Rattling for bucks

Tell todays huntin story here or add your input on rattling techniques.

Rattled in a nice 140 class 10 point main frame.

I like to rattle about ever 45 min or so. I bought a Primos buck growl last year and I love the volume it can put out.

I like to be very quite heading for and getting on stand. Many times I have rattled bucks in within the first hour, as happened today.

My rattle sequence includes an approach, a stand off, some fighting and then a departure.

I start with a few grunts just to incinuate an approach of two deers. As redneck as it sounds, you need to put yourself in a deers situation and act like your getting ready to fight. Always be moving your mouth and the horns from one side of the tree to the other. Makes it sound like your not in one spot on a stage.
Maybe now "rub' the side of your tree or close limbs with the horns. Do this off and on throughout your sequence.(Taken some frustration out). Can't do this with a rattle bag. Although rattle bags work too.

Now the initial smack of the horns should be done with authority. The first hit should be as if they ran full speed into each other.
Then just work the horns as if your battling for a cute girl. Mix up the sounds (tickle the ends, then clang the bases), and try to make each sequence sound and play out differently. Every now and then stop with the horns together and grind them as if one deer was pushing the other deer while their horns were locked together. When you finish your rattle each time drag the horns across each other to simulate the deer 'seperating' as they pull away. After finishing the last rattling, wait a few seconds and let out some dominate growl grunts as if you just beat the tar out of some punk! May even thrash a tree a little to show you won. May do 4-6 sets of rattles to add up to about a 4or5 minute sequence. Remember to vary any and all this. Customize it, or as we say on TW, go for the mods. Also be standing and very ready b/c they like to run in sometimes.
Most the time I leave the grunt call in my mouth and let out a few short grunts while rattling.
This post is long enough, there is probably more, but I need to turn this baby loose........

Look forward to hearing everyones tips and techniques.
And some good stories.

Jump to post 197 on page 10 for the 2009/2010 season!!

Jump to post 214 on page 11 for the 2010/2011 season!!

Jump to post 223 on page 12 for the 2011/2012 season!!

 

Sounds good!!!!!!

 

Want to also throw in that when I started hunting I thought you had to be silent all the time......forget that, deer and other animals in the woods make lots of sounds. Join their club and don't be afraid to try. Like everything else, it takes some trial and error.

 

Got to tell todays story.
Got set up 15 min after sunup. Waited until I was all ready and hit the rattle sequence for about 5 or 6 minutes. Sat down and waited for the first much anticipated 30 min. Scanned the area for about 15 min. then looked to my left and seen him standing at the edge of this thicket scanning the woods I was in.

Kind of thich in frone of me. He came directly through the center of this woods which was gonna lead him to an area in front of me 30 yards but too thick. 40 yds now and too close to do any calling,(he would know that no deer was there) but I hit the grunt while he was stepping(to make it difficult for him to pinpoint me) and he froze.

Needless to say he was looking under my tree and didn't see any deer so he worked his way back from where he came. Never caught any scent, so not a full blown spook.
Main frame 10 with nice width. Prob 3 1/2 year old.
5 min after he left 2 does walked just out of range from the same direction he came from. They all three were probably in the field I couldn't see, just hanging out till the sun came up.

Gonna hit the other side of this 120 acre property tomorrow.

 

thats awesome hoosier!!!!

im gonna give my rattling a go tomorrow!!! the antlers im using came off a skull from a 6 pointer i found in the woods 3 years ago!! they still sound pretty good to me!!

 

I drilled a small hole through both mine and put about 16 inches of parachute cord between them to keep them together. Makes them easy to hang in a tree.

 

Sounds like you have a nice spot set up.
As for being silent, agree with your comment 100%
As for the rattle of horns, in the area I am at alot depends on the movement. There is very little hunting pressure and the core areas I have pretty much covered. In this area I have only had luck with rattling once, and it was by one of the old ponds on the property. I have had most luck with just plain old grunts.
It has just taken me the past 5 or 6 years to realize the the grunts change with age, true you can hear this on TV but until I sat in the woods for days upon end before any season started is when the light buld went off in my head.
I uses 3 grunts starting in the middle of the tone area, then go somewhat sharper (young buck). In most cases I get the big ones to come in looking for a fight. If I spot a small buck, I will give off a grunt of a young buck just to bring him in. Sort of play with him awhile, and just wait.
I also take a turkey call with me, if I can't seem to get anything out of the thicket, or movement is low I will give out some clucks, and if in a blind scrape the leaves on the ground a little. In most of the cases I have done that, it seems to calm things down.
Last couple of years the bucks could care less of what was around them, they had their noses to the ground, or were making a B-line toward some does.
I personally learn something new every hunting season, last year was don't shoot the first big buck you see.

 

sweet......i did the same exact thing!!

when i found mine.....the squirrels had been having a bit of fun with them, but i got them before they were in too bad of shape to use!!! im gonna try your technique tomorrow and see what happens!!

 

time actually in the woods is the best knowledge you can gain for sure. great insight LB.

 

they should last a long time. been using the same ones for about 15 years. good luck man and hope to hear a great story tomorrow. I plan to hit it in the morning too.

 

im still not sure just what the hell is going on here man!!! i mean........i was seeing alotta does a couple of weeks ago, then i had my deal with that big 8 pointer a couple of saturdays ago...........and now, this past week, and now this week.........i havent seen a thing!!! no deer at all. not sure whats going on. i thought i may have ruined my stand/blind for a while, so i have sat and tried other areas....still nothing. so today, i sat up a makeshift ground blind, but still didnt see anything. tomorrow, hopefully, it'll be cooler and wont be as windy. im not quite sure just what the hell is going on now man!!

 

Somethig I need to try out is horn size, if you take a monster 10 point and rattle them togehter, it is going to be way different in sound than a small 6 or 8.
So if you think about it, if you use a small 6 or 8 point you would think big ones would come in to kick some butt, but if you went the other way, you may have some back away...... Same as the grunt idea, deep, and low, or mid range and not as low..........hum.....I need to check this out.

 

MIDDLE OF THE DAY RIGHT NOW....hint hint.......
seriously, the bucks will start to get up and do a little cruising downwind of bedding areas looking for the first hot doe. remember no does are in yet.(here anyway) their going to start looking hard. Especially on this next cold snap.

 

ok....well, im gonna try to go for about the whole day tomorrow then. when that big 8 came in the other week......he was coming in after 6 does, nose straight to the ground, so im pretty sure rut is happening here a good ways into it now. you can smell estrus near the swamp and hill area where i hunt!! that smell is unmistakable and there now!!

 

I need to go, my heart is already pounding, and palms sweating. Need to go repack, crap might as well load everything up, only 10 days.
I feel that need............

 

man.....my wife hates me close to deer season....and by close, i mean like 2 or 3 months close!!!! i get antsy as shit!!!

 

oh man, maybe a little late for some rattling. But remember the frustrated younger deer still spar. So you really don't risk any spooking.

hope you can sleep, gets hard this time of year......

truth be known, its probably cause you keep peeeeing on your tarsel glands.......

 

hell yeah.......and it messes up the sheets!!!!! and those lil poop pellets are a bitch to get off the carpet!!!

 

lol

 

Eight and a wake up, then i'm gone.....oh happy day.