Different Types of Grunts

Editor's Note: Brad Harris, of Neosho, Missouri, the vice president in charge of public relations for Outland Sports, the mother company of Lohman's and M.A.D. Calls as well as API tree stands and other outdoor products, has hunted deer avidly for three decades. He knows how to grunt up deer.

Question: How many different types of grunts are there, and when do you know how to use what?
Answer: I'm not sure I know exactly how many types of grunts there are. There is the tending grunt, the dominant-buck grunt, the aggressive grunt and the grunt-snort-wheeze; so there may be half-a-dozen different grunt sounds. The key is the contact grunt, which is a social sound that can mean anything to a deer. He may hear it and think, "Oh, I hear a grunt. Is it a buck chasing a doe? Is a buck showing his dominance over another buck?" I think that when a deer hearsa contact grunt, he has to come in and see what's going on before he can determine what kind of grunt it is. I think all grunts are pretty much the same. The only difference will be in the size of the animal making the grunt and the intensity and the mood of the animal making the grunt. Most grunts are so similar that the deer has to come see the animal that's grunting to determine what that grunt means. That's why the grunt call is so effective.

Question: Outland Sport's Companies' Lohman's Game Calls and M.A.D. Calls make several types of grunt calls. For a person who has never grunted before, what call will you recommend and why?
Answer: Stick with standard grunt calls. The Lohman's Model 1100 has a no-stick reed system that won't hang up in cold weather. It's simple and easy to use. Most grunt calls are very easy to use. The Power Punch Grunt Call from M.A.D. gives you some variation. When you push the button, it gives you a higher tone grunt. Then when you let it up, it gives you a deeper grunt. It lets you be creative so you can sound like more than one deer. We also have the Monster Buck Grunt, which is great for calling softly and making contact grunt calls. If you hunt open country or hunt on windy days, this call is loud enough to reach deer that the standard grunt calls won't reach.

Question: Which grunt call will you choose for the beginner?
Answer: For the beginner, Lohman's Game Calls Model 1100 and the Power Punch Grunt Call from M.A.D. are both easy to operate.

To learn more about Outland Sport's calls and hunting accessories, call 1-800-922-9034 or visit the company's website at www.outland-sports.com.