The November morning was a bit warmer than I would have liked, but there was no wind.
I was set up in a ground blind on the edge of a field, looking at a corner where deer had been entering the field. It was late in the rut, and my trail camera had recorded a couple bucks making semi-regular appearances, mostly at night.
However, the large herd of does nearby was keeping them close.
As first light appeared, I glassed the edge of the field looking for animals. Nothing was visible, so it was time to use a call. I’d brought a few with me, including a grunt tube, but it stayed in my pack. It was time for a doe bleat, activated by flipping over a small can. With as little movement as possible, I did this near the window of the blind. A low, pleading sound not unlike that a lamb might make echoed down the field. I did this three times and put the call aside. It was time to wait.
Bleat as a potent tool
After about 15 minutes, I was starting to think about repeating the call sequence. At that moment, a buck appeared just inside the tree line about 50 yards away. Its rack glistened with moisture and curls of steam rose from its nostrils. The buck was staring intently into the field, trying to place the doe. Slowly and carefully, I raised the shotgun into a horizontal position, supporting it with a shooting stick. The scope found the base of the buck’s neck and the trigger was pulled. The buck reared up and fell straight backwards. It was dead before it hit the ground — a perfect and humane kill. That buck had come to a bleat call like it was on a string and reinforced my belief in the power of these subtle-but-deadly calls.
While the emphasis on modern deer calling is generally grunt tubes, the deer bleat is a remarkably potent tool. I’d wager in some areas, where hunting pressure is high, it is more effective than a grunt. Doe bleats also work well in areas where bucks have more competition. For some reason, bleat calls attract larger and warier bucks. One of the largest (and gnarliest) bucks I’ve ever laid eyes on was shot by hunter and colleague Bill Draper north of Vermilion Bay several years ago.
His swamp buck had managed to survive many hunting seasons, but a bleat call I loaned Bill was ultimately the animal’s undoing.
What is a bleat?
Both bucks and does make vocalizations, and there can be some crossover. For instance, the loud warning snort of a whitetail is shared by both sexes. Yet it’s the bucks that grunt and does that bleat.
From what I’ve experienced, does bleat to keep track of each other and to call for fawns. In the same way, a fawn will call back to mother with a higher pitched — but similar —bleat. Does often travel in groups with a few fawns in tow. Bleats help keep the group together. Does are maternal, so other does can answer a fawn bleat. Many of these bleats are subtle and are not always easily heard by the human ear. However, does also use the bleat to communicate with bucks. An untended doe will bleat when it is in estrus. Sometimes that doe is downright ornery and loud. It’s the “doe in heat” bleat that is usually the undoing of a buck.
If you were to speak the sound of a bleat, it would sound something like “neeeeahhh.” It looks weird on the page, but it is a slightly pleading — with a twist of urgent — sound. It’s a very unique sound.
How to bleat
Like all parts of the deer hunting world, the number and style of deer bleats seems to grow every year. The first doe bleat I ever used decades ago was closer in style to a duck call and sounded a bit similar. A bleat that sounded like a quack never worked for me. Sometime later, I found what was called a bleat can in a sporting goods store and picked it up. The can-style bleat has remained popular for decades and many different companies produce them.
Some of my favourites include the Buck Commander Lil’ Doe Bleat, Hunters Specialties Adult Doe Estrus Bleat, and the Primos Hunting Can and Lil’ Can. There are also other bleat can calls that work very will. Some include devices that can screw into a tree or clip onto a tree stand to make the can extra handy for a bow or crossbow hunter.
Any bleat call is better than no bleat call
The technique required to use a bleat can varies little from one brand to the next. To make the can bleat, you simply turn the call upside down and then right it again. The sound slowly emits from the can. Some styles require that you cover a hole at the bottom of the can with your thumb or finger. Then you turn the call over. To add inflection or make the sound quieter, you can cup your hand over the top of the call and then slowly remove it. It is frustrating when a bleat can doesn’t bleat. I usually carry a couple in my pack, just in case.
An ever-increasing number of bleats are mouth controlled. Some are stand-alone bleats, others part of a deer-calling system that usually includes buck grunts etc. Some hunters prefer mouth calls. Other like the can. I’ve used a few mouth bleats with mixed results, but they are getting better. The Extinguisher from Illusion Hunting Systems is an impressive calling system that covers doe, fawn, and buck calls. The Extinguisher uses a patented system that allows for one-handed operation, and it can break loose a frozen-up reed by simply sliding it up and down the call. Any bleat call is better than no bleat call.
When to bleat
There is no time a bleat call won’t work. However, in the early season of the deer hunt, you are more likely to draw in a doe. Later on, during the pre-rut and rut, however, a bleat call will pull in bucks looking for the last unbred doe to charm. This late period includes the so-called “second rut” when any unbred does will usually go into heat again. This is closing time at the bar for bucks, and the mature, dominant old swordsmen are on the run. Snow on the ground also seems to increase the impact of a bleat call. This may have more to do with where I do my hunting (in the north), but I’ve seen it enough to always try a bleat when it’s wintery. In the late fall of 2017, my deer hunt was looking bleak. I’d experienced some bad luck and bad timing during the early season and the buck tag was unfilled.
To make matters worse, the snow was beginning to pile up, making it tougher to hunt. Yet a few bucks were still on the prowl and staying close to a group of does on the property I was working. I’d snuck out early on a foggy morning and slipped into a blind. Snow had nearly caved it in, so that needed to be rectified first. Heavy snow is a reality of late-season deer hunting in the north. Once settled, I began doing some bleat sequences with a can. The wind was calm, so the call was carrying nicely.
The doe bleat was its undoing
After a couple hours, I was nearing my limit for sitting on a cold, damp day. Then I noticed a young buck on the far end of the field, just inside the tree line. It had its nose to the ground and was on the prowl. I turned the bleat can over and the pleading call wafted out.
The buck stopped, stood for a minute, then began working its way towards my position. It was no monarch, but a decent deer. And I like to eat venison. The buck came slowly, but deliberately. At about 60 yards, it was sniffing the ground in an opening, trying to locate the hot doe it had heard. I had a clear shot and took it. That six-point went about 20 yards and piled up in some trees. I was thrilled to get that buck late in the season and am convinced the doe bleat was its undoing.
Less is more
When calling with a bleat, never overdo it. Less is more nearly all the time, even though I’ve heard does bleat repeatedly for many minutes over the years. My rule of thumb is two or three bleats about 20 minutes apart, then 40 minutes of quiet.
The size and depth of the can will have an impact on the sound of the call. I’ve found quite a bit of variability between bleat cans sound-wise, and some do better in colder weather than others.
Bucks won’t always come running, and may take a cautious approach, particularly late in the season. I’ve also had bucks come rolling in towards a bleat. It’s been my experience that more bucks stick a neck out of the woods into the open for a doe bleat than a grunt tube. If you are hunting a field or a clear-cut, this is a good thing.
Bleat calls won’t work in every hunting scenario. Yet you would be wise to include one in your bag of tricks this fall. It could help fill a tag you might otherwise hang on the weeping willow.
Originally published in the Nov.-Dec. 2023 issue of Ontario OUT of DOORS
