Grunt Calls for Mulies

cheeseheadinOHIO

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Living around the mid-West and primarily dealing with whitetails, I'm asking if grunt calls work on both whitetails and mule deer? I only rifle hunt mulies for a short time and have not spent a lot of time with them to know. I saw a show with the Primos Buck-Roar call and also read the testimonials and it was pretty impressive on whitetails, but I don't know about how it works on mulies. Any help? Thanks.
 
I've wondered that too....But haven't EVER heard of Muley's coming to a grunt OR being affected by it. Just me and what I've heard though. I have seen them come to a K-meer deer call though.....it's got 2 plates that you bite down on and pinch a rubber band. Makes a squeal sound...on occasion that'll get their attention. Probably out of curiosity though....that's my feeling.
-223
 
on occasion mule deer will grunt. they have to be so comfortable and almost playful to do it though. it sounds nothing like a whitetail though. as far as calling one in, i'd try stalking, grunts will definitly not work.
 
Grunts DO work on muley bucks. Maybe not always, but a buddy of mine called in a good buck a few years ago. There is a picture in the gallery under Tyler's Buck. It does work. mtmuley
 
I used "The Can" one time while glassing a canyon. The deer ran out of there like I had just shot. They weren't running to me either. It was pretty amazing. Not sure what I sounded like to them but it definately wasn't good.

It's always an adventure!!!
www.awholelottabull.com
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-24-07 AT 11:03PM (MST)[p]I've had a ton of success grunting in muleys. I've used grunt tubes but the best grunt out there is the good ol' fashioned BURP. Just swallow air and let out a burp. Works like a hotdamn. I stillhunt thick timber in the late season and burp all day, just like a buck on the prowl. It allows me to creep right up on deer as they just think I'm another buck. I've jumped bucks out of their beds, burped, and had them spin around with ears straight back ready to kick my ass. I've used the burp on high alert does that were ready to bail and take the whole herd with them. The burping has calmed them down and allowed me to pass without disturbing them. Throw in a racking antler and it is amazing the kind of results you'll get.
 
Mule deer grunt all the time during the rut. They don't sound a whole lot different than whitetail. I use a grunt call all the time while taking photos and it works very well on them, and when I don't have the call handy I use a short burp just like BCBOY, works great. I rattle in mule deer a lot as well. They will respond just like a whitetail, ears back and ready to kick some ass.

Saskman
 
Now, as expected... the next question is WHEN? Probably pre-rut and during the rut. I will be hunting first week of October, so it probably wouldn't work. Agree? Same for rattling that early in the season? Thanks.
 
I've burped at bucks even in the summer. They look at ya funny and aren't held long, but it does stop them sometimes when they are about to bail. Of course, I've yelled 'HEY' and had the same response a few times too. As for Oct, I normally start using the aggressive burp come the last week. Rattling, rubbing and burping will all work well that last week of Oct. But...I've found the older class bucks know enough that the rut is still a few weeks away and it seems it work better for the younger bucks that week. A couple of years ago I jumped a monster 220 plus buck in some real thick crap that last week of Oct. The only vision he gave me was a 2 sec look at ASS and ANTLERS. I tried in desperation to turn him around with burps and raking, but he wanted no part of that. He bailed and I didn't want to push a bad, noisy, crunchy stalk, so I backed off. I thought I could catch him in the same area when the rut was in full swing. No such luck. Never seen hide nor hair of him again.
Come the second week of Nov, I've turned both old and young bucks alike. The big boys turn easier actually. The younger bucks may have had their asses whopped a few times and don't want to get beat up again. The big boys get pissed. They turn around, beat trees, spit, grunt and beat some more trees. I will aggressively burp and rake. I carry a big shed antler, as they know the sound difference between a little buck raking and a big buck raking. I'll burp loud and often. Gives a guy bad heartburn after hours of doing it, but nothing some Tums won't help.
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-25-07 AT 10:26AM (MST)[p]Post rut is the time not to do the grunt. Once the majority of does are bred (Nov 9-Nov 20) most big bucks will head for the thickest gawd aweful timber to rest up. They are beat up and need to heal. The last thing they want to do is fight. Does will bail at the sound of the grunt, as they have had enough of being harassed by bucks. The young bucks still think they can get some #####, so they are the ones grunting.
 
Finally!! Now I know the secret behind the monster bucks that BCBOY and Saskman are killing and taking pictures of. A friggin BURP!!! Hilarious!!! I'm making one addition to my huting pack..... couple cans of Coca-Cola, so I can burp the big boys in!!! Too funny, who would have thought?

RockyMtnOyster
 
I've called in many smaller bucks using can calls during the rut. I have used can calls for muleys in archery season, but more for calming them down rather than calling them in. It has some weird effect on them, and they often go back to feeding in plain site of you. I have seen a Doe make the same sound every 3 secs for a couple minutes walking up a hill to me. So I suppose they think it's "mama" during the non-rut. I've have had bucks grunt back from timber in canyons that I was unable to get a look at during the rut, perhaps they were whoppers?

I've also experimented some with the c'mere deer call , and have called in at least one medium sized buck from about 1/4 mile or so away that I had already spotted. This call imitates a fawn distress. Not sure why they come to this call at all. I may try this call out again when I hunt the missouri breaks archery this
year when I'm not after elk.

As for just grunting , I've used it in combination with the can call a little, so I don't know if it was just the can call. It probably couldn't hurt to use on bigger bucks. Especially in combination with raking antlers on the brush, a known way that bucks communicate thier location to others.

Another interesting tidbit, I don't know if any of you remember a guy named Gary Lewis, an archery hunter who was found poaching elk in yellowstone. He claimed to rattle and "mew" at huge bucks, and had taken many massive muleys, though I can't say if they were legal kills or on park grounds. I would still like to know what that "mew" sound is.
 
In my neck of the woods, another call I use in Oct that works really well is a bull moose grunt. We've got a lot of moose around here and early Oct is when they rut. A bull will wander noisily through the timber grunting as he goes. I find that doing this when I still hunt timber allows me to walk right up on deer unconcerned about my presence. They just think I'm a noisy ol' bull. In elk country, I've used cow calls and had a similiar effect. It doesn't draw them in, but it certainly doesn't spook them.
 
BC,
One question, are you using the throaty burp, or the gutteral Lurch sounding belch that can carry across a canyon?

Does a good fart have the same effect? Because I would be willing to change my shorts for a crack at the buck of a lifetime. ;-)
 
I can not wait to run into some of you walking around the hills burping. I will seriously be laughing my but off. I am not nocking it...yet.

I can not figure out if these guys are screwing with us or what. Burping sounds so strange!!

Who knows. I think I will try it tonight. I have been watching a few small bucks at a water hole in the evenings. If they bolt like I think they will, I will be laughing my but off. I am going to be a little pissed if these guys are messing with us.

2pointer
 
CHeck out this previous thread on the same subject-

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID6/14565.html

JohnQPubicbanner1.jpg
 
No screwing with you. Don't go letting out a belch like you just guzzled a bottle of beer or wolfed down a big meal, you need to make it sound like a grunt. Just a short deep burp, not overly loud. This is not the time of year to be trying it, try it in the rut when you are within hearing distance of the deer, this time of the year you may have them bolt.

Saskman
 
you all know that we are talking about mule deer right? they sound nothing like whitetails. and i'd like to know what state your hunting because grunting at all times during the year in different locations around the state have never worked. are you all sure you're talking about muleys?
 
I don't lie. I use a standard grunt call or burp and it works fine. Just like all kinds of calling it does not work every time but works enough that I will keep doing it. Here are some photos of muleys I have grunted and rattled in. I have never called in a really huge buck but lots of small and respectable bucks. These are all free ranging deer during an open hunting season.

grunted in, he wanted to kick my ass
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grunted in, almost walked right over top of me. Probably the biggest buck I have grunted or rattled in.
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grunted in
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grunted in
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rattled in
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grunted in
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rattled in
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rattled in, this guy really wanted to kick some ass as well
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I have other photos as well and have called in others while hunting that didn't get their photo taken. It does work.

Saskman
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-07 AT 08:50PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-07 AT 08:48?PM (MST)

Yup, I'm serious, and yup I'm talking about 'burping' in muleys, and yup, muleys do sound very similiar to whiteys. I can tell ya for a fact, that most of the guys I hunt with thought I was crazy when they first saw me doing it. But, once they saw how good it works, they all are doing it now. I used to use a whitetail grunt tubes, as I could never find anything 'muley' on the market. The grunt tubes I used were reed based. During the rut, we normally have freezing temps, and the reed would always freeze up on me. I found myself beating on the call trying to get it to work, when I should have been paying attention to the deer I was trying to call in. It was rather frustrating. The calls would always freeze up at the exact time I really wanted it, like when you are creeping along the thick timber and you bump up that monster and all you see is ass and antlers and trees in the way. Then, I ended up watching an old Jim Shockey whitetail video where he said just throw the damn calls away and use your mouth and burp. I started burping and was sold from day one. The response during the rut is amazing. I've played with does, little bucks, and big bucks. It works. I've been burping for years now. And again, yes, I'm talking about MULEYS. I've had many guys on MM ask me how I can stillhunt the thick timber and hammer big bucks. They somehow think you need to have incredible stealth to hunt the thick crap. I ain't very stealthy. I simply walk as if I am a big buck on the prowl looking for does. If you have ever truly listened to mature bucks, they are damn noisy. They snap, crackle and break every twig in the forest. They have one mission on their minds and they grunt and thrash brush and wander. I do the exact same thing. So when I walk up on deer, they think I'm just another deer. Think, who is the stealthy one? Their top predator, the Lion. When deer hear that one twig snap but nothing else they go on high alert.
Another thing that I combine with raking and burping is the smell of the rut. When I find a place where a doe has pissed in the snow, I will rub my knees into it. The first buck that hits the ground in our group, I'll make sure I claim the tarsel glands. I will rub them on all my hunting clothes. I will carry them tied to my pack. Whatever it takes to make me smell like a deer.
 
Holy Moly! Those are GREAT pics! Thanks for clearing it up!
Archerman - Archery hunting addict!
 
Here are three more little guys that came in with the I want to kick your ass attitude

This first one came in to grunting
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These next two came in to the rattling horns.

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This last guy came in more than once the same day. He was really beaten up with an injured eye and ear. His antlers were busted up pretty good as well. He was definately a fighter.
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another one of him
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Saskman
 
LAST EDITED ON Aug-27-07 AT 09:46PM (MST)[p]Here is an example of a buck I burped in during the 05 season. I jumped this buck up from his bed and he bailed hard away from me. I burped and spun him. I continued to burp and was able to hold this buck for about 20 minutes from 20-40 yards away. He actually messed up and got worried as his does snuck behind me and he thought I was about to steal them from him. He didn't want to fight, but he certainly didn't want to loose his does. When I saw he had a short G3 on his side behind the brush, I leaned the rifle against the tree and took out the video camera. Not too many guys would pass on a buck like this, but I had a moose in the freezer and I was holding out for a real giant. Luckily my buddy knows a big buck when he sees one and he killed this buck 2 days later as he burped and raked as he tracked this buck. The buck has an incredible 90 inch left side and still grossed 184 even with the small G3 on his weak side.
The pics aren't near the quality of Saskman's but they get the point across that I was close.
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Here's another buck that another buddy killed that same week that was 'raked' in. He beat a tree with a shed antler and this buck came in fast and furious.
Matts183typical.jpg
 
WOW!! Fabulous Saskman and BCboy. How about the time of year. Were these all during the rut or just before? I wouldn't think much would happen the first week in October. Would I be wasting my time? Thanks guys... great info and pictures.
 
All of these photos were taken between the second and last week of November which is when the rut is really going up here. The first week of October most of our bucks are still hanging aroung in bachelor groups or just starting to split up. Calling them in in the first week of October probably won't work very well but you may be able to use a grunt to stop a buck. He probably won't hang around for long but it may pique his interest enough to stop him long enough for a shot. I have grunted to stop deer at other times of year but usually don't start calling to bring bucks in until the first week of November.

Saskman
 

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