Do You Rattle?

[R&T Farm]

When I moved my rattling antlers and grunt call disappeared.

I read a thread about the grunt calls. Do you have luck rattling here around Lincoln County?

I just replaced my missing equipment with an Extinguisher Call and rattling antlers that came as a package.

 

[deerhunter10]

Have but don't a lot any more. Have had the best luck end of October. A good to great buck to doe ratio is important for rattling to work imo. Also some deer by nature just aren't aggressive. Have had a decent success but the majority of the deer you will call in will be 3.5 and younger. You will have more failure then success.

 

[Ski]

Yes I rattle. A lot. It works. While I've nothing but respect and admiration for the guys who are content to sit quietly enjoying nature whether they're killing anything or not, I'm not one of those guys. I'm in the woods to kill a big buck so I get pretty aggressive. Calling is part of it. Like everything else there's a time & place and you've got to be willing to endure some failures if you've any realistic hope of success.

 

[timberjack86]

Yes I rattle. A lot. It works. While I've nothing but respect and admiration for the guys who are content to sit quietly enjoying nature whether they're killing anything or not, I'm not one of those guys. I'm in the woods to kill a big buck so I get pretty aggressive. Calling is part of it. Like everything else there's a time & place and you've got to be willing to endure some failures if you've any realistic hope of success.

Interesting for sure. What is your success ratio if you don't mind me asking?

 

[CrossVolle]

Don't rattle a lot in tennessee because I just have not seen the benefit of it over the years. Will rattle a lot in Ohio tho. Something will come in to it just no certainty it's a shooter.

 

[BSK]

Nope. Don't do any calling.

 

[Ski]

Interesting for sure. What is your success ratio if you don't mind me asking?

Success at killing one of the mature bucks I'm after I'd guess is 1 out of 20 sits I rattle, maybe even more. It's not often. But success at getting some deer into bow range is 1 out every 1 or 2 sits.

When I rattle I 100% expect to see deer. It's not subtle and it's not passive. It's threatening. I've never seen it spook them but I have often seen bucks in the distance turn around and go the opposite way. Most of what comes in is young deer, both bucks and does, I think from curiosity. I relate it to cat fishing with night crawlers. You have to fade a hundred bluegills before you hook up on one good cat. Mature bucks have already been there done that. They know what coming to that sound means. Most often they go well out of their way to avoid it, and that's ok with me because they're not spooking from me but rather avoiding confrontation with another buck. I'm not buggering up the area. To get one in they've got to be in a fighting mood or else in a position where they need to fight in order to keep on a hot doe. And when they do come in they are ready. It's exciting.

That's been my experience with it. Killed most of my biggest bucks by rattling and/or grunting. I've never done it over a decoy but probably will try that at some point, maybe this year. I've even killed a few coyotes that came running in to the sound. I can only suspect they were hoping for a wounded, weak buck.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

Since 2020 I've rattled from bow opener til my last sit. 2nd weekend of 2020 bow I called up 3 bucks 2 of them ran in and stopped directly underneath me looking for me. Took my first bow buck on public right then. FF to November made my 3/4 mile walk and set up just before light. Did some rattling right when I could see about 20yards then waited about 10 mins and hit some grunts and estrus bleats with the extinguisher. Few minutes later I heard what I thought was a buck running trees. Sure enough my PB 130" 5.5 yr old came out the draw and now on my wall. FF to the tuesday after rifle opener I get setup get blown at before light. I let things cool down did my rattle, grunt and bleat sequence a couple time and boom he steps from same direction the deer that blew ran. Made a liver shot but he didn't go far. FF afew days to Black Friday morning i get setup off the side of a point and do my usual. 630 hit and I thought all hell broke loose on the backside of the ridge and here comes a doe almost right at me. She stops at 25ish yards when she sees me then boom here he come on her tail. 13 point with a drop. He came home with me. Idk if calling really did it on that or not but the other 3 were 100%. Every since then I've called in a lot of deer with that extinguisher and black rack. And can say 4 bucks since then have been from calling. 4/4 that year (bonus tags) Sorry for long read and good luck

 

[Snake]

Yes I do rattle with some success . Sometimes I've killed bucks that probably came in to the rattling just couldn't swear to it as they came in later . Just another weapon in your arsenal. I keep a set of antlers in my pack on my tree stand.

 

[Ski]

Since 2020 I've rattled from bow opener til my last sit. 2nd weekend of 2020 bow I called up 3 bucks 2 of them ran in and stopped directly underneath me looking for me. Took my first bow buck on public right then. FF to November made my 3/4 mile walk and set up just before light. Did some rattling right when I could see about 20yards then waited about 10 mins and hit some grunts and estrus bleats with the extinguisher. Few minutes later I heard what I thought was a buck running trees. Sure enough my PB 130" 5.5 yr old came out the draw and now on my wall. FF to the tuesday after rifle opener I get setup get blown at before light. I let things cool down did my rattle, grunt and bleat sequence a couple time and boom he steps from same direction the deer that blew ran. Made a liver shot but he didn't go far. FF afew days to Black Friday morning i get setup off the side of a point and do my usual. 630 hit and I thought all hell broke loose on the backside of the ridge and here comes a doe almost right at me. She stops at 25ish yards when she sees me then boom here he come on her tail. 13 point with a drop. He came home with me. Idk if calling really did it on that or not but the other 3 were 100%. Every since then I've called in a lot of deer with that extinguisher and black rack. And can say 4 bucks since then have been from calling. 4/4 that year (bonus tags) Sorry for long read and good luck

Congrats on your success! Your experiences sound like I could have written them. Doesn't always work but it sure works often enough to keep me doing it.

 

[Shanman]

Tried it so many times, basically I came to the conclusion that I suck at it. Friend of mine kills nice deer all the time rattling them in, on public. One thing about it though, if you don't try it….it won't work. Watch the wind though.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I don't use rattling much, but have tried some in the past. I have used both real antlers and a rattle bag. Mixed results, mostly had young bucks come in, but have had them come in pretty quickly before.

 

[ROVERBOY]

I've done it some but, never any luck. Watched lots of videos on it too. Still no luck.

 

[UTGrad]

I've rattled on stand when rut is visibly fired up at my lease. Usually in the morning and I have had young bucks come in on a string. Honestly it's more fun than anything.

 

[wsm]

Only when I walk .LOL just had too. HAHAHA

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

"Do you rattle?"

Only after eating my bride's sugar free candy.

 

[killingtime 41]

I do use the grunt and estrous bleat. Usually 3 estrous bleats then several grunts right after the bleats. As if a buck is tending a hot doe. I think I might throw in the rattling as I use the extinguisher and have the black rack. Just always seemed so loud to rattle.

 

[hammer33]

I have tapered it way off. Used to go at it like the tv shows. IMO 90% of the time aggressive rattling will spook 90% of the deer away. Especially on public land where every hunting show watching goober is banging away and slobbing a grunt call like a bud light drinker. How often have you heard bucks grunting and fighting in the woods? 1x a season? Where I hunt its more like 1x every 5-10 seasons or so. So its not that common for bucks to have knock down drag outs like you see on tv and are trying to replicate with your rattle sequence. And the mature buck who wants a fight to the death are fewer yet.

Once I toned it down and went for more of a couple middle school kids goofing off and shoving each other a little, my success rate went up. Lots more young bucks wandering around looking for "the guys" . Even had a few mature bucks peek around over the years. In 28 years of hunting I have had 2 mature bucks come to the rattle looking for a fight and both of those occasions were a more modest rattle sequence at the peak of the pre-rut cruising phase.

 

[timberjack86]

After Reading this thread I'm gonna try it again, would you guys recommend real or synthetic antlers? I see black rack mentioned?? I'm assuming that's synthetic?

 

[UTGrad]

I have tapered it way off. Used to go at it like the tv shows. IMO 90% of the time aggressive rattling will spook 90% of the deer away. Especially on public land where every hunting show watching goober is banging away and slobbing a grunt call like a bud light drinker. How often have you heard bucks grunting and fighting in the woods? 1x a season? Where I hunt its more like 1x every 5-10 seasons or so. So its not that common for bucks to have knock down drag outs like you see on tv and are trying to replicate with your rattle sequence. And the mature buck who wants a fight to the death are fewer yet.

Once I toned it down and went for more of a couple middle school kids goofing off and shoving each other a little, my success rate went up. Lots more young bucks wandering around looking for "the guys" . Even had a few mature bucks peek around over the years. In 28 years of hunting I have had 2 mature bucks come to the rattle looking for a fight and both of those occasions were a more modest rattle sequence at the peak of the pre-rut cruising phase.

I wouldn't over think it. I go for what ever is easiest to pack with me. I carried real horns but they are cumbersome to pack and you can bust your knuckles. I have the Flextone Battle Bones currently.