virginia mountains on my way to a treestand when I spied a distant buck.
I quickly grabbed my call and grunted, but the buck showed no reaction. I grunted again, this time louder, and it slammed on the brakes, threw up its head and stared in my direction. When he flicked his tail and started forward, I gave him another grunt.
That did it. The buck turned 90 degrees and started my way on a steady trot.
When he disappeared behind some brush, I drew my bow and held on an opening just ahead of where I’d last seen him. As he stepped into the shooting lane, I gave one more grunt, this time by mouth. He froze, and I fired.
The buck ran 100 yards downhill toward my truck before collapsing, which made for an easy drag.
I was elated, not only because I’d arrowed a deer from the ground, but it also was the first time I’d successfully called a whitetail. It wasn’t the first time I’d tried.
I’d made dozens of attempts and experienced reactions ranging from indifference to sheer terror. Until I did it, I was seriously doubting it was even possible to call a whitetail. From that point on, however, I was a believer.
Calling whitetails is like that. More often than not, it won’t work. But occasionally, under the right circumstances, all the pieces fall into place and something magical happens. It’s a low percentage proposition, but you can increase the odds by becoming more familiar with the whitetail’s vocabulary.
VOCAL MINORITY
Because humans rely so heavily on verbal communication, we often expect the same of the game we pursue. Turkey hunters and waterfowlers know how important mimicking their quarry can be. But scent is the whitetail’s primary means of communication. For them, vocal communication is much more subtle, carrying about the same importance as gestures and facial expressions for humans. Nevertheless, being able to imitate whitetail sounds can be a useful component in your hunting tool kit.
AUDITORY RANGE
Unlike vision, which differs measurably from ours, deer hear in about the same range as humans. The human auditory spectrum spans roughly from 20 to 20,000 hertz, with our best and most sensitive range from 2,000 to 5,000 hertz. Researchers have determined the whitetail’s spectrum is very similar, with greatest sensitivity at moderate frequencies of 3,000 to 8,000 hertz.
Most deer vocalizations are at lower frequencies, which makes sense for several reasons. For starters, low frequencies are a good way to communicate in dense forest habitat. Birds sing and call at high frequencies, but they’re trying to announce their presence, attract a mate and declare their territory. Deer, on the other hand, are merely trying to maintain contact without attracting too much attention.
There are exceptions.
WHITETAIL VOCABULARY
Although it’s a less important component of their communication methods, whitetails have a fairly sizeable vocabulary of different sounds. Just like human communication, the same sounds can have different meaning under different circumstances. Putting it in human terms, knowing what to say, and using the right words at the right time, can make a difference in effectively communicating with whitetails.
FAWN BLEAT
Vocalization starts early in a whitetail’s life. No sooner are her newborn fawns up and walking than a doe will stash them in some thick cover and go off to feed.
When she returns, she locates them with a soft grunt, to which they often respond with a higher pitched bleat similar to that of a lamb. If they get lost or separated from their mother, fawns can utter a longer, more drawn out bleat. Any of these sounds can be used to call a doe.
A fawn in danger will utter a loud, high-pitched bleat intended to attract the mother’s attention. Hunters imitating this sound can do likewise, particularly early in the season when the doe’s maternal instinct is still strong. Just be aware that this is a warning sound and will put all deer that hear it on full alert.
GRUNT
Locating fawns is not the only reason an adult doe grunts. This simple, soft, one-note grunt is also a greeting call among adult deer. The buck grunt is similar, just lower in pitch.
In essence, a deer is saying, “It’s just me; is anyone else around?” Or, “Here I am. Come and find me.”
Hunters can use simple grunts to put deer at ease or coax them out of thick cover. Grunts work throughout the season and can be used on does and bucks.
BREEDING BAWL
Vocalizations become more important for deer and hunters during the rut.
A doe in heat usually doesn’t have any trouble finding a suitor. Just the same, she might announce her intentions with a drawn-out bellow or bawl.
It starts out like a grunt, rising in pitch, then dropping down again at the end, sounding something like “oooowaaaaoooh.” The breeding bawl is slightly higher-pitched than a buck grunt, but deeper than a greeting bleat or fawn bleat. It can be imitated on both mouth and can calls.
Bucks know the meaning and can be attracted by the call, particularly if they’re upwind where they can’t smell a potential mate.
TENDING GRUNT
A much more common scenario occurs when one or more bucks are chasing a hot doe. They’ll sometimes utter several short, deep grunts in repetition. The number, duration and cadence can vary considerably according to the intensity of the chase.
I’ve heard tending bucks sound like “grunt, grunt, grunt,” or “gruuuuunt, gruuuuunt, gruuuuunt.” Sometimes bucks will give three, four or up to half a dozen grunts; other times, they’ll grunt continuously the entire time they’re within earshot.
Like the scent of a hot doe, the sound of a tending buck often will attract other bucks.
SNORT/SNORT-WHEEZE
Although not a true vocalization, the snort is a sound deer use when alarmed, usually when they identify a foreign odor or when they see something they can’t identify. It’s not a sound the hunter would want to use, with one exception.
During a particularly aggressive interaction between two bucks, one might emit a snort-wheeze. It is a buck’s way of expressing both aggression and dominance — a warning to other bucks that the time for posturing and displaying is over.
The human equivalent would be, “The gloves are off and if you don’t leave now, I’m gonna kick your butt.” You can frighten off subordinate deer by imitating this call, but you’ll be throwing down the gauntlet to any dominant buck in the immediate vicinity.
The buck roar is similar and has similar application. When commercial buck roar calls first came out, I was skeptical, thinking them a bit gimmicky. In nearly 40 years of whitetail hunting, I’d never heard the sound.
The very next fall, I was hunting the peak of rut in central Alabama when I heard a gawdawful roar and instantly recognized it. Fortunately, I had the right call. When I roared back, an obviously agitated buck burst from cover, his hair standing on end and fire in his eyes.
APPLICATION
How, when and how much to call often depends on circumstances.
Blind calling can be effective when leaves are still on the trees and visibility is poor. Call every 15 or 20 minutes and utter a simple buck or doe greeting grunt. An unseen deer might be close by. The same holds true for hunting in thick cover or near bedding areas.
Calling becomes easier when you can see the deer because you can see its reaction. And reactions run the gamut. One deer might react with complete indifference. Another might bolt and run away or stiffen up and walk stiff-legged straight to you.
Gauging a whitetail’s reaction to a call can help you decide your next move. If the deer ignores you, call again, perhaps a little louder. It could be you just didn’t get its attention. At that point you have little to lose from more calling.
If the deer stops and looks your way, you might want to hold off long enough to see its next move. Or call again immediately. It’s a gamble, and you’ll either get a very positive or very negative reaction. But if you don’t roll the dice, you’ll never know.
As with turkey hunting, there’s a fine line between just enough and too much calling. Call enough to get and keep a deer’s attention, but avoid calling so much it puts it on edge or scares it off.
Remember, your objective is to get a whitetail to come toward you. Once you’ve accomplished that, it’s often best to stop calling. If a deer hangs up, try coaxing it a little more, but be conservative.
You can tell a lot if you understand a deer’s body language. His first reaction is often to throw up his head, perk up his ears and stare in your direction. Don’t move, and don’t call.
If he tucks his tail and walks away stiff-legged, he’s either nervous or alarmed, and you’ve probably lost him regardless of what you do next.
If a buck flicks his tail — the whitetail’s universal “all’s well” sign — and returns to whatever he was doing, call again and see how he reacts. If his ears go back and his hair stands on end, get ready. His next move likely will be in your direction.
CONCLUSION
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that calling alone won’t make you a better hunter. You still have to scout, plan and pay attention to details like stand placement and scent control. Even then, it won’t always work. Like people, sometimes whitetails just aren’t in the mood to converse.
Don’t get discouraged and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Keep trying. Sooner or later, your efforts will be rewarded. The payoff can be exciting and dramatic.
It’s also important to remember the above techniques are merely guidelines, not rules. Deer don’t read rule books, so if you find something that works, do it.
Editor’s note: Some of the material contained in this article was excerpted from the author’s book “Pro Tactics: Whitetail Hunting,” available from Globe Pequot Press, at larger bookstores and online at www.bobhumphrey.com
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This article was published in the October 2012 edition of Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine. Subscribe today to have Buckmasters delivered to your home.