OREGONCODY
Member
Earlier this month I filled my Oregon elk tag out in Unit 66, out in Eastern Oregon. After we filled our tags we had a few days to kill in the area while we waited for the butcher to finish processing our elk, so we decided that we'd call in some coyotes and save some fawns.
One evening we set up to do some calling, and once my father started wailing on his jackrabbbit distress call, 2 mule deer spikes and 2 does spooked out of some nearby trees. Out of curiosity, I pulled out my fawn distress and started making some noise on that. I was surprised that not only did they stop on top of the ridge for 10-15 minutes while I called at them, but even after I had stopped calling and they walked over the ridge top, I was able to call them back over! They stomped their feet and snorted loudly, I could hear them pretty well even though they were approximately 100-150 yards away. The deer were hesistant to come closer than 100 yards, but they were clearly curious as to what was going on and didn't spook from the sound.
I don't have a tag for mulies this year, but I do have general deer tag good for the coastal region of Oregon. Has anybody tried using a fawn distress call on the blacktails out there? My thinking was to either still hunt the timber near clear cuts on the state forest land, calling every 5-10 minutes or so to see what pops up, or sit on an opposing hillside across from a clearcut if the draws are tight enough for me to make a shot across and call from there.
My other thought was whether or not this strategy would work on mature (ore even just legal) bucks. The deer I called were does and young bucks, so I am not sure if that had any effect.
What are all of your thoughts?
One evening we set up to do some calling, and once my father started wailing on his jackrabbbit distress call, 2 mule deer spikes and 2 does spooked out of some nearby trees. Out of curiosity, I pulled out my fawn distress and started making some noise on that. I was surprised that not only did they stop on top of the ridge for 10-15 minutes while I called at them, but even after I had stopped calling and they walked over the ridge top, I was able to call them back over! They stomped their feet and snorted loudly, I could hear them pretty well even though they were approximately 100-150 yards away. The deer were hesistant to come closer than 100 yards, but they were clearly curious as to what was going on and didn't spook from the sound.
I don't have a tag for mulies this year, but I do have general deer tag good for the coastal region of Oregon. Has anybody tried using a fawn distress call on the blacktails out there? My thinking was to either still hunt the timber near clear cuts on the state forest land, calling every 5-10 minutes or so to see what pops up, or sit on an opposing hillside across from a clearcut if the draws are tight enough for me to make a shot across and call from there.
My other thought was whether or not this strategy would work on mature (ore even just legal) bucks. The deer I called were does and young bucks, so I am not sure if that had any effect.
What are all of your thoughts?
