deer sounds N1 Moment

Deer Sounds and a Big South Carolina Whitetail

There are a lot of deer sounds and noises I like to hear in the woods. But, there’s one I usually don’t like to hear, especially when I’m walking to my hunting stand. More on that below…

This is the story of some deer sounds that led to a dandy South Carolina archery buck…

It’s unforgettable moments like this one that spurred us on to start the N1 Outdoors brand…

In this article, you’ll hear the following deer vocalizations:

Note: If you are interested in learning what sounds a deer makes, you can listen to the above deer sounds throughout the article as well as at the bottom of the page.

A New Deer Hunting Property

The 2010 deer season in South Carolina held some great memories for me.

I had been granted permission to hunt some new property that was only 3 miles from my house!

The catch?

It was bow only property. No guns allowed.

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The South Carolina archery only season was already over and we were getting some consistent colder weather.

But, the truth is, I really wasn’t disappointed to be hunting with my bow during gun season, because deer hunting just makes me want to say “Bowhunt Oh Yeah!” In fact, I hadn’t even hunted with my rifle since 2009.

Deer, sound the alarm!

It was a chilly, November 18 morning, and the rut was in full swing. I had seen a fair amount of rutting activity, but had not seen any bucks that got me very excited. But, when you love to bowhunt, it’s a great time to be in the woods.

I had parked my truck and was making the walk to my stand on the downwind side of where I would be hunting.

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My stand location was in a head of hardwoods that contained several white oaks. I’ve always loved hunting locations that contain white oaks, especially in early fall, as the acorns are falling. But although the deer love them, by now, there weren’t any left for them to enjoy.

Nonetheless, it was a good location on the edge of a fairly large clear cut that the deer would typically transition through on their way to the other side of the property.

There was a gate opening that I needed to walk through to enter the woods where my stand location was.

Know the difference between EHD and CWD in deer? Click here to learn!

The Deer “blow” or “snort” Sound

I had gotten about three steps through the gate, when the head of woods I was about to enter exploded with the sounds of deer blowing. It was still too dark to see, but it sounded like a small army of whitetail had just left the building. I stopped and listened, as the sounds of their escape got farther and farther away.

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A DEER BLOW / SNORT SOUNDS LIKE… Deer will blow (or snort) to alert other deer of danger. Deer often blow as a result of seeing or smelling something perceived as dangerous. Sometimes deer will blow and stomp to try and get a predator (or person) that they believe is in the area to move and thus reveal their location. (This is not to be confused with a “snort wheeze” sound that a buck makes). It’s important to be as scent-free as possible and pay attention to wind direction when hunting, so you can avoid a blow/snort that ruins your hunt! MORE DEER SOUNDS FURTHER DOWN PAGE!

I was pretty disappointed to say the least.

I had taken such great care in paying attention to wind direction when walking to my stand. Yet, here I was, not even in my stand yet, and the deer already knew where I was.

It was like the deer were leaving the area in slow motion.

I was already wondering what I could have done differently.

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Regroup

Well, there I was (and they knew it). I had that sick feeling that might have made one want to just go back to the truck. But, this was the rut, and I love to hunt whether the deer blow me up or not!

I found my way to my tree and got in my stand, pulled up my bow, and got settled. By now, it was first light but the sun was not yet up.

The whitetail doe grunt

After sitting for 10 minutes or so, I thought it might be a good idea to give my grunt call a soft doe grunt. My thinking was, “maybe if they hear this, they’ll think things have settled down and are safe again.”

So, I blew on my grunt call softly, making a “social grunt” noise.

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A DOE GRUNT SOUNDS LIKE… Does use this sound as a “social grunt” as a way of communicating with each other. It can be a useful call when hunting to attract does closer to your stand or hunting location. MORE DEER SOUNDS FURTHER DOWN PAGE!

A fast appearance

It had probably been only 10 seconds after grunting, that I could see a deer appear about 100 yards away, on the field edge. Even at that distance, I could see his horns and I was interested!

No sooner than he appeared, he began running toward the head of woods I was in. He got to a well traveled path at the edge of the hardwoods and slowed down, turned, and began walking toward me.

Learn how to make your own pull-up rope for your bow!

By now my heart is racing pretty good, because I can see this deer is a shooter, and I have gone from heartbroken to hopeful in a matter of minutes.

This is where I have to say that the buck walking toward me had one of the better set of antlers I had seen in my area of South Carolina.

In recent years, SCDNR bag limits had been high. Many believe that these high limits, coupled with poor deer management, had resulted in fewer mature bucks in South Carolina.

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All I knew was, the age and size of the deer walking toward me was not commonplace in my area.

I had my bow in my hand, but didn’t feel I was going to be able to stand up without messing something up. My archery stance on this deer was going to be… sitting down. I sat and watched him inch closer.

Prior to getting in the tree stand, I had put some estrous scent on a tree limb about 20 yards away. He walked right past it. But, the worst part was that in about 3 more steps, I knew he would be downwind of me, and be gone!

Come on daylight!

I couldn’t believe I was about to watch the biggest South Carolina buck I had encountered leave my life. But, unfortunately, it was all but over.

Just as I thought this hunt was coming to an end (for the second time in minutes), he stopped, turned around, and walked back to the tree limb where I had put the estrous scent.

Learn how to nock tune your hunting arrows HERE!

I knew this was my chance. So, I quietly went to full draw. I thought, “ok, aim small, miss small.” But, there was just one, really big, problem. I looked through my peep and saw, well nothing. It was still too dark in that head of woods to clearly see the buck.

If this buck would stay for a few minutes, there would be enough light through the trees to see his vitals clearly. But, I knew with chasing does on his mind, he probably wasn’t staying much longer. And, I knew that in that particular location, the wind had a tendency to swirl from time to time.

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The prayer, the draw, the release

I can’t remember everything that was racing through my mind at that point, but I know I probably prayed a few fast words. It’s amazing how fast I can get to a prayerful state of mind when a big buck is nearby (amazing and shameful!)

As I was still at full draw, I moved my eye outside of my peep, so that I could see the buck through my site pins.

Then, I slowly looked back through the peep and could see the target… barely.

I released my arrow and he gave the ‘ole donkey kick. He bolted down the draw and out of sight. I sat for two hours, wondering how this whole story was going to end.

So far that morning, I had heard deer blow and deer run… now, all I wanted to hear was, “wow, that’s a nice buck there in the back of your truck!”

During those two hours, I scanned the ground endlessly, hoping to see a bloody arrow. I saw nothing. Of course, then the doubts set in… “did I make a good shot? How far did he go? Will I ever find him?” It was agonizing.

Finally, I decided to get down and go look. I walked out 20 yards to where I had shot him and I saw my arrow lying on the ground, the arrow shaft and my broadhead half-covered by the forest floor.

My arrow had been Just Pass’N Through!

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I picked it up and immediately got some encouragement… bright pink, frothy blood on my fletches. Things were looking up!

I followed along the faint blood trail. It wasn’t significant, but it was enough to keep me moving to the next spots of blood.

After 150 yards or so, I reached a small creek that ran through the property. I was till intently focused on the ground near my feet, checking for any small clue I could find. The blood trail had stopped.

I looked up and about 30 yards away, in the creek, was the buck. I held both hands high and thanked the Lord for answering my desperate (yet somewhat shallow) prayer.

The shot turned out to be a double-lung pass through. (We love pass throughs so much, we even made a shirt about them!)

deer sounds dead deer pic

The morning started with deer blowing up the woods… but it ended with a solid buck down.

The drag

I was by myself with no one to help me drag this deer out. I could either drag him about 200 yards uphill, or try to drag him through the muddy, swampy mess of a creek. So, I chose option 2.

I was able to use the shallow creek as assistance and slide the buck through the area for the long 300 yard trek back to the truck.

A short drive and a few pictures later, I had officially sealed the deal on one of my most memorable N1 Moments.

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Deer sounds: The key to this N1 Moment

Looking back, I’m glad for the deer noises I heard that day… the deer blowing, the deer running, and finally, the deer sliding through the creek bed on it’s way to my freezer and my wall.

LISTEN BELOW FOR MORE DOE AND BUCK NOISES…

Buck Grunt Sound

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A BUCK GRUNT SOUNDS LIKE. Much like a doe grunt, the buck grunt is a noise a buck makes to communicate socially with other bucks in the herd. It can be a useful call for a hunter to get a buck’s attention as an attempt to lure him closer into shooting range.

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Doe Bleat Sound

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A DOE BLEAT SOUNDS LIKE. Does use bleats to communicate with each other, especially in the presence of their fawns. Fawns will also bleat when in danger, which will often attract adult deer to come looking for the fawn in distress. The bleat is a good deer noise to have in your calling arsenal when hunting, as it can draw does toward your stand location, which can also lure bucks in search of does, especially during the rut.

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Estrus Doe Bleat Sound

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT AN ESTRUS DOE BLEAT SOUNDS LIKE. Does will give estrus bleats to indicate to bucks in the area that they are ready to breed. This is a good deer sound to use when calling during the rut.

Buck Trailing Grunt Sound (Tending Grunt)

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A TRAILING BUCK GRUNT SOUNDS LIKE. Bucks will use this call when following an estrus doe. This grunt is in short bursts and sometimes is in cadence with each step the buck takes.

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Buck Bawl Sound

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A BUCK BAWL SOUNDS LIKE. Bucks get lonely too! Bucks will make this sound to signal other deer for company.

Enraged Buck Sound

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR WHAT A BUCK RAGE GRUNT SOUNDS LIKE. Bucks will make this noise when a doe they want to breed will not cooperate.

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Sparring Bucks Sound

PRESS PLAY ABOVE TO HEAR THE SOUND OF BUCKS SPARRING AND GRUNTING. Bucks will clash antlers to establish dominance for breeding rights.

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Giles Canter of N1 outdoors with archery buck
Giles Canter of N1 Outdoors
header image for pull up rope

Hunting problem solved! | DIY tangle-free pull-up rope for your gun or bow

It’s an issue affecting a deer stand hunters that rarely gets talked about but can be very frustrating…

It’s getting your bow or gun up to you in the deer stand.

A pull-up rope or paracord is often the method of choice; tie the rope to the bow or gun and then pull it up to you in the stand. Easy enough, right?

Well, in theory, yes. But here’s the problem… You stuff the rope in your pocket and when you pull it out, it’s all tangled.

Stop this madness!

tangled paracord
I needed a tangle-free pull-up rope solution!

So, I’m going to show you how to make a tangle-free pull-up rope for your bow or gun that will easily unwind and not get tangled.

Hunting gadgets can be problematic

I bowhunt… a lot.

I used to hate having my pull-up rope tangled when I pulled it out of my pocket. There is nothing more frustrating than needing to quickly and quietly get up in your deer stand and then have to spend extra time untangling your pull-up rope.

Something had to give.

So, for years I used a gadget called a hunting hoist. It worked well enough, But, it was an extra 1-2 pounds of gear that I didn’t want to be weighed down by when walking to my stand. Also, the thing stip-like nylon material made a very unnatural noise when retracting.

hunting hoist for pulling up bow or gun to deer stand
For many years I used a hunting “hoist” like this, but the weight and unwanted noise made me look for other alternatives.

It’s hard enough to kill a deer. I don’t need any extra noises making it more difficult.

So I made another change.

Click to learn all the parts of a compound bow

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I needed a pull-up rope for my bow that wouldn’t get all knotted up

I wanted to get rid of the unwanted noise as well as the extra weight. So, here’s what I use now and it works like a charm.

No tangles, no mess, and I don’t have to deal with any unwanted noise.

So, why is ammo so expensive? Read THIS!

How to make your own tangle-free pull-up rope for your bow or gun [step-by-step]

So the first thing you’re going to need is some paracord. I like to use 1/8-inch paracord. It’s big enough to do what I need to do, but it’s also not so bulky that it can’t be handled easily.

1-8-inch paracord for tangle free pull up hunting rope
I prefer using 1/8″ paracord for my pull-up ropes. It’s strong, but also not too bulky.

Now, I cut the paracord to 30-feet, simply because when I’m using a climbing stand, I like to climb a bit high in the tree when bowhunting. The last thing I want is to have 20 feet of this rope and climb to 25 feet in the tree and have my bow hanging 5 feet off the ground because I didn’t have enough rope.

So, keep in mind how high you typically climb or how high your fixed tree stand is when making this rope.

I like to carry a waist pack to hold a few extras, like spare broadheads for the hunt, a rangefinder, a few extra lighted nocks, and some other odds and ends.

So, in this example, I’m going to show you how I incorporate that pack into making my pull-up rope.

Time needed: 2 minutes

Here’s how you can make your own tangle-free pull-up rope for your bow or gun so that you can easily and quietly raise your bow or gun to your deer stand.

  1. Tie a knot in one of the tag ends

    Take one end of your paracord and tie a small overhand knot.

    paracord tag end for tangle free pull up rope

  2. Put knotted end between index and middle fingers

    Take the knotted end that you just tied in step 1 and put it between your index and middle fingers. This will serve as somewhat of an “anchor.”

    putting paracord in between fingers for gun and bow tangle free pull up rope

  3. Begin the “figure 8”

    With the knotted end anchored between your fingers, take the paracord and wrap it around your little finger first and then around your thumb and back around your little finger.

    paracord figure 8 for pull up rope

  4. Continue “figure 8” to desired length.

    Repeat the process from step 3 until the rope is at the desired length for what you will need to lift your bow or gun up to your tree stand height.

    wrapping paracord in figure 8 for bow pull up rope that wont tangle

  5. Remove “figure 8” rope from your hand

    Once you have come to the end of your rope (pun intended), pull the it off your hand, keeping it in the same “figure 8” form it was while on your hand.

    removing rope from fingers for pull up rope

  6. Wrap remainder of paracord around the center of the “figure 8.”

    Once you have removed the paracord from your fingers, take the length that is left and wrap it a few times around the center of the “figure 8” bundle of paracord.

    wrapping tag end of tangle free pull up rope around itself

  7. Put paracord bundle in your hunting pack pocket

    Take the neat bundle of paracord that you have and tuck it into the pocket of your hunting pack. Be sure to leave both tag ends handing out of the pocket.

    putting paracord in pack pocket

  8. Tie the non-knotted end of the paracord to the zipper or other part of the hunting pack.

    Take the non-knotted end of the paracord and tie it to the zipper of the hunting pack pocket and zip shut, leaving a small opening for the knotted end to hang out.

    ends of paracord when in pocket

  9. Knotted end is ready to be pulled out of pack.

    Tie the knotted end of the paracord to your gun or bow. As you are climbing the tree or ladder stand that you will hunt from, the paracord will begin to come out of your bag, TANGLE FREE!

    pulling pull up rope out of hunting pack

  10. Putting the paracord back

    When your hunt is over and you have descended from the treestand, simply repeat steps 1-8 and your tangle-free pull-up rope will be all ready for your next hunt!

    wrapping paracord in figure 8 for tangle free pull up rope for bow

more DIY! click here to learn to make your own euro mount
Do you know all the various types of deer? Find out!
Video instructions on how to make a tangle-free pull up hunting rope.


Final Thoughts On Pull Up Ropes For Hunting

So, there you have it. A tangle-free pull-up rope for your bow or gun that will neatly stow away in your pack and easily unwind without the tangled mess.

And maybe the best part? You can do all this for a couple of dollars.

Now you can focus on harvesting a deer without getting all tangled up!

Giles Canter of N1 outdoors with archery buck
Giles Canter of N1 Outdoors
traditional archer in camo pulling back a bow

Gear Up | The Basics of Traditional Archery Bows

“Hardcore” is the best word to describe Traditional Archery.

It not only takes an archer that has skills, discipline, a keen sense of direction, and environmental awareness. To shoot a traditional bow, it also requires strength, endurance and patience.

Traditional Archery is a motivating and challenging activity that has been around for thousands of years since the late Stone Age and was prominently aided as a main tool for providing food, protection, and recreational purposes.

man holding traditional bow with head looking down

“The archer is the true weapon; the bow is just a long piece of wood.”

-Sebastian De Castell

Apollo, The Amazons, and Clint Barton are some of the legends in the field of Archery and have proven to be super-efficient in using one of the most supreme portable weapons man has ever made.

So, What Is A Traditional Bow?

A traditional bow is a bow that does not use any special equipment or accessories like most modern and compound bows do. You will not find components like sights, manufactured arrow rests or stabilizers on a traditional bow.

Traditional bows are often made from a single piece of wood, while some are made of wood that is laminated together.

Tricks Of The “Trad” | Traditional
Archery Bow Types

To be a fulfilled traditional archer, you would first need the tools to get set and ready to shoot.

Basic traditional archery gear may consist of a bow, and arrows. However, there are certain variations of bows to fit an archer’s preference, along with style of shooting or hunting.

Recurve bows

A Recurve bow is a bow composed of limbs that curve away from the archer.

A recurve bow is designed to store more force, which delivers more speed compared to straight limb or longbows.

Recurve bows are made in different lengths and draw weights to fit individual archers.

3-piece takedown bow

Three-piece takedown bows are composed of a riser, and a pair of limbs are the most common among today’s traditional archers.

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12/22/2024 01:49 am GMT

Longbows

Longbows / Straight limbs bows / One-Piece bows were the first and most basic bows crafted.

Formerly, these bows were made of a simple piece of wood, shaped to be accurately balanced. These beautiful pieces of art were originally made out of necessity, for hunting. Today, they can be found in a variety of wood, which adds strength, character and color.

They are now an art of tradition, but still able to be shot for fun, as well as for hunting.

scorpion longbow from southwest archery usa

Today, longbows can be found in a variety of beautiful woods

Click here to see traditional bows from Southwest Archery USA

Parts Of A Traditional Bow

So let’s talk about the parts of a traditional bow.

Risers

Risers are the middle part of a bow where the grip is located. Traditional bow risers are almost always made of a variety of preferred wood material such as dymond wood, padouk, tigerwood, and white oak.

Risers are also available in different lengths, and typically range from 13” to 27”, with most adults using a 23 or 25” riser.

risers of trad bow

The riser is the middle part of the bow where the grip is located. Risers on trad bows are typically made of high-quality wood like white oak.

Some of today’s bow manufacturers now use carbon, aluminum alloy, or magnesium alloy. Selection is limited on wooden risers, but they are usually the preferred choice for those wishing to shoot traditionally.

On the other hand, alloy and carbon risers take advantage of modern technologies and are used for modern competitive archery.

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12/22/2024 12:59 am GMT
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Limbs

Limbs are basically the “arms” of the bow, which are mounted and bolted onto the riser.

The limbs function by flexing when the bow is drawn, which helps to store energy which is then passed to the arrow upon release.

Limbs are calculated in different draw weights, depending on an archer’s physique, skill level and purpose (hunting, etc.). The stronger the archer, the higher the recommended draw weight.

man pulling back recurve bow

The limbs of a traditional bow store energy that is passed to the arrow when the archer releases the string.

Draw length measurement made easy!

If choosing to hunt with a bow, the archer would want a higher draw weight and possess the ability to maintain accuracy with that higher weight in order to to maintain hunting integrity. Bow hunters pride themselves on maintaining ethical hunting practices, while providing for their families. (Many states even have draw weight minimums written into their hunting laws to protect the animals and to reduce chances of wounding versus success of harvesting an animal.)

bow limbs on southwest archery traditional bow

Traditional bow limbs are usually made of combination of high-quality wood material and a core made of carbon or fiberglass.

Traditional Archery Gear

Now that you have a reference for what a traditional bow is composed of, let’s talk accessories.

Traditional bows, although known for being a basic stick and string, have options to upgrade.

For example, an archer can add an arrow rest, a sight, a stabilizer, and a quiver. Those looking to get the most out of their bows can also add a bow fishing reel to their traditional bow to be able to enjoy archery in all forms.

Modern Archery: Compound Bows

In modern archery, compounds bows are more complex bows that are designed using cams, pulley, and cable systems.

Unlike traditional archery bows, compound bows grant archers a machine-driven advantage which reduces stress when drawing the bow.

A compound bow’s let-off can reach up to 80% or even 90% depending on the bow model. A 90% let-off means that an archer only holds 7 pounds of weight at full draw on a bow that has a 70 pound maximum draw weight, enabling arrow speeds of 250 to 370 feet per second.

What Are The Parts Of A Compound Bow?

A basic compound bow is composed of a riser, top and bottom limbs, a string, cables, top and bottom cams, a string stop, a cable guard, a grip, a string silencer, a stabilizer, top and bottom dampeners, a sight, an arrow rest, top and bottom limb pockets and a D-loop.

compound bow parts diagram
As you can see, a compound bow has many more parts than a traditional bows, and even similar parts are typically made of differing materials.

The parts of a compound bow vary significantly from traditional bows.

For example, while traditional bow risers are made of wood, compound bow risers are generally made of aluminum, magnesium alloy, or carbon fiber. More specifically, most of today’s compound bow risers are made using 7075 aluminum alloy.

The limbs of a compound bow are usually made of composite materials such as fiber glass or are carbon fiber-based, and are adaptable in enduring extreme stress and pliability.

woman shooting a compound bow

A compound bow has many parts and accessories that traditional bows do not, such as sights, cams, string stops, stabilizers, etc.

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Modern and Traditional Archery: Accepting The Differences

Contrary to what some believe, shooting traditional archery bows is actually not inferior compared to shooting compound bows. they are, however totally different instruments, both still have distinctive extraordinary functions and qualities.

One difference between traditional bows and compound bows that many people notice is the use of a sight. Most compound bows require the use of a sight to hit the target due anchor slipping.

recurve bow in case with arrows

An archer with his/her arrow in some ways is like a pitcher that must be able to throw a fastball, as well as a curveball, accurately and at the highest speeds possible.

However, on the other side of the archery realm, traditional archers use their basic instincts in determining the hows, the wheres, and the whys when hitting their targets. Their brains and their eyes are the main tools to make calculations and determine the distance in complicated angles where the environment plays a huge role in how the arrow reaches its mark.

A traditional archer also needs to be aware of how they are pulling, holding and aiming at 10-20 yards to adjust to shooting even further while maintaining accuracy.

Think of it this way… it is somewhat like a pitcher throwing a fastball or a curveball accurately at the highest speeds possible. This is why consistency is the key to becoming a great archer.

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So, Which Should You Choose?

Both traditional and compound bows can be used for indoor and outdoor target shooting, hunting and bow fishing. So, it’s really just personal preference when deciding between a traditional bow and a compound bow.

turkey decoy sitting on log with 2 recurve bows

Traditional bows can be used for indoor and outdoor shooting, and competition as well as for hunting.

The expanding community of modern and traditional archers is astonishingly widespread, and is continuously growing in many categories such as target, field, clout, flight, or recreational archery.

The sport of archery not only improves an archer’s patience, sharpness, strength and hand-eye coordination, but it also provides wisdom, as archers share their knowledge and experiences with other archers.

man shooting trad bow at round target

The sport of archery not only improves an archer’s patience, sharpness, strength and hand-eye coordination, but it also provides wisdom, as archers share their knowledge and experiences with other archers.

For us at Southwest Archery USA, the greatest part of archery, whether it be target archery or bowhunting, is the time we spend enjoying the sport with our family and friends.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced archer, the truth is, archery is for everyone, from young kids to older adults.

How many types of deer can you name? See a list!
Eric Ravenna of Southwest Archery USA
Eric Ravenna, of Southwest Archery USA