Best time to rattle?

[#1killa]

When is the best time to rattle in a buck? Anyone have success doing so?

 

[mntbuck]

now until gun season

 

[#1killa]

anytime or early?

 

[bowriter]

They may or may not respond anytime after they shed their velvet until they shed their antlers.

 

[#1killa]

What? In velvet they would not have the sound. Whenever they shed they would need thumbs to pick them up and make sound.

 

[Shed Hunter]

What? In velvet they would not have the sound. Whenever they shed they would need thumbs to pick them up and make sound.

He meant they will fight from the moment they lose velvet to the moment they shed their antlers. When the velvet sheds testosterone starts to kick in. Testosterone drops and their antlers fall off.

Ii may try to rattle one up Saturday evening.

 

[#1killa]

Much better. Thank you.

 

[bowriter]

Actually, to engage before the velvet is gone to risk injury to the antler. Once it is shed, the antler is hard and they begin light sparring immediately. Actual hard fighting does not occur until quite a bit later. However, antler angagement of some form may continue right up until the antlers are shed.

Antler engagement is not all about fighting or dominance or even territory. It can be and is also a friendly act between two or more bucks. I have seen as many as eight bucks taking turns sparring. So many hunters do not understand antler engagement and therefore do not have positive reults.

Population makeup is an important factor. But during certain periods, buck/doe ratio is of no consideration at all. It is far to lengthy and complicated to explain here but equate it to boys on a school playground. At some point, the playfull shoving may result in an actual fight. This is heightened when a female enters the equation.

 

[#1killa]

tried rattling yesterday with juvinile. Doe ran across field like she was on fire. came back out into field running again like she was on fire. That was it nothing else all afternoon.

 

[bigtex]

I've always had my best luck the first week or so of archery season. Not exactly "rattling" just tickeling the antlers together.

 

[tatenn]

Haven't had to rattle. The last two hunts Friday afternoon and this morning had two live sparring matches.

 

[2shot]

I rattled one in Saturday morning. I was a little leery of it at first thinking it may be to early but ended up successful for my son.