MO-Antlertips
Member
I've had good luck with both. The earliest I've rattled in a buck and taken him was on Oct 20. The lasted was Dec 20. Same farm, same tree, about 3-4 years apart. Like most, I enjoy the compact rattle bag, but the sound of the real thing is hard to beat. Good luck...
MO
MO
Hello,
I think SOME real antlers sets work better than SOME rattle bags, sometimes!
Pretty helpful answer, huh?
That's what I've experienced, though, over the years.
I had a set of very heavy sheds off an 8 pointer that worked "like magic" on bucks. (I say "had" because somebody swiped them, along with my treestand a couple of years back -- they even cut down my tree! That sure was a surprise one morning! And I was the only one with permission to hunt the place; the owner couldn't believe it....but that's another story).
I mean those "magic horns" rattled in dozens of bucks for me from Iowa to Montana and Missouri every year and worked WAY better than any other real antler set I tried -- and I tried many! It had to be their mass -- they did have a deep pitch to them instead of the higher-pitched clinkity-clank sounds of other antlers I've tried - even off of 130 inch bucks!
Somewhere along the line, though, I got fed up with lugging antlers around. Too much noise; too much of a pain -- I figured I'd try a rattle bag, if for no other reason than the convenience factor.
The first season I tried an HS bag -- rattled in at least 15 bucks with the stupid thing, including a 125 inch 8 pointer that my friend shot at 10 yards. And a 160 inch monster that I ma...ma...ma.....missed! Ouch! That hurts!
Anyway, that first rattle bag experience was, oh, maybe 5 years ago. It's all I've used since. It's just so much easier to tote than are real antlers, I just tuck it inside my pocket. I DON'T think they are quite as effective as a good set of sheds though -- and don't work half as well as my "magic horns" did! No, I'm not kidding! However, they do work and the convenience factor is sure nice.
This year, though, so far at least, the big boys have been leary of my new HS bag. Rattled in a handful of baskets and 2.5 years olds so far but no big boys. Could be the timing of the rut, the attitude of the big boys I've seen or is it the stupid new rattle bag? Wish I knew. In the meantime I'll keep on a rattlin'. Anybody seen a set of magic horns laying around......?
Good Rattling...Raven
I think SOME real antlers sets work better than SOME rattle bags, sometimes!
Pretty helpful answer, huh?
That's what I've experienced, though, over the years.
I had a set of very heavy sheds off an 8 pointer that worked "like magic" on bucks. (I say "had" because somebody swiped them, along with my treestand a couple of years back -- they even cut down my tree! That sure was a surprise one morning! And I was the only one with permission to hunt the place; the owner couldn't believe it....but that's another story).
I mean those "magic horns" rattled in dozens of bucks for me from Iowa to Montana and Missouri every year and worked WAY better than any other real antler set I tried -- and I tried many! It had to be their mass -- they did have a deep pitch to them instead of the higher-pitched clinkity-clank sounds of other antlers I've tried - even off of 130 inch bucks!
Somewhere along the line, though, I got fed up with lugging antlers around. Too much noise; too much of a pain -- I figured I'd try a rattle bag, if for no other reason than the convenience factor.
The first season I tried an HS bag -- rattled in at least 15 bucks with the stupid thing, including a 125 inch 8 pointer that my friend shot at 10 yards. And a 160 inch monster that I ma...ma...ma.....missed! Ouch! That hurts!
Anyway, that first rattle bag experience was, oh, maybe 5 years ago. It's all I've used since. It's just so much easier to tote than are real antlers, I just tuck it inside my pocket. I DON'T think they are quite as effective as a good set of sheds though -- and don't work half as well as my "magic horns" did! No, I'm not kidding! However, they do work and the convenience factor is sure nice.
This year, though, so far at least, the big boys have been leary of my new HS bag. Rattled in a handful of baskets and 2.5 years olds so far but no big boys. Could be the timing of the rut, the attitude of the big boys I've seen or is it the stupid new rattle bag? Wish I knew. In the meantime I'll keep on a rattlin'. Anybody seen a set of magic horns laying around......?
Good Rattling...Raven
Cornfed
Bowhunting Addict
Glad to hear of the good experiences with the rattle bag from HS..... this is what I have but have only used it very limited........ do you guys mostly rattle when deer sighted or both? Do you find that you have to rattle aggressively to get the bag sound to carry well in the timber?
S
Shooter
Guest
Just an opinion, but you can never beat the real thing, go with real antlers and big ones. the bigger the better.
blake
Life Member
I have found that the larger rattling antlers seem to attract the larger bucks. In fact the smaller bucks seem to stay well back in the timber and try to observe whats going on from a distance. When you think about it it makes sense, why would a 125" buck want to come in and get his butt kicked by a 150+ class buck?
For many years now I have used a set of rattling antlers that score 147" in combination with a low pitched grunt tube and I have managed at times to rattle in a number of really good bucks. But they are somewhat of a hassle to carry around.
I have also witnessed nearly every deer in an area run like hell when I started my rattle sequence with these larger antlers. I am not sure why this happens as I always start out tickling them together, and move up to a grinding sequence, I rarely smack them very together very hard unless I am trying to get a bucks attention that is some distance from my position. I have never seen deer leave an area when I am using the rattling bag.
I rattle in the late pre-rut or during the full rut in bow season. I use bag antlers in the post season during late muzzeloader and I don't get aggressive with them they seem to work really well at times.
For many years now I have used a set of rattling antlers that score 147" in combination with a low pitched grunt tube and I have managed at times to rattle in a number of really good bucks. But they are somewhat of a hassle to carry around.
I have also witnessed nearly every deer in an area run like hell when I started my rattle sequence with these larger antlers. I am not sure why this happens as I always start out tickling them together, and move up to a grinding sequence, I rarely smack them very together very hard unless I am trying to get a bucks attention that is some distance from my position. I have never seen deer leave an area when I am using the rattling bag.
I rattle in the late pre-rut or during the full rut in bow season. I use bag antlers in the post season during late muzzeloader and I don't get aggressive with them they seem to work really well at times.
BowHunter84
New Member
Anyone use artificial antlers? You know the plastic ones, or whatever they are made of. Are they any good compared to real antlers?
N
Northern Whitetails
Guest
For me, rattling is part of the lifestyle of hunting trophy whitetails. There is just something about clashing real antlers together and smelling them heat up that gives me a bit of an adrenaline rush!
I just don't think it would be the same with a rattling bag! But, to each his own!
I just don't think it would be the same with a rattling bag! But, to each his own!
B
blnelson_48
Guest
i use a rattle bag now and have for the last 5-6 years with great results. just got tired of packing them antlers around. i also had good luck with the antlers. my rattle bag fits in my fanny pack,quiet and compact. to each his own i think, they both work