Hi,

I´ve heard that it´s possible top lure in whitetail bucks by rattling horns but how is this done? I have horns from an eight point buck and clashing them together doesn´t make for a very dramatic effect...should this be done in any special way?

Greatful for comments.

Everyone seems to have their own approach based on what has worked for them in the past. The key for me is to be in the right place at the right time. If you are, then you will be successful with a lot of techniques.

The right place -- somewhere with a buck/doe ratio close enough that bucks are actively in competition for does -- 1-1 to 1-2 preferably.

The right time -- the week before the rut starts or during the rut. You can rattle at other times but it should be more like a sparring match than a fight. At peak times you should make as much noise as you can. You will not likely rattle a buck off a hot doe in the rut but you may attract the still unattached.

I find that I have more success (and I am not particularly successful) if I rattle from the ground and in the brush, with a relatively-open area downwind. The bucks will frequently circle to catch your wind before coming in and you want to be able to see them. I combine some aggressive grunts, hard clashes of the antlers, rattling with the antlers intertwined, stomping on the ground, and whacking the brush with the antlers. You should try to picture in your mind what noise would be made by two large bucks fighting hard in the brush -- hooves hitting the ground, branches breaking, etc.

If all is well bucks will come in for a closer look. If not, you may feel silly. My kids always want to laugh when they see me doing this.

Hopefully M16 will come along and give his views, which will probably be different from mine.

cewe,
I would be interested in hearing about your results...you should give this a try.

I'm no expert at this but Charles has it about covered I think. Rattling horns is like any other calling. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't but...it does work and is worth trying on occassion.

We have had some luck sneaking in close to bedding areas and rattlin' late morning.

Good luck,

Like Charles said it all depends on where you are in the rut. Two years ago opening weekend fell just right for rattleing. We used the make all the noise you can technique, and we got a buck everytime. Last year it did not seem to do anything. This year was kind of neat though. The weather just wasn't right on the days I got to hunt. There was a front moving in everytime lots of wind and very little deer movement. So we tried rattling. A big buck and two does stood up in a briar patch about 200 yards from us and the buck drove the does off away from us. Apparently he was matched up and did not want to take his chances with what he thought was two bad boys going at it. Anyway I thought it was neat and filed it away in the hunting journal.

Rattling--I'd get a buddy. One guy rattles, one guy downwind.....um 50 yards or less. World record buck hears another buck rattling in HIS domain...sneaks in from downwind to see what's going on and....bang. I have MUCH more sucess with estrous calls, doe bleats and buck grunts but to each his own. Also if said buck was to see another buck decoy (smaller than himself) it migh get him all fired up to get closer.....and if he smelled some buck urine that might help even more.

the chef

Thanks for the info! My kids seem to take this seriously enough but wife thinks I´m crazy -which is her normal attitude when I get creative in my hunting.

She might be right -but who cares.

And I´ll probably keep her around as she´s good with the kids!

I´ll try rattling during the weekend, the rut is more or less over but you never know.

cewe, why don't you stop by this weekend and I'll demonstrate it for you. It is gun season this weekend so that is all the better!

Let me know when to pick you up at the airport

Mark -This I´d like to do!

And then we have reality.

So why don´t you drop by, I´ll pick you up in Helsinki.

There are lots of good videos on calling and rattling. And I wouldn't doubt there are some video clips on the net (but I don't know of any off hand).

I have had good success rattling in bucks this year. In some ways it is similar to fly fishing for stream trout. If you see a trout rise or you know a big trout is laying in a hole behind a downed log then you cast your fly so it drifts by the log and over his resting spot. You know he is there so you are ready and anticipating action. He comes up and if things look good he takes. Rattling in an area where you know (or strongly suspect) a good buck is will likely bring him to you. Back to trout, sometimes you just think an area looks like good trout habitat so you cast out and drift a fly through it on the hopes of getting some action. After a few trys you move on to the next likely area. Rattling in good deer habitat is like that.

Robin

Duffy4: We have a lot of deer and plenty of good habitat. I haven´t seen any action the last 5-6 times I went to my stand. This is unusual as normally I´d see an animal move every night. The weather has been a bit off, one day snow, next rain and then hard winds and tonight no wind at all.

How does rattling work outside the rut?

quote:

Originally posted by cewe:

How does rattling work outside the rut?

After the rut, big boys who are tired of fighting will avoid it. Curious deer may still come in for a look. My best suggestion is if it is well before the rut or after the rut but you want to try, do it lightly and with shorter duration to resemble bucks casually sparring.

There is a secondary rut when does who were not bred the first time come into estrous. I believe that is typically three weeks after the primary rut. They can do that again if they are not bred the second time. There is potentially even more competition for does then so rattling may produce something.

I have seen deer ignore rattling, move off, or come in. There are no certainties.

CH: THere are no certainties -and that´s good as hunting would otherwise be boring!

Thanks for the feedback, let´s see if I get anything.