One glance at the huge-bodied main-frame 8-pointer that stepped out of the woods told me he was a buck I wanted. Unfortunately, the 200 yards separating us was a problem. Worsening the situation was the fact that less than five minutes remained of legal hunting time. I knew I needed to make something happen fast!

Mature bucks like this swollen-necked brute are not easy to trick, and the author likes to pull out all the stops in his calling technique. No matter what sequence of calls he uses, each vocalization is intended to build upon the last, so that the combination is both believable and irresistible to Mr. Big.

Slipping my hand in my pocket, I grabbed my Primos Great Big Can as I brought the grunt tube to my lips at the same time. Sending out a couple of deep grunts got his attention. As he looked over in my direction, I tipped the can twice. When he still did not commit, I pinched my lower lip to my top front teeth and exhaled a forceful snort-wheeze. Laying his ears back, he marched halfway toward me before another deer caught his attention. Another grunt and snort-wheeze were enough for this dominant buck to disregard the distraction and close the distance to 20 yards.

Now in bow range, he stood broadside. As he looked for the hot doe and challenging buck that he thought would be there, the limb of a tree stopped me from sending an arrow in flight. All I needed was for him to move, but he stubbornly held his ground.

Finally, helplessly watching shooting light vanish, I broke every rule and snort-wheezed at him again. Believing it would make him scamper away but hoping he'd stop still within bow range for one last look, I was surprised at his reaction. After scanning the area, he stubbornly held his ground and tore up chunks of dirt with his front hoof, flinging them across the field.

Not able to waste any more shooting light and needing him to move in any direction, I snort-wheezed at him again. This time, after another momentary glance at my position, the mid-140s brute calmly turned and started back out into the field to eat. Coming to full draw in one smooth motion, I sent an arrow slicing through his vitals.

NUDGING THEM CLOSER
The events surrounding my encounter with that mature 4 1/2-year-old 8-pointer are a great example of what calling can do for a hunter. Although we'll talk about blind calling later, the best success I've always had in calling is nudging a shooter to within range.

As obvious as this sounds, when I spot a shooter, I want to kill him right then and there. There are exceptions to everything, but hoping to see that buck again is often wishful thinking. So that makes killing him on the spot a priority.

To do so, I usually pull out all the stops. I almost always begin with a buck grunt. Outside of a snort, this is by far the most commonly heard deer vocalization during hunting season. I use it to remove any doubt in Mr. Big's mind that everything he is about to hear consists of deer noises.

If two grunts aren't enough to persuade him to come over for a closer look, and most often they aren't, I'll hit him with a couple of estrous calls (with a can call). Now the stage has been set. My make-believe buck is with a doe. A good share of the time, this is enough to get the real buck to commit. A bigger share of the time, it isn't. That's when I send a snort-wheeze slicing through the air.

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