Photo: Jack Baker of Grovetown, Georgia has learned to stop and calm deer, like this dandy 10-pointer, by imitating something deer hear every day. The tip also keeps wounded deer from running as far.
As an avid bow hunter, I’ve watched hundreds of hunting shows and videos, and I’ve noticed most of the time, hunters stop a moving deer by using their mouths to make a bleat sound.
The noise usually sounds something like, maaaah, mehhh or bleeeeh.
But sometimes, the noise has the reverse effect and spooks deer into bolting rather than making them stop.
Here’s something better, and I’ve used it with great success numerous times in my long hunting career. I’ve taught my tactic to friends and they swear by it, too.
Instead of bleating like a deer, long ago I learned a squirrel’s bark stops deer without alarming them.
Think about it. Squirrels live in the trees and can be surprisingly loud. Deer hear this ruckus on a daily basis and are used to it.
If you can learn to imitate a squirrel’s barks, growls or chatter, not only will you stop deer, you’ll calm them in certain situations.
Often, a deer shot with a sharp broadhead will not even know it has been hit, and will run a long way because of the noise created by the bow.
I bark like a squirrel immediately after releasing an arrow. Wounded deer will not go as far — usually less than 50 yards — since they figure a squirrel created the noise. This makes blood trails shorter and recovery easier.
Once, a matriarchal doe in a group of does snorted and ran when I accidentally brushed my elbow against a limb while drawing my bow. She spooked all the other deer, but I barked like a squirrel and rubbed my arms over the tree bark to imitate a fussy squirrel. The deer all returned within three minutes!
Some people are better at imitating squirrels than others. Smooching kiss noises work well, and some folks can squeeze air between their cheek and teeth. The main thing is to get the cadence of a squirrel’s bark down pat.
If you have trouble, try putting your tongue against the roof of your mouth and sucking in air. You can control the pitch by moving the opening of your pursed lips around.
Your bark doesn’t have to be perfect, but with a little practice, you can create enough of a bark to get it done.
So, learn a squirrel bark and try it the next time you want to stop a deer, calm it down or keep the one you’ve just shot from running very far.
– Photo Courtesy of Jack Baker