Sitemap

Become a Member, It's Free!

Fishing Guide Reviews

Forums

Free Email Newsletter

Free JHO Decal

Gear Reviews

Hunting Guide Reviews

Experimenting with the Bleat Call

Chris Fullilove - JHO ProStaff - Houston, TX
December 15, 2006

The bleat call gets their attention.
As the author learned, the bleat call can really get the attention of both does and bucks. It's best to be prepared before you call, because the action can come quickly.

My whitetail hunting experiences usually revolve around still-hunting tactics. I have still-hunted from tree stands, tripods, and from the ground. I like to situate my stands along travel paths so that I may intercept the whitetail while it is in transit from one place to another. However, sometimes I find that the place that I choose to set up is not the optimal location.

I recall a hunting trip last year where I saw a doe moving through some thick cover. I only had a glimpse of her before she was consumed by the brush between us. I never saw her again. That turned out to be as close as I got.

When the hunting is tough, opportunities such as a glimpse of an animal that is out of range can haunt a hunting trip. This year, to try and put a positive spin on those missed opportunities, I am going to have some calls within reach in order to coax an animal back within range.

I don’t typically use calls, primarily because I haven’t seen them work. However, at the beginning of this fall, I did some homework and a couple of pre-season test runs with the Primos Fawn Bleat and Bawl. The most powerful attribute of a fawn bleat is that it plays on the maternal instinct of a doe. A fawn will bleat when it is distressed, such as when it’s stuck in soft mud, pinned inside a fence, or if a predator such as a coyote is pursuing it. When a doe (and sometimes a buck) hears the fawn bleat, it will respond to render aid.

Earlier this year, I tested the fawn bleat on deer that I observed from a distance, some at over 300 yards. I would blow into the call with constant pressure for 1-2 seconds, pause for 1-2 seconds, and then resume blowing. The results were extremely positive. Both bucks and does showed interest. Some came closer casually and others came in running towards the call.

Some notes that I gathered while testing the fawn bleat out include the following:

The hunter needs to become the hunted. You want the game to pursue you, which means that having a good vantage point and/or being well concealed in your surroundings are important.
Watch the deer’s reaction when you blow. If they are moving in your direction, then don’t change up what you are doing.
Be ready for the action to be fast. In my experience, when I blow, the deer will move rapidly towards the sound. When I stop blowing the call, they would stop moving and wait for another indication of where the sound is coming from. Additionally, one has to be cautious of deer approaching from behind or of a deer circling to approach from downwind of the call. Utilizing two people is probably the ideal situation. Having a second set of eyes to peer through the brush, and having one person to be the shooter and the other to perform the calling would work out extremely well.

I have a whitetail hunt coming up next month, and it might be the only one that I take this year. Having some tools within reach that can bring the game a little closer may be worthwhile for redirecting a potential missed opportunity.

To see more field results from using the fawn bleat, one can visit this thread in the JHO forums
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=119431&view=findpost&p=761063 .