Deer calling has become a popular technique among hunters to try and attract deer during hunting season. But do deer actually respond to these calls? Specifically for the blacktail deer, a common game animal on the west coast, research indicates that they do indeed react to certain types of deer calls.
Deer hearing and vocalizations
To understand if and how deer might respond to calls, it helps to first look at their hearing abilities and the types of vocalizations they use to communicate. Deer have excellent hearing, with a wider range of audio frequencies detected compared to humans. This allows them to hear subtle sounds in their environment, including the light footfalls of potential predators.
Deer also use a variety of vocalizations to communicate with each other. Some key sounds include:
- Grunts – Low, guttural sounds male deer use to signal dominance and find other deer
- Bleats – High-pitched distress calls used by fawns when separated from their mother
- Snorts – Loud explosive sounds for alarming others in the herd to potential danger
- Grunt-snort wheeze – An aggressive call used during rutting season by males looking to intimidate rivals
Given their keen hearing and use of vocalizations, it seems plausible that deer may respond to imitations of their own sounds. This is the premise behind deer calling by hunters.
Evidence that deer respond to calls
While there hasn’t been much scientific research directed specifically at blacktail deer, studies on other deer species and anecdotal evidence suggest that deer calling can elicit responses under certain conditions.
Scientific research on white-tailed deer
A study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management looked at the behavioral responses of white-tailed deer to common deer calls used by hunters. Researchers played recordings of social grunts, rutting calls, and distress bleats from fawns to deer at sites in South Carolina. They observed the following reactions from deer:
- Grunts – Deer became more alert and looked in direction of calls. Dominant bucks also exhibited aggressive behaviors like staredowns and even charged towards the speakers.
- Rutting calls – Both bucks and does moved towards the speakers during the breeding season. Out of season, only subordinate bucks responded.
- Bleats – Does and fawns reacted strongest, moving closer to inspect and search for the ‘fawn’ in distress.
This demonstrates that deer definitely pay attention to and investigate deer call imitations, particularly social grunts and bleats.
Anecdotal evidence for blacktail deer
There isn’t as much formal research on blacktail deer specifically, but many hunters report success attracting them using grunt and bleat calls in the following ways:
- Bleat cans – These mimic fawn bleats and cause protective does to come looking. Hunters conceal themselves between doe bedding areas and suspected fawn locations.
- Grunt tubes – Can call in more dominant bucks to display aggression and search for rivals.
- Rattle bags – Simulate the clashing antlers of two battling bucks. Effective during rut and can pique curiosity even outside breeding season.
Overall, there seems to be consensus among blacktail deer hunters that calling can help draw deer in close, especially on calm days when sounds carry farther.
When are deer calls most effective?
While deer may respond to calls year-round under the right conditions, hunters have found there are certain times when calling is most productive:
- Pre-rut – As daylight decreases in early Fall, calling picks up as bucks prepare for breeding contests.
- Peak rut – During peak breeding in late October-November, calling provokes the most aggressive reactions from lovesick bucks.
- Post-rut – Calling can still attract bucks looking to recover from rutting season in December.
- Fawning season – Bleats are especially effective for drawing in does and fawns in May-June.
In general, the peak rutting period seems to be the prime time for provoking deer to respond to calls as they sort out breeding rights and pecking order.
Tips for effective deer calling
To maximize success attracting blacktail deer with calling, hunters should keep these tips in mind:
- Use appropriate calls for the time of year. For example, fawn bleats work best in Spring.
- Start with softer, realistic calls. Louder aggressive calling may just alarm deer.
- Be patient and pause between sequences. Give deer time to respond.
- Pick calm days with little wind when sounds will carry best.
- Conceal yourself well and stay downwind so deer don’t spot you.
- Use a deer decoy to give deer a visual as well as auditory stimulus.
- Practice calling regularly to mimic deer vocalizations accurately.
Conclusion
The available research and anecdotal evidence indicates that blacktail deer do respond to simulated deer calls under the right conditions. Grunt and bleat calls that mimic common social vocalizations are most likely to elicit responses, especially during the peak rutting season. With patience and proper technique, deer calling can be an effective tool for hunters to attract blacktail deer within range.