Stopping a deer for a shot with a grunt tube.

Sounds like it needs a carb kit or just a good cleaning. You can try a little Sea Foam however be prepared to take it apart and clean it that way. Its not hard to do.

Its probably as simple as a carb adjustment, or a cleaning. Have you put a new plug in it and checked to be sure you have a good clean connection?

My 1st guess is it is running too lean. I would try backing off the needle a little bit… 1/8 – 1/4 turn is usually enough. Its not that uncommon for any small engine(any product) to come up with this type of problem while relatively new. Slightly lean strait from the box can quickly turn into way too lean once you have any left-over micro size deposits in the carb.

“I would try backing off the needle a little bit… 1/8 – 1/4 turn is usually enough”

Are you refering to the screw on the outside of the carb?

I had the same thing with my auger and I brought it in and the it just needed a good cleaning in the carb. If you take it in to someone that works on small engines they will be able to fix it for you for cheap. It cost me only $40 for them to fix it and it runs like new!

Thanks for all the tips!!. Goose you better get on the road, the fish should be snappin today at IGL.

Yeah im heading out right now. Gonna Try a little lake close to town today and head to boji tomorrow.

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“I would try backing off the needle a little bit… 1/8 – 1/4 turn is usually enough”

Are you refering to the screw on the outside of the carb?

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Yes… There should be 2 screws(keep in mind I dont have an auger in hand). I believe the strikemaster has an adjustable idle, if not, there is only 1 screw which should be the needle/lean.

One screw will be the idle on the throttle body(where throttle connects to the carb), and there will be another adjustment screw on the carb somewhere that usually has a spring on it to hold tension..

I have serviced a lot of augers in time, they dont all have the same carbs, they all do the same basic thing, but the screws can be in different places.

Let me know if you dont figure it out, I have to pull one of these apart for a good cleaning within the next few days, I can give more detailed instructions on where everything is once I have one in hand.

If you move that screw, keep track of which way you moved it and how far. What I prefer to do before pulling a carb apart is to screw it in all the way until it stops and take note EXACTLY how far it is turned out(example, 1 1/4 turn). This lets you put everything back exactly as it was and fine tune from there, the worst case scenerio you wont make things worse than they are if things are put back exactly as they are. I have unplugged needles before simply by taking the screw/needle out and spraying in some good carb cleaner. This is not a long term, or thorough cleaning, but it can help out in a pinch sometimes.

Thanks Dave I know the exact screw your talking about now.

I’d clean the carb, you’ll probably find a lot of varnish material in there (easy to remove with a spray can of carb cleaner). Then, once clean, use fresh premium gas AND heavy seafoam in that gas…you won’t have problems again. I use seafoam all the time in all my small engines and the problem you describe used to be mine too…not anymore.

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Yeah im heading out right now. Gonna Try a little lake close to town today and head to boji tomorrow.

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Oh man- the Winter Games are going on this weekend. You are a BRAVE BRAVE man- traffics gonna be a bear down there

If anyone has ever wondered how fast a deer stops after he hears another grunt here’s whats happened to me and a couple others I know. I’ve never had a problem stopping a deer with a grunt tube for a shot, they all stopped and on a dime. One time bowhunting with Jerry, a friend of mine, on a hillside I stopped one for him and this is what happened.

We both seen this overgrown field that was between a timber up above and behind us and the river down below and it looked good to both of us. We decided on this field because there were weeds of various heights scattered through this field of about 3 acres, spots of grass 2′ tall and other spots of weeds around 3′ to 4′ tall. I sat above Jerry and he sat to the right and down below me about 30 yrds away. We both knocked our arrows and felt good about the area.

About 15 minutes into the sit a heard something trotting behind me and to the left. I turned and seen this 8 pointer trotting down the side of this weeded area, going down hill and I thought to myself is he going to turn to his right and come to us, if he did he was going to be 30′ from Jerry if he followed the edge of this overgrown area. I watched the buck get closer and when he was infront and slightly to the left of Jerry I grunted. This buck was trotting about 10 mph and when I grunted he stopped and didn’t take one more step, not even a small one, It was like he was frozen.

He stared back in my direction and I knew I didn’t want to grunt again so he could home in on the sound. So Jerry slowly lifted his bow, drew back, released and shot underneath him. I seen the arrow go underneath him as the buck ran off and he still didn’t see Jerry because he didn’t move and that surprised both of us. The buck was trotting 10 miles and hour or so and he just threw on the breaks, not even another slight step. This was the first time Id ever stopped a buck trotting and I asked Jerry saying did you see him stop. He said yes and I’m surprised he didn’t see me while he lifted his bow and even got a shot off. The other deer I’ve stopped stopped immediately but never on a trot, you would had to seen it to believe it.

Everybody I’ve talked to said that when they grunt the deer also stop immediately. Anyone ever have one move after they grunted to stop one for a shot, Id like to hear if anyone ever has.

One more tip… if your do not have a grunt tube handy.. a quick whistle works too… I have stopped them on a dime this way also

Great info – I often wonder if certain grunt tubes are more effective to having the ability to stop a buck in his tracks – I have heard folks with great results and yet folks complaining that in the fall especially late October early Nov – Prime time that they struggle trying to pull cruising bucks in closer.

I have had very good results during this time with the aggressive bucks to Snort Wheeze at them which I can do well without the use of the common snort wheeze tubes sold. This signal seems to change the attitudes and pulls them in versus being ignored
So if you do seem to be ignored with your grunt quickly try a snort wheeze and see if he spins around and walks in all stiff legged and pissed – it’s an awesome sight to see. It’s something to try if you do have a dandy that for some reason doesn’t care about the grunt

A great topic!

Good Luck Folks

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One more tip… if your do not have a grunt tube handy.. a quick whistle works too… I have stopped them on a dime this way also

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Most times I stop them with a whistle or a baaaaa.. Bow is in hand and at full draw, ready for the whacking!!

Jami

if a deer is acting spooked making a kissing noise to them seems to not startle them near as bad either I have noticed in the past. Had a time or 2 the baaa made them run 15 yds an stop on me.

Baa worked great on my a bow doe two years ago… stopped at 35 yds, smoked her right through both lungs.

last year, the baa made a young buck run… But he was already REALLY cautious, and we were in a ground blind (my son and I) at less than 15 yards.

Baaaa generally works very well for me though. start low, get louder if needed.

quit baaing you will scare the sheep

im with G whistle while you work