Live Decoys
Several years ago, I watched a respectable eight-point chase a doe. The pair never came close, but the doe's fawn did. In fact, the button buck was content to dine on acorns underneath me as the buck ran the doe in and out of sight several times.

It took three grunts before the author lured this buck within bow range. He contributes his success to having precisely the right conditions necessary for a big buck to respond.

Twenty minutes after the action had started, I spotted the eight-point passing through the woods with his nose to the ground. He apparently lost the doe and was attempting to pick up her trail. After my second grunt, the buck looked at the fawn and charged forward towards my live decoy. A moment later, I shot the buck at 15 yards.

This is not the only time a live decoy has helped me to lure in a buck after grunting. Anytime you have other deer near your stand, ideal conditions exist to grunt to a buck.

Trailing Bucks
A buck also becomes vulnerable to grunts whenever he follows the trail of another deer--buck or doe. On one occasion, I had a six-point buck pass by me some 60 yards away. One hour later, I spotted a huge eight pointer with his nose to the ground following the trail of the young buck. I grunted and the buck turned and came straight to me. He zeroed in perfectly on my grunts, walking no more than a few yards from the base of my tree.

You might not see the buck that left the previous trail. It could have come through hours before you arrived on stand. However, anytime you spot a buck moving with his nose on the ground, there's a good chance he's following the trail of another and is vulnerable to grunts. That's providing he's not too close!

Avoiding Close Encounters
Most bucks I have called into bow range were 60 to 80 yards away when I first grunted. Don't get me wrong, I've tried it at less distance when necessary to inch them just a little closer, but it undoubtedly fails.

I'm primarily a close-range shooter. My effective shooting range is 20 to 25 yards and I occasionally shoot farther when conditions are ideal. Some individuals have a longer effective shooting range and won't have to lure a buck in as close. However, I'm not so sure that should have anything to do with grunting to a buck at less than 60 yards.

Consider that a buck only 50 yards away can easily pinpoint your position with outstanding accuracy. You might want him only 10 yards closer, but that has little to do with him coming. When a buck makes a clean visual on the area--and he usually does when he's close--the red flag will promptly pop up if he doesn't see another deer.

If you are set up in an extremely thick area, close-range calling might work when a buck is close. Nevertheless, your best results occur when a buck is a little farther. The idea is to keep him guessing.

Random Calling
Deer occasionally communicate vocally, but it never becomes a habit. Elk and turkeys are much more vocal than deer, which is why random calling often attracts their attention from considerable distances.