On TV whenever someone puts a set of horns together the deer come running in one after another. Whenever I do it absolutley nothing. They say its best to do it pre-rut. Just wondering if anybody on here has had it work or if they could offer a few tips.
I haven't had any luck with it. I was reading a thread on here a few days ago where it was suggested to tie the antlers to a rope and lower them to the ground from your stand. Bounce them off the ground to make the sound of the feet rustling the leaves and stomping on the ground. As you raise them off the ground, they'll bang together to sound like deer fighting. I do have a decent video with sound from my trail camera so you can hear how little rattling there is vs. Ground movement sounds. Check out the trail cam forum on here and look for the bucks sparring video. Turn up your volume, as they were a little way from the camera.
I have had no luck doing it, I had luck grunting a few times and doe bleating after it and called in buck I call splitter to 20 yards but couldn't get a shot and its the first time I have seen him in three years live, just on trail cam pics before that, yesterday I also used both and a small eight came into 10 yards and I passed. Scoot
I am only in my second season of bow hunting. My friend that has been teaching me is big into rattling. We sat for three days last week and had some amazing results with rattling. I actually rattled in my first buck. I saw him enter the cut field about 100 yards away. I rattled and got his attention, paused, then rattled again. He came trotting down looking and ready to fight, stepping right into my shooting lane 20 yards away. He was a big bodied buck, but I did pass on him. In total, I think we rattled in 4 bucks over the 3 days. Lots of chasing going on in central IN.
Rattling works when bucks are looking and hot does are scarce...don't overdo it any time, or waste your time(you only alert deer with the noise) when rut is first really fired up with lots of does in heat as big bucks will hear that and try to herd the doe they are with to another place without competition. I do think a lot of people get busted while rattling to much as the bucks are well focussed on the noise and place it is coming from and see that movement when they approach. Another thing is alot of clashing/clanging the antlers togetther isn't what a real fight sounds like...the antlers are locked up a and the bucks are pushing a lot while in battle so the tines ticking and rubbing against each other is more realistic. I rattled in a 8 and a 3pt a couple weeks ago with light rattling and a couple spikes the other day...couple minor clashes with a lot of ticking for 30secs to a min then quit for 15 mins(I usually only do the two sequences and then wait over an hour before doing another session)...a little more tine ticking and they cruised right through looking for the rabble-rousers. The thumping on the ground and raking twigs and leaves is great if you are on the ground but tough to dulpicate from a tree. Remember those deer will come in very focussed on the area(and you'd be suprised how precise they pinpont the sound) and will bust you if you are moving or rattle again when they are in sight range.
^^^ This. I don't rattle much anymore. wolvenkinde is correct, deer can easily pinpoint noise and its tough, especially in a tree, to stay undetected when rattling. A lot of deer, especially the bigger bucks, will slide in downwind of the noise source to check things out. Bad news for us stinky hunters. Rattling only works well in areas where there is a lot of competition for does and the buck/doe ratio is low. It's not nearly as effective in areas where there are lots of does and little competition for them as every buck gets their piece.
One area I hunt is incredibly secluded from other archery hunters and I have had good success rattling there and multiple times. Another area I hunt butts up against some public and I have had some textbook situations where rattling should have drawn some good bucks in, but instead the noise scared them off. I suspect this is because everyone and their dog has rattled at these bucks on the public land, and rattling is no longer effective for them.
I have had luck with rattling but I will say that timing is everything when it comes to it being effective. I attached 2 pics of a deer that I rattled in January 2011. I was sitting in a spot that I had hunted the weekend before the season ended and heard a buck chasing a doe and grunting but she never brought him out to the field. When I went back the last day of the season I thought I would give it a try and see if I could bring him out. I took out the horns and grunt tube and did a sequence of rattling, while thrashing bushes, and followed it with a couple of grunts. I was focused on the area that I thought a deer may come from when movement from my left caught my attention. I looked over and there he was standing not more than 40 yards from me. I was sitting in a thicket so he could not see me but he was locked on to the direction the sound came from. He was standing there with his ears laid back and hair standing up, ready for the fight. Like you, I have seen it on tv but have never experienced it and I can tell you, it was a rush. The amazing part of the story is that this deer had come out of a pine thicket 200 yards away and crossed an open field at 3:30 in the afternoon to investigate the fight that he thought was happening. That is why I think timing has alot to do with whether it is productive or not. Just my .02.
I also agree with everyone here and possibly learn more as I read everyone's post. I've had success, but only when the time is right. I mean timing is everything if your successful. I'm sure it only take once occurance of a buck getting inturupted with a doe and he's ready to fight going forward. I tried it this weekend with no luck.
There is a time and a place for it. The land I own there is a high doe to buck ratio so it doesn't work as well. It does work late October when they're cruising and trying etch out their territory. The buck I rattled in in late October. The other place I hunt the buck to doe ratio is low because of the earn a buck program. I can hit the horns together almost any time and get deer in. You have to look at the location, deer population and hunting pressure. Good Luck
I've had it work one time in my life. The buck charged in ready to fight, hair standing up on his back. He came right to me, 10 yds away - it was really cool. I passed him, he was a nice body small rack 6pt. I actually rattled him in 3 times in the same morning...he was ready to fight for sure. That was a long time ago, never had it work since. Probably too many does in our areas. I do find it funny on the shows how they seem to come in like you rang the dinner bell. I guess it works well on pet a pet farms :D
I have rattled in many, many bucks and have killed several of my better deer after rattling. Compared to a lot of areas our pressure is fairly low and I would guess that has a lot to do with good response. I have had equally good response from just grunting. My bow buck last year came in the very first rattling sequence I made and the buck I killed the other day came in to a decoy setup after I grunted at him. I have also watched bucks completely ignore both rattling and grunting. You just never know what they are thinking.
rattled in a young seven pointer this morning. Did a sequence for about 30 seconds and he came in down wind of me right under my stand. First time I've ever rattled a buck in.
I was just successful last Thursday morning (see "forked brow tine" thread). The day before I had seen a head bobbing buck cheking a trail for scent. The next morning I had the forked brow tine cut across a meadow and I rattled him in. He came in real cautious though, not storming in. Took him about 15 minutes to go 100yards.
For me sometimes it works and sometime it does not. I see no harm in trying as long as it's not overdone. One thing I know for sure is that bouncing antlers off the ground from the tree has never failed for me once I spot a buck I like. It alway gets their attention and makes some exciting moments.
