is it still too early? rattling/grunting

Just wanted to know what you guys think. This is my first season with a rattle bag and a grunt call in the stand, I've never needed them for rifle season. Is it still a little too early yet for the rattle bag? I'm hittin the woods saturday morning. On the property i'll be hunting, my stand is about 25 yards from a rub line, its also about 30 yards from buck bedding areas. I'm thinking its still about a week early for combined rattling and grunt calls. Anyone ever had luck during this time of fall with grunts and rattles? If so, what call sequences should I go by to make it sound more realistic?

 

Good questions I'm anxious to hear the responses aswell. As I have never rattled or grunted either during my rifle hunting career.

 

I have used my grunt tube and bleat can so far with no results. It has worked for me in the past but nothing yet. I have not tried rattling so far this year.

 

I've tried the grunt so far, I actually grunted in a doe to about 50-60 yards before she got spooked by the landowners dogs. I didnt realize she was even there until I saw what looked like a patch of brown leaves walk towards me. I'm afraid to do it too much and sound like a human trying to imitate a deer

 

Talked to a couple of people who have had a couple small bucks come into rattling in middle Iowa. I tried once this last weekend and had nothing. I don't think it hurts to do this time of year. Had them come in before during our Muzzleloader early season which starts here 10/15.

I'm a big believer in rattling and then shutting up for awhile. Less is more in my mind in any calling I've done. Less to screw up and I think curiosity is a good thing.

 

As long as your not looking to take a doe it cant hurt. Ive gotten video of bucks fighting in september so its not a uncommon thing to get a response early on. I wouldnt go crazy though. A soft grunt and a tickle of the antlers and then give it a break for a while. Ill do this as soon as I can see my sights and then ill wait a hour or so. I guess I always have that feeling theres a buck close enough to hear me around that time. Same thing in the evening. With about a hour of light left ill do the same sequence. I have called in quite a few smaller bucks doing this. I find the bigger guys dont really care till november but I do it anyway

 

I have grunted in a few decent bucks already this year. I have also rattled in a couple spikes, nothing big yet.

 

Yeah thats what I'm thinkin, I think that if I rattled this weekend, I'd call in the desperate young bucks that are trying to prove themselves. There's a nice big 8 that I'm going for on the property, and from what I've seen of him so far (from a distance), he's a well educated buck. Hes a big bodied deer, I'm thinking hes around 3 years old, and he's always on a mission. I've tried to grunt him in to me before, and he doesn't seem to give me a second look

 

Not too early at all to rattle. Let er buck!!

 

i witnessed a buck fight on Sat the 13th. it wasn't a big bang blow out fight to the death but they tangled for a little while.

I have had others tell me that they have witness a fight between two and three bucks, that was pretty heated. (Spotting Deer at night) (Leagal in PA) they are starting to get into it.

I don't think i would make it sound like a death match but i don't see why not tink them toghter for a little while. Increase the severty of the fight as you get to November

 

I used one of my tags on a 6 pointer Tues morning. He come up the same trail a doe and 2 fawns were on 40 mins before.As soon as he caught their trail he was grunting so I believe it's time to let er roll.I know last year about this time, my buddy was rattling bucks in.

 

I've done some spotting at night in PA, the deer come out of the woodwork. Its great reassurance to hear that the deer in our general time zone are getting aggressive with each other, PA deer seem to be on a similar biological schedule as CT (I occasionally hunt NE PA). I think i'll bring the rattle bag saturday morning

 

Deer are vocal year round. Best bet is to punch Deer Vocalizations into your search engine and pick up a DVD that breaks them down for you, with all the grunt calls on the market there should be something out there.. You can use the rattling bag soon as their antlers harden, Lightly when they first shed the velvet to full blown azz kicking in the rut.
Don't be afarid to pore it on if you can see the deer and it has no response, yet don't jump the gun, many a time they will seem uninterested but just be working their way around to get down wind of you.

 

I heard one Grunt last weekend!

 

I think a little rattling right now can be very effective, just don't go overboard... As far as grunting, I won't do it "blindly" right now, meaning I won't use the call unless I see something. Even seeing a small buck I would use it, then you also have a decoy and hopefully a bigger buck will see the little guy.

 

I honestly don't know what people have against blind calling. I've been very successful with this method. It's amazing that you won't see any deer in sight and 10-15 minutes later, they show up near your stand.

You also said that buck didn't give you a second look. Maybe he didn't hear you. I grunt several times every 10-15 minutes when i feel the time is right to do so.

 

I rattled a little bit last week to no avail, however we have seen young bucks sparring already so we are getting close. I'm a component of a light rattle and some soft grunts early.
Good luck, it's a lot of fun when we do hit the best time to rattle!

 

Deer grunt and make other vocalizations all year long, not just the rut. I use grunt calls and such from day one and have always had good success there.

This is usually the first weekend that I may do a bit of rattling. I usually only rattle lightly this time of year. You typically won't find a lot of bucks in full contention for does yet so most fighting is more sparring that all out fighting. By the end of October, early November... its on. Bucks should be really wound tight by then and fighting should be serious. This is the time I let er rip.

 

i rattled in two small bucks last weekend in NE PA. watched one of them go to town rubbing on a little sapling. i don't think it hurts to try.

 

heard a buck grunting while i was climbing down in the dark last weekend.. i think it's time.