Funny thing happened the other day...

[hunterofcoues]

I was out a couple weekends ago looking for some bears. I had a nice spot in the middle of the oaks and prickly pears. Saturday Night after not seeing anything, we decided to varmint call some yotes in. After about ten seconds of screaming on the call I saw a tan gray blur hauling butt towards me from about 1/2 a mile away. It looked too big to be a coyote, I thought it was a lion. It popped out of some oaks at about 100 yards running full force at me, it was a coues doe! She ran to within 5 yards then smelled me and took off. She stayed about 200 yards out and snorted back to our call.

 

Has anyone ever called a whitetail in with a varmint call?

 

What was she thinking?

 

Joe

[muledeerarea33?]

I have had doe coues and mulie come to a call. usually it is when i am blowing a fawn call but have had a few peek their heads up for a jack rabbit as well

[billrquimby]

I used to call in mule deer regularly 100 years ago ... mostly bucks, too. Never had a whitetail come in, but that's probably because I did most of my calling for coyotes in the low country.

When I called in the higher country I called in lots of javelinas and a few coatimundis.

 

Bill Q

[Dan]

Was calling down around Benson and had a mulie doe come in at a full speed to maybe 10 yds till she slamed on the brakes!!! She left as fast as she came in. Have had deer respond several other times--- come in and see whats going on-- but not like that one !!

[CouesWhitetail]

Joe,

 

I assume female deer come into to calls to defend fawns they believe are in distress. But I guess we don't really know exactly what they are thinking.

 

Bill, it's interesting you have had bucks come in also. Must be an instinct in both male and female deer to help out a deer in distress. I have had other people tell me they get both male and female deer coming into varmint calls.

 

Amanda

[catclaw]

I had a doe and a fawn come in Saturday in unit 23. They came right in and stayed within 10 feet of the Foxpro for 4-5 minutes before she finally stuck her nose down and touched it to the speaker! They then walked off- I have called in dozens of does with a mouth call- this was the first with the Foxpro. If you can get a doe to come in and work back and forth- you have the world's best decoy for calling lions. Keep em interested!

[billrquimby]

... Bill, it's interesting you have had bucks come in also.  Must be an instinct in both male and female deer to help out a deer in distress.  I have had other people tell me they get both male and female deer coming into varmint calls. 

Amanda

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Amanda: I'm not certain if deer come to a varmint call because they think another deer is in distress or if they're just curious. Most of the deer I called didn't come runnng in. They approached my stand as bobcats do ... slowly... and stood there looking at me for the longest time when they finally spotted me.

 

I haven't done much calling in the past 20 years but I used to be a fanatic about it. Other critters that came to my calls at one time or another included horses and cattle, hawks and owls, feral housecats and dogs, etc. I think curiosity is as big a factor as distress and lust when it comes to calling animals. The most curious Arizona big game animals of all, of course are our bighorns and pronghorns. I've never called in their country but I think it would be safe to bet that they would respond to a varmint call, too.

 

Bill

[azyoung]

Bill, Your right on pronghorns. I call around flag and have called in whole herds. They stomp around a bit then run away.

 

azyoung

[hunterdude]

I was calling up in 5b south one time and called in3 cow elk they came in at a pretty good pace and left slowly only going about 40 yards at a time. I thought that was pretty cool to watch.

[hunterdude]

I was calling up in 5b south one time and called in3 cow elk they came in at a pretty good pace and left slowly only going about 40 yards at a time. I thought that was pretty cool to watch.

[the breeze]

I called in 2 bears and a fox and 3wt does in the same set one time talk about a diaper change! I think it's like Nascar for the deer. They come in to watch and see who got in a wreck.