Do Game Calls Work?

[bghunter10]

So I'm just getting started out as a hunter. My friend was telling me I should look into game calls when buying my equipment. What do ya'll think of game calls? Are they effective? I don't want to spend money on something if it isn't going to work, hunting equipment is expensive enough!

[whitetail580]

Sure they work. I like using a snort,grunt, wheeze call its good during the rut excpecially with a pair of rattling antlers. It comes in handy a lot, like if you have doe that's blows you and won't stop sometimes you can use your wheeze part of the call and blow back usually she'll stop blowing. Another example to carry a call to the woods is if you have a buck walking you can use the grunt to either stop him long enough to make a shot or to bring him closer. A call is always in my hunting bag. Good luck hunting

[Tenpoint]

Yes, game calls do work. You just need to take the time to learn how to use them most effectively.

Tenpooint

[bghunter10]

Thanks for all your help! I have another related question though. So I saw something on another thread on this site for a game call called The Kernel, does anyone know anything about that? I'm from Houston and I found it at a local Academy, it seemed like a good price compared to other game calls. Any thoughts? Any of ya'll used it? I sure appreciate your help!

[BEgginger21]

O yeah they def do work. I hunt in northern minnesota and i had a few little yearlings and small doe come by my stand. Well i was going for Bucks and i was using my 7.00 call that i got from walmart and it was working great they kept coming closer and closer to the call and at one point i had a small doe 20 yards from my stand staring at me. But this one i got works great better then my bone collector one that i forgot thats why i bought the cheap one. has 4 diff calls and volume control

[feedercams]

Absolutely a game call used correctly does indeed work. Deer will respond to them.

LStout
FeederCams.com

[AR VARMITER]

Yes they do work! Better at certain times. I Rattle and Grunt when the time is right. Believe it or not I was in Texas hunting last week and called four deer in with a cotton tail rabbit squeal while calling coyotes. I had filled my buck tag so went to hunting pigs and coyotes. Got to thinking maybe I should have been using the rabbit call all along! "Ha!" But calls do work. Obviously in the case of the rabbit call it was curiosity.

[baysider]

Believe it or not I was in Texas hunting last week and called four deer in with a cotton tail rabbit squeal while calling coyotes. I had filled my buck tag so went to hunting pigs and coyotes. Got to thinking maybe I should have been using the rabbit call all along! "Ha!" But calls do work. Obviously in the case of the rabbit call it was curiosity.

I had a buddy shoot a does last year during the BC season and he was way way back in the back of the farm where we had a long grag out. It was during the rut. He came out to my stand whistling so i could hear him. A buckheard the whistle and came running in 45 yards right to him in the middle of the soy beans. I watch the entire thing and couldnt believe it. I also could believe that he walked over to my stand and shot the buck!!! Ive tried whistling for them this year with little results!!!

[okiebuckonly]

I killed a nice eight point last year during blackpowder rut in OK. that came up from behind and busted my location and ran off without me getting a shot. I blew my grunt call and he comes back out of the brush and stopped which only gave me a head shot but he dropped like a ton of bricks.
Just a note for Arvarmiter, the rabbit call for predators is similar to the fawn distress call for predators and not surprising that deer come to investigate although like the previous post if a buck is in rut, nothing is out of the question. Once while squirrel hunting between bow and rifle season my Father in law and I walked up on an eight point and doe bedded together. We walked within 30 yards and neither would leave. While we were admiring them a squirrel came down a tree very close to them and my father in law shot the squirrel and picked it up. The buck and doe remained and we left them together , madly in love.

[huckones]

If you watch any hunting shows you'll see plenty of calling and rattling. I believe calls work but I believe they are marketed as working better than they actually do. You should note how many times (on those shows) the call fails to bring in a buck or even causes them to leave the area. Probably shouldn't rattle too hard. Likewise shouldn't grunt too loud and too long. I've heard enough real (close-up) buck grunts to know they aren't as loud as most folks reproduce with a call. Seen a few buck fights too and they can last a while. But the rattling I hear from a lot of hunters is more like Rocky Mountain sheep - smashing antlers together repeatedly instead of concentrating on more of an initial contact and more rubbing. Good Hunting!!

[bowhuntingpro]

I agree with huckones, the hunting shows give a false impression that every time you toot on a call a monster buck will come running. It isn't like that at all and actually pretty far from it.

If you buy anything buy a grunt tube, it's probably the most used go to call. A snort wheeze can be made without a call and you can make your own rattling bag if you don't want to spend the money. Cut 6 or 7 pieces of a pine 2x4. An old 2x4 works best as it will be dried out more than a new one. Make each piece about the size of a hot dog, they don't have to be round but just about that size. Put them longways in a sock and there you go....a rattling bag. It actually sounds pretty good. Or you could always just find some real antlers and use those.

Don't call too often and only use the right calls for the right time of year or else you'll just scare the deer and educate them at the same time. This article has some good tips. http://www.trophyhuntingobsession.com/8 ... ling-tips/ I'd buy the grunt tube and possibly all 3 of the calls mentioned in that article just to get started. Good luck.

[Tberg]

I have the primos buck roar and Absolutely love it! I called in a nice 9 point with it 4 are 5 weeks ago. I haven't fooled with the snort wheeze on it any but it's a great call for beginners like myself, because if u were to blow to hard it doesn't start sounding like a duck call like some previous calls I've had. So in my opinion primos buck roar is the way to go.

[bghunter10]

So, I decided to go ahead and try the Kernel out. Of all the calls I looked at, I liked that this one had such a good corn sound and could supplement for a feeder. I had a lot of success when my buddy and I went out this weekend. He is an experienced hunter and was also very impressed. I know I haven't been hunting long but I highly recommend this tool.

[bowhuntingpro]

I'm glad to hear it worked good for you unfortunately I can't use it. Electronic calling devices are illegal in some states, Indiana being one of them.