How to Use an Estrus Doe Call

Hunters seeking deer use a number of strategies to track their targets. One way they find deer with less effort is to attract the deer by imitating their sounds or smells. Estrus doe calls imitate the sound of does in heat and ready to mate, and at the right time of year, they draw bucks inexorably. Use your estrus doe call when bucks are seeking estrus does, and you won't need to track them -- they'll track you.

Instructions

    • 1

      Scout your area for signs that your local deer are in rut. Look for territorial rubs and scrapes, the signs the bucks leave for other bucks signalling that this is their territory and they are seeking estrus does.

    • 2

      Sound your estrus doe call three times. Don't sound it too loudly or rapidly. Repeat these three calls every 10 to 15 minutes.

    • 3

      Incorporate antler rattling if you wish; this gives the illusion that two bucks are fighting over the estrus doe, leaving an opening for another buck to take her while they are distracted. Bang the antlers together once, wait two seconds, rattle them together for about five seconds, then pull them apart and lightly knock them against each other a few times. Repeat this sequence for 45 seconds in total.