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Snort wheeze ....

Outdoorsfellar

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I was watching a hunt on youtube recently where the hunter was attempting to lure in Mr Big with a snort wheeze. He didn't have any luck with the buck not showing any interest. I've seen other similar reactions in amatuer videos. Anyway, I'd be interested to hear other's experience's when attempting. I myself have never tried it.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I've had it work once. Two years ago. A nice 9 pointer was walking away and I tried it in a last ditch effort. He turned immediately and came walking my way. I just caught him in the right mood.
I think it should only be used when nothing else is working. I think the same of grunt calls. I've seen them make deer go the other way.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
I can't do anything aggressive with the bucks around here. Bunch of P@##ies and run away. You know how much it sucks when you watch TV and see bucks charge into rattling, grunting, snort wheezing, or anything else and know you can never do that around here? SUCKS!!!

I would love to have that experience and adrenaline rush but I could never do it here.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
I had it work for me once in WV. Couldn't get an 8 point to leave a doe with the grunt call even though he was very interested. When his head went behind a tree I snort wheezed. He turned and came to me immediately. One of the most mature deer I've taken even though he only scored 116". Like Cotty said, only try it when all else fails.
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
IMO, the snort wheeze isn't a dominant buck vocalization. It is a frustration reaction that a buck will make, big or small. I've seen big mature bucks do the snort wheeze, trying to fend off small bucks off his doe. I've seen small bucks snort wheeze at does for not wanting to stand for them.
It is very effective when used at the right time in the right situation.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
The buck I killed in '11 had to be a dominant buck either on that property or somewhere close by. At 6.5 and at/over 250 on the hoof, he was whipping some ass. On our second encounter the morning I killed him, I tried a snort wheeze as a last ditch effort and it turned him inside out. That is one of a handful of times I've attempted it in the woods and not once has it been positive. At this point in my career, it is pretty much off the table for me.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Years ago in Vinton County I was hunting a bowl where to ridges came together. I was on the east side of the bowl. About an hour after daylight I hear something behind me and turn to see that it's an immature eight point sneaking up a drainage ditch out of the hollow. I thought it was pretty strange because he was down at the bottom of this ditch and moving slow. I bet it took an hour from the time that I saw him to the time he got to the top of the ridge about 150 yards to my left. He was up there about five minutes and came hauling ass back off the top of the ridge, right back down the drainage ditch to the bottom of the hollow and laid flat out in the ditch like bambi on ice.

I turned back from looking at him to the top of the ridge and here came a big boy I would guess about 170-180 inches. He came stiff legging it at a trot down into the bowl and stopped at the edge of the drainage ditch about 80 yards from me. At the time I thought he was sneezing. He was kicking up leaves, pawing at the dirt, and absolutely destroyed this Beech tree sapling beside him. I finally figured out that he wasn't sneezing but was snorting like a bull so I started doing it back. He would whip around and do it back to me then turn around and beat the hell out of this Beechtree some more making a huge scrape. This went on for 15 minutes but he wouldn't cross that stupid ditch for nothing. He finally got tired of it and went back to the top of the ridge. I moved my stand at noon and did all day sits on top of that ridge for the next four days and never saw him.

I guess that goes to show that even if it doesn't turn them inside out and make them run it's still not a magic trick.

To this day I have an 80 yard pin. ;)
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
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31,855
260
SW Ohio
Seriously though I agree with Ron in that its not only dominate bucks doing it and with the others in that its only effective if you catch the buck,regardless of size or age, in the right mood or has the right demeanor. They could be cruising or standing with a hot doe but in my opinion if he isn't in the right mood and he's walking away or not moving in your direction you're faced with two options. Sit tight and hope he or another shooter comes back or comes by or get out quietly and pursue in a stalk or try and get out in front of him.
I like to sit tight and video and wait to see if his curiosity gets the best of him or the doe comes back through. Maybe an even bigger buck might sneak on in from the downwind before last light. Many times than not these older bucks win and we must wait another day, and that just fine with me. Lol
 
First time I used it I had already shot my buck that morning and was out hoping to tag a doe. Got up in the climber and had a good view of the ridge and field and sure enough a giant made his way along the ridge out into the field. He thrashed a couple scrapes and was making a rub about 150 yards away when I though what the heck, I'd like to see what he would do. Well, he turned on a dime and came within 20 yards all bristled up and stiff. To this day I still say he was one of the biggest I've ever seen there in Ohio. Named him Crab Claw that day as his thick right main beam ended in the ugliest crab claw.

Since then I've used it a couple of times on bucks that were out a ways away and had some decent results. I often use it just prior to a rattling sequence if I am doing one as well.
 

Strother23

Member
1,405
0
Columbus, OH
I havnt had any success. The hand full of time I've tried it. The deer normally just stops and looks in my general direction and then just keeps walking away. Nothing like the tv shows lol
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
In 2010 I killed a nice buck with my bow. He came out of a bedding area. Milled around. Wasn't sure which way he wanted to go. I would grunt. He would look. Went on thru several grunts and pauses. He took a couple steps the opposite way. I snort wheezed. He paused. Decided to come my way. Not bristled up. Not overly aggressive. I believe the fact he was hearing the sounds but not seeing any deer had him confused. Some might claim they "called the buck in". I don't look at it this way. I think I got his curiosity up. He came my way and I arrowed him while he was rubbing a tree. Not pissed off. Not overly aggressive. Probably one of the same things he would have done were I not there. Did my snort wheeze work? I don't know. I killed him. Can't say it was due to the snort wheeze though.
 

yotehunter

Member
1,527
36
spencerville oh
In 2011the 28th of oct I shot a 156 after he chased some does around in front of me for 45 min. He followed the does into a oxbo and all I could see was does jumping around and I could here the buck grunting. This went on what seemed like forever. He was not leaving those does. I bleated with the can I grunted both too no avail. So I give him a snort weez. That deer came unglued. He ran 60 yards through ten foot horse weeds on a string he stopped at 10 yards and i stuck him at 8. That was the second buck I shot using it. The first was in 08 when a 120ish buck ran a doe by me at 40 yards. She went into the woods and he was right behind her. She stopped when I grunted and turned and walked away I grunted a little more and the buck followed her like he never heard me. So I weezed and he did a about face and started trotting to me just inside the woods. When he got to 17 yards i let him have it. Both times the bucks were chasing does hard. There has been times I've used it and its like they never heard me. I think its what mood you catch them in. Just like any other call. I've had deer ignore every call I've throwed at them. And ive also had instances like these two bucks, they couldn't get to me fast enough. It may work today and may not work tomorrow. I guess thats why its called hunting and not killing.
 
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6 years ago I had my buck decoy out one morning and had a doe hanging out behind me at 40 yards or so. A big 10 pt came out of the woods north of me approx 120 yards and was headed east. I grunted at him and he stopped, then he continued to he east so I grunted again. He stopped again and starred at the decoy and the doe. He just stood there so I snort wheezed at him, bingo!!! He turned and headed my way, starting to posture the closer he got. He got with in 30 yards and he was pissed! To make a long story short, I let the air out of him!! I think it has a lot to do with the situation presented. I have seen deer respond to a call and get so close then not see what they are looking for and then not commit. Obviously the buck decoy and the doe in mid November played a big part!! Calling works, but only when the time and situation is right.
 

brock ratcliff

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I agree with Ron too, it isn't just a dominant buck sound, its a frustrated buck sound.
IMO, for any calling to work well enough to get a deer into bow range, the deer has to be able to hear it, but not see where it's coming from, or, there has to be real deer around or a decoy present to confirm what he heard. I rarely use a decoy due to my lazy nature. However I've had great success calling in critters (deer, turkey, elk and more than a few coyotes), by setting up where the animal will be in range before it can see the location I'm calling from. They hear the sounds, think there is a buddy of their own kind there and come in. If they can see the area and don't see their buddy, they aren't coming most of the time.
 
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Jackalope

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IMO, the snort wheeze isn't a dominant buck vocalization. It is a frustration reaction that a buck will make, big or small. I've seen big mature bucks do the snort wheeze, trying to fend off small bucks off his doe. I've seen small bucks snort wheeze at does for not wanting to stand for them.
It is very effective when used at the right time in the right situation.

Along those lines of frustration. A few years back I had a doe come from my right and go off in some thick brush to my left. There was a small buck in there and he began chasing her all around in the thick stuff. After about 5 minutes she came out and went the way she came with him right behind her. About 30 minutes later I could hear a deer moving around in that thick stuff. He would run to the top, run back down, stop, run some more. It sounded like chasing but he was the only deer in there. He did this for about 10 minutes going back and forth and then just stopped. He let out the most guttural roar sound. In that moment I honestly thought to myself "there aren't any bears in this part of ohio. That was that deer! WTF!" About that time he came out of the brush and took off the same way those other two went. I believe he was in the bushes trying to locate that smaller buck and was getting frustrated that he couldn't. The sound that deer made was quite loud and you could almost feel the frustration and pissed off demeanor.
 
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Outdoorsfellar

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I've heard the exact type of roar sound in my early bow hunting years. It was while I was walking to my stand at daybreak & had just walked by this spot about 100 yards or so back. It wasn't until years later that I realized what it was. I do recall not seeing anything in regards to that sound. That was a sound for the ages !
 

Jackalope

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38,841
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I've heard the exact type of roar sound in my early bow hunting years. It was while I was walking to my stand at daybreak & had just walked by this spot about 100 yards or so back. It wasn't until years later that I realized what it was. I do recall not seeing anything in regards to that sound. That was a sound for the ages !

Almost unbelievable that it comes from a deer. Makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.