Calling Strategies for October: When to Rattle, Grunt, and Stay Quiet

As the days start to shorten and people deck their houses out with Halloween lights,
signaling that we’re in the thick of fall, hunters know this means that the rut season is about
to begin. As the bucks get crazier and activity starts to kick up, we’ve got some strategies
for how to call in those bucks using rattles and grunts, and when you shouldn’t use them at
all. Check out our tips, below, for October calling strategies.

Rattle

Antler rattling is a great way to replicate the sound of two adult bucks battling for a doe.
When two bucks are after the same doe, they will fight each other and ram their antlers
together to determine who is the stronger buck. If you can replicate this sound, a third
strong buck might be attracted to the sound to see if he can fight those bucks and throw his
hat into the ring, too. This strategy works well at the beginning of rut season before anyone
has paired off, when all of the does are eligible for reproduction, because all of the bucks
will be vying for the unbred does.

Grunts

Start small and work your way up. You should try a couple short, quick grunts first to see if
the buck responds to that. If he doesn’t, that’s when you start ramping up the intensity.
Doing too much too quickly risks the deer becoming suspicious and being scared off by the
call. You should also stop calling when the deer moves close enough that he’s looking your
direction. If the deer sees you while you’re doing the call, he’ll immediately realize the call
is fake and you’ve hurt your chances at that hunting spot.

Our Stump Blinds allow you to remain concealed, so you can conduct your periodic calling
until the last minute when the deer comes into range without worrying that he’ll see you.

Stay Quiet

Sometimes the best strategy is to stay quiet and not use any calls at all. If you’re hunting a
public land area that has already had a lot of hunters come through, or you’re actively
hunting in an area with other hunters, this would be the time to lay off any calling and let
the hunting pressure settle. In highly pressured areas, your silence will do more for you
than aggressive calling. When areas are overhunted and over-called, the deer will start to
move away from the noise. If you’re in a secluded area, making no noise, that could end up
being the most prime spot on the property.

You can also hold off on calling if you’ve just gone through a round of calls. You should
avoid continuous calling. Give the bucks some time to respond to the sound. Deer will
often approach an area silently and test the wind before fully moving into the clearing. Give
them time to do so.Take advantage of this prime hunting season and call in rut-crazed bucks to fill your tags
and fill your freezer. Our comfortable Stump blinds will let you sit all day for hunts so you
can use your rattles, grunts, and other calls until you’ve made your harvest. Grab your calls
and enjoy the outdoors!

How do you use your deer calls during October rut season? Let us know in the comments
below!