all you rattling experts!!!

[moosehunter]

OK. I've posted questions before on this subject but here goes another, because I'd really like this to work for me. I've been trying a few rattling sequences at different times. Mostly I will start at 5:30 pm or so, then at 6:00, then just before sundown. Each time lasting no more than a minute. I'm trying to copy what I've heard in real life. To my ears it sounds good. I don't think I'm rattling to hard, but maybe I am. Nothing has responded. Saturday morning, when there was enough light to see well I tried it and nothing. I left it alone until 10:00 then tried it again. 5 or 6 deer spooked from some heavy brush about 50 yards from me that I didn't even know were there. It was thick enough I couldn't see what they were, but they definetly busted because of what I was doing. Then 10 minutes later an 8 ran by. I don't think he was responding to me, he looked like he was running from something. I sure wished I knew if I was doing something wrong. Can anyone help a desperate, confused, middle-aged, somewhat overweight, Toyota drivin" Iowa deer hunter.....

 

[Central Iowa]

I have been hitting the horns pretty hard for the last couple weeks on farms with great buck to doe ratios with great success. I have been hitting them quickly not pulling the antlers completly apart fo 20 seconds or so. Yesrerday morning I seen a buck about 150 yards away in some thick stuff and wanted a closer look. I kept the bow in my hand and left the antlers hanging where they where. I then picked one up and slammed the other one against the tree he was coming my way within seconds. He walked right under the tree trotting the whole way with his head up. He was a 120's class 9 point. The places where the ratios are greatly in favor of the does have produced very little response. I don't think you can rattle to hard at this point. I think you just startled those bedded deer being that close and all is quiet and then you hit the antlers. Best rattling year I have had so far. Now if the big boys would come......... I just read an article in Fur Fish and Game by T.R. Michels that has some great content here it is.
By T.R. Michels
Rattle Up a BUCk: During a three-year study by researchers from the University of Georgia and from Texas A&M-Kings-ville, bucks responded to 65 percent of 171 rattling sessions. Bucks usually responded during the first of three 10-minute sessions. Loud, sustained rattling worked best in the pre rut. Loud, short sessions worked best during the peak rut (when the highest number of responses occurred). Longer, quieter rattling worked best post rut, when slightly more mature (3.5 years and older) bucks responded.
The young bucks responded best during pre rut. Middle-age bucks (3.5-4.5 years old) responded throughout the entire rut. Older bucks responded equally well pre rut and post rut, but less during peak rut (probably because they already were with does). All bucks responded more deliberately and slowly during post rut.
Response rate decreased as wind increased. The highest response rate also occurred when cloud cover was about 75 percent; lowest occurred when skies were clear. Two thirds of the bucks were first spotted downwind. Morning sessions pro­duced the most responses, but older bucks responded most in the afternoon.
My own studies confirm that wind speed and sunlight have a lot to do with buck movement and response to rattling, calling and scents. My studies also show that throughout the rut, more dominant bucks are seen in the evening than in the morning. The results of these studies sug­gest that the best time to rattle for any buck buck, try in the evening.
I have rattled bucks from as far away as a half-mile using loud, sustained sequences. It took the bucks an average of 20 minutes to come in from downwind. I also have watched bucks run all the way to my stand when I rattled, and I have brought back bucks by rattling again when they started to leave.
Don't rattle the same buck from the same stand on successive days. If he comes in but you don't get him, wait three to four days before trying again. I also found that if a buck doesn't see a deer (or a deer decoy) when it responds to rattling, it probably won't come in more than three times. For that reason, I use a decoy when rattling during bow season, especially when I am after a particular trophy buck.

 

[scout]

First thing. Get rid of the Toyota. Just kidding. I loved my Nissan.

I have never called in a good buck "tickeling" them together. I've been suprised @ times how much volume it took to get their attention many times. Forget tickeling @ this point. I also have watched a few bucks quickly loose intrest when long breaks took place in the ratteling. I'd try longer and harder. I've also seen does quickly leave the area not wanting to be harrassed by two bucks. They have to hear it to respond, not all that hear it will come and if you stop they can quickly loose intrest.
I'm no "expert" but I know it has pulled in alot of bucks for me. Thursday evening I had 2 8's come in one was about 125. Good luck!

 

[muddy]

i begin by tickling the horns for about 5-10 seconds...then pause...and then CRASH!!! after these past few days i've been much more aggresssive on the horns. i havn't had anything come in other than a small doe ????? but it's just a matter of time. i also keep a grunt call in my mouth and will let out long loud grunts whie rattling. i will only rattle for about 30 seconds on average but sometimes go up to a minute with small breaks every now and then so i can hopefully hear something coming. also i will do doe bleats before and after i rattle. after i get finished rattling i'll sometimes do tending grunts along with bleats. drives 'em nuts!! now, my success rate on actually getting bucks in can sometimes be skewed. some days i'll rattle in 4 or 5 and other times i'll go 4 or 5 hunts before rattling a buck in. depends on a lot of things that we can't control.

just keep at it, it's still fairly early for rattling to be super good, but when it is it'll be worth it to have a slobbering buck come charging in.

oh, i rattle every half hour just FYI.

 

[Baby-G]

Rattling has some very important things that have to be considered before I even begin.

1) You need to be in a good location. In other words where a big buck would run into another buck to fight. Consider a area in between bedding areas that has some thick area and some open woods (so you can see and the buck has some security).
2) Play the wind. A big buck most always comes in down wind, force them not too! Rattle from an area that the buck would feel secure on the down wind side.
3) Be ready to shoot before you even bang the antlers togather!

When rattling I think Roger Raglin put it best on two things 1) "It's kind of like kissing you can't mess it up" 2) "Build to a creshendoe"(not sure if thats spelled right?)

I always start my rattling sequences a little slow. The reason why is, what if there is a buck pretty close, I don't want to scare him off I hope to catch him in on the action. After I am sure there isn't nothing watching me I then begin to really rattle hard with a lot of grinding of the antlers! I rattle until my forearms are burning so bad that I can do it any longer. If you have ever seen to bucks really go at it, I can't make a fifth of what noise they can! Then I hunt, meaning I listen intently and glass non-stop. I don't want to let one sneak in on me, because they are hard to get an arrow in unless you know when they are coming in! I use the antlers to get them within 75 yards and the grunt calls to get them within bow range. Rattlin works awesome during certain times of the year, but you still need a little luck to have a buck with the right attitude for it to produce for you. I try to wait around 30 minutes in between rattling sequences if I am not seeing anything. If I see a big buck cruising an edge more than 150 yards away the Rattling antlers are the first thing I reach for, they have a lot of power!

Good luck, and be persistant!

 

[muddy]

Baby-G hit some good points there. i had another good buck come in tonite but he was on a dead run and busted me while i had the horns in my hand. he didn't make me but he knew that the "deer" he was searching for disappeared too quickly!! it was awesome!!

 

[bohuner3]

I rattled one in last night 130" or so. When I rattle I try to grab some limbs and crack them and try to make it sound like the deer are stepping on dead braches and twigs while fighting. It's worked for me last year and I rattled in two this year so far.

 

[DOR]

I scored last night using the horns. PIctures will be in the PMA hopefully tonight. I have always used a sequence that i think i got from one of gene wensels books. Rattle as hard as possible for one to 2 minutes straight wait 1 minute and repeat. then wait one minute and do one last short 30 second sequence. My experience has been that if a buck is going to come right away h e will come between the 2nd and 3rd sequence. Otherwise they will come in usually within 15 minutes of the last sequence. My buck last night came in about 5 minutes after my last sequence. I like to make real small pause a couple of times during each sequence to listen. I glass real hard inbetween sequences.

It is magical when it all goes like it is suppose to.
I'm pumped anyway!!!!!