To Grunt or not to Grunt, that is the question.

[300rum]

Last year, week after Thanksgiving.  Spotted 3 bedded bucks one big boy and 2 3yo's, three miles away.  Sneak is on.  Little do I know they get up, spar and start feeding down hill to me (dad is watching through the scope).  I get 35yds away and see the medium buck as he sees me, he is legal and a nice 3yo buck but I am passing.  He doesn't know what I am but he doesn't like it one bit, wind is perfect, I am on the ground and frankly can't draw even if I could.  We have a standoff for 15 minutes where both of us are waiting for the other to move and I can't find the bigger buck.  I don't know what the heck to do other than I am pinned but not had.  It is snowing and I have 30 minutes to make this happen.  I can't find the big boy but I know this is the same buck that I spotted but I think big boy is still higher up the ridge maybe 100 yards.  I take out the grunt tube.  What do you do?  To Grunt or not to Grunt, that is the question?

[bow4elk]

doe bleat first...if nothing, then a few short soft grunts....wait...a couple more...

With 30 minutes left you have nothing to lose if you're not going to take the other buck.

[300rum]

I gave a soft young buck grunt.  The buck immediately turns and takes three jumps away and then looks back.  And then big boy, who I couldn't see behind some brush 30yds away takes off up the hill, he never stops.  Man I have played that over and over.  I wonder what would have happened if I didn't grunt.     I wonder what would have happened?  Ol' big boy played that game before.   

[bowsandhose]

hind sight is always 20/20 you could beat youself to death over it the big boy could have seen you move and that's why he ran  . if a deer is looking at me i don't think i would call even if he doesn't know what you are. he does know that you are not a deer. sounds like it was a fun hunt