Webster’s Dictionary defines grunting as the short, deep, hoarse sound of a hog. Actually grunting is a sound made by many animals in the outdoors, but we likely are most familiar with the sound made from the domesticated pig. You know that oink-oink sound we hear when we encounter that little farm animal.

Pigs in fact make numerous sounds during their daily lives and both wild and domestic hogs produce the grunt sound. A similar grunt sound is used by both male and female deer as they communicate with each other in the woods. I was familiar with hearing the deer “blowing” and “snorting” as they would bolt away after smelling or seeing me but for a time I was not familiar with the grunt sound.

My first encounter with the grunt sound made by a deer occurred many years ago when I first took up serious deer hunting. It was an extremely cold late November morning and I was very cold as the sun began to peek above the horizon. I had brought a thermos of coffee into my tree stand, and against my own best judgment, I decided to pour me a cup of coffee in an attempt to warm up.

Just as I completed pouring that cup of coffee, I heard a sound that I thought came from a hog. As I looked up in the early morning light and fog, I could make out several deer not 20 feet away looking straight up at me. After the deer got a second whiff of the coffee, all I saw were white tails as they bolted away from that unfamiliar aroma of coffee.

Since that initial encounter with deer grunting, I have heard that sound many times and have used a man-made grunt call to harvest more than one buck. Have you ever grunted up a whitetail buck? If so, you know the great feeling of accomplishment that comes from calling a whitetail buck within your shooting range.

Grunting is simply imitating the sound made by a deer and that sound can be mimicked with a commercially available grunt call. Studies have shown that deer, both bucks and does, make a number of vocalizations including several variations of the grunt sound. Each variation means something different in the deer’s everyday life of survival. Today you can find commercially developed deer calls that imitate a wide range of deer vocalizations.

My first couple of attempts at grunting some years ago ended in failure with the bucks in both cases making as much distance between themselves and me as possible. I started using the grunt call by just buying a readily available grunt call at a local sporting goods store. I thought all the grunt calls were basically the same.

With no instruction, other than the information contained in the commercial package, I proceeded to the woods to try out the grunt call. I found out later that the grunt call I had purchased wasn’t a good call and that I used the call far too much, too loudly and at the wrong time. I did everything wrong those first couple of times.

I had heard enough factual stories to know the grunt call actually worked, so I set out to correct my mistakes. First I read about various grunt calls and talked directly to some other hunters about their experiences. I then went out and purchased a well-known brand with a good reputation and one that was endorsed by other hunters.

The first time you hear a buck grunt and you know that it is in fact a deer; it will cause goose bumps all over your body. Then first time the buck grunts in response to your grunt call, your heart will begin pounding in wild anticipation. As I stated earlier, deer make an amazing assortment of vocal sounds but most are very low and may never be heard by the hunter. The buck grunt sound is one exception.

The most effective time to use the grunt call is during the peak of the rut, which is just about ready to begin in our local hunting area. A buck looking for a receptive doe can be easily attracted by the grunt call. That buck looking for a doe thinks the grunt call made by the hunter is coming from a buck that may have found a receptive doe and so he wants in on the action.

Some hunters say they only use the grunt call when they actually see a buck while other hunters swear they can call an unseen buck to their location. I have harvested bucks in both circumstances so I know you don’t have to visually see the buck to use the grunt call successfully.

My experience and success have shown me that the grunt call can be effective when used during the rut or during the period after the rut but it should be used sparingly. Also, very low or soft grunts are better than loud grunts. Give the grunt call a try and believe me when you are finally successful and bag a nice buck using the grunt call, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. Good hunting and see you next week.



—Outdoor columnist Bobby Peoples can be reached via e-mail at brpeoples@alltel.net.