![]() “If a hunter rattles loudly early in the season or grunts like a madman from opening day on, they will likely spook deer because that is unnatural. “When we rattle, grunt or bleat, we are trying to mimic what the deer are doing,” he said. Miller went on to say hunters should remember they aren’t just calling to a deer - they are communicating with it. A snort-wheeze is also more likely to spook a buck, so use it sparingly.” A whitetail’s snort-wheeze isn’t very loud, so yours shouldn’t be, either. Most never have, and the few who have heard it describe it as a quiet call. I do many seminars on deer hunting, and I often ask the people in the audience if they have ever heard a snort-wheeze in the woods. “I occasionally bleat or do a snort-wheeze, but not very often. Miller stressed that a grunt call is his primary weapon. Calling too much can spook him and, possibly, other bucks you can’t see.” But if I see a buck and calling doesn’t work right away, I usually put my call back into my pocket. “When I see a big buck coming down a field edge, grunting at him once or twice can turn him and get him to come to me. “Calling only at the right time can be deadly,” Miller said. Just as bucks get riled up as the rut kicks in, hunters, too, seem to get more aggressive, calling way too much. How often do you hear bucks calling? Not often.” Early in the season, soft grunting or bleating can get a buck’s attention, but a lot of calling can spook him. Many hunters think if a little calling is good, a lot of calling is even better. “Deer don’t run around the woods constantly calling to each another. When calling, Miller suggests a little is often better than a lot. Calling before then often proves fruitless.” That’s when a buck is traveling and checking out everything that might have to do with potential breeding. “I believe the best time to call and rattle is from the pre-rut onward,” Miller said. Although rattling and calling can work any time during the hunting season, your chances are better at specific times. ![]() Timing is very important when grunting and rattling. I have rattled in everything from 1-inch spikes to a 200-inch deer with these antlers.” “Over the years, I have rattled in hundreds of bucks with my 120-inch rattling antlers. “I don’t smash them together for long periods or get real loud and aggressive,” he said. When calling or rattling, Miller never tries to sound like a buck on steroids. That’s when I’m hunting sign like scrapes and rubs, and chances are a bedded buck isn’t far away.” Early in the pre-rut, I might call or rattle only once every few hours. “When I’m sitting for several hours, I rattle or call every half hour if it is the time of year when bucks are starting to travel. “I use a set of smaller antlers and often only tickle them together for about 30 seconds,” he explained. To ensure he doesn’t spook big bucks when rattling, Miller uses a set of rattling antlers that would measure about 120 inches. They try to sound like two big bucks fighting and end up spooking bucks, especially less mature ones.” “But that is often the kind of rattling hunters do. “Very rarely do you see a knock-down, drag-out fight between two monster bucks,” he said. When it comes to rattling, Miller says it rarely spooks a buck when done properly. When a hunter blows loudly on a grunt tube, it often sounds unnatural and puts a buck on edge.” “Grunting is often subtle and quiet,” he said. Miller, who has spent countless hours hunting and watching bucks, says they rarely grunt loudly. Many hunters blow a grunt tube too loudly or try to sound like a monster. “Chances are, they are doing something wrong. “Some hunters have one or two bad experiences with a grunt tube and refuse to use one again,” Miller said. Miller says if a hunter blows on a call and a buck runs for the brush, a mistake is usually to blame. He never leaves home without his grunt tube or rattling antlers. Today, he travels the country searching for big bucks. Before Miller was a TV host, he was a full-time writer who spent much of his fall chasing big bucks in Wisconsin. Greg Miller from Driven TV knows a few things about calling and rattling. Truth is, calling, rattling and throwing a decoy into the mix for added realism can help you increase your odds - if the message you send is right for the situation. The same can be said for rattling and decoys. One peep on the grunt tube, and the buck they were watching headed for the next county. Others have experienced horrible results. It’s not uncommon to see a hunter pull into the local coffee shop with a big buck in the pickup and credit calling for the success. Some deer hunters swear by grunt tubes, cans and snort-wheeze calls and use them every year. Most of you have tried deer calls, and I’m sure if we conducted a poll, your opinions would be mixed. ![]() What you say and when you say it are crucial to successful calling.
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