DOUBLE CALL TO BAG BIG BUCKS
Solo Double-Calling
Editor’s Note: I went to Texas to learn the double-calling
technique for calling deer, which could involve two
or three hunters. From what I saw and learned, I believe
double-calling deer is much more effective than if a
single person tries to call deer alone. With this tactic,
I believe two or three hunters can see and take twice
as many bucks in a day of hunting as one hunter can.
In the early days of professional football, one athlete
might play both offense and defense and be required
to play several different positions on both the offensive
and defensive teams. However, as the game developed,
teams soon learned that having specialized players at
each position on both offense and defense helped them
perform more effectively, score more touchdowns on offense
and stop more touchdowns being scored on defense than
if one man tried to play two or three positions. From
what I saw of double-calling, this philosophy also could
be incorporated successfully into deer hunting.
I believe calling bucks with one or more friends is
m uch
more entertaining and effective than solo-calling deer.
However, if you hunt alone, you can double the effectiveness
of your calling by combining rattling antlers with grunt
calls when you attempt to lure in deer. No form of hunting
aid always will produce a buck on any given day. But
on some days, certain types of calls can and will be
more effective than other calls. For instance, on one
day you may not be able to get any deer to come to the
sound of rattling antlers. However, you may have bucks
run all over you if you begin to use the grunt call.
Instead of being an either/or deer caller, why not
use both calls and double your effectiveness? I believe
the best way to view the power of rattling antlers and
grunt calls is to consider the rattling antlers as your
long-distance call and the grunt call as your close-quarters
call. Of course there also are sound arguments for why
rattling antlers can be used as a close-in call and
the grunt tube can be
utilized as a long-distance call. For instance, by only
tinkling the antler tips together or barely raking a
bush with antlers, you can give a soft, subtle call
that will bring a deer in from 50 yards or less. By
using a magnum grunt caller on a windy day with the
wind at your back, you also may grunt up a buck 1/4-mile
away.
However, the sound of rattling antlers generally can
be heard at a much greater distance than a grunt tube
can. I also believe that the sharp crack of the antlers
may get the buck's attention faster than a muffled grunt
call will. But when a buck is in close and can see those
antlers moving when you rattle them, he also may spot
you. Too, if he's a buck that has just been in a fight,
he may not want to come closer for fear of getting in
another altercation. However, if he hears a soft, grunting
sound, he may think the battle is over, and the combat
has waned to the point that the deer engaged in the
fight pose no threat to him. Then he will come on in
to where the hunter can see him. By using the grunt
call  when
the buck is in close, you also can give the call without
having to move your arms or hands. By reducing the amount
of movement that the deer can see you drastically increase
your odds for taking that buck instead of spooking him.
Deer calling is an evolving process of bringing deer
to the hunter. Each year we learn more and better strategies
for calling big bucks more effectively. However, as
we loaded my 9-point-buck up and headed back to camp,
I was more convinced than ever that using two calls
and possibly two hunters was a much-more-effective way
to lure in a trophy deer than only relying on one type
of call.
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