Do You Rattle?

[Ski]

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.

How many rack bucks have you killed that had clean, undamaged racks? I've only killed one and that was because it was very early October. Every other buck I've ever killed that was 2.5yrs+ had one some or all of damaged antlers, scarred face & head, gouged eye, ripped ear, etc. I've butchered several that had fighting bruises under the hide. Last year's buck actually had another buck's antler broken off in his skull & healed over. And every season I see at least a couple different bucks limping from fighting.

Whether we're there in the moment to see it or not, bucks fight a lot and they fight hard. They hurt one another. I run dozens of cameras on a half dozen properties year round. On cam I see a lot of different bucks and see some of them quite regularly. But when I hunt I rarely see them. I'd guess I personally lay eyes on maybe 10% of the bucks I catch on camera, and far fewer than that are within range and offering a shot. If not for the cameras I'd probably assume that there aren't very many bucks around because I never see them. Same thing with buck fights. Just because I'm not seeing a lot of it doesn't mean it's not happening a lot. The evidence overwhelmingly says it's common. We just don't get to witness it.

 

[BSK]

How many rack bucks have you killed that had clean, undamaged racks? I've only killed one and that was because it was very early October. Every other buck I've ever killed that was 2.5yrs+ had one some or all of damaged antlers, scarred face & head, gouged eye, ripped ear, etc. I've butchered several that had fighting bruises under the hide. Last year's buck actually had another buck's antler broken off in his skull & healed over. And every season I see at least a couple different bucks limping from fighting.

That's really, really interesting. On my place, seeing a damaged rack from fighting is quite rare (or at least it was until the last two years). I see a lot of sparring on camera, but rarely a true fight. Maybe that's why I've had very poor results from calling/rattling.

On cam I see a lot of different bucks and see some of them quite regularly. But when I hunt I rarely see them. I'd guess I personally lay eyes on maybe 10% of the bucks I catch on camera, and far fewer than that are within range and offering a shot. If not for the cameras I'd probably assume that there aren't very many bucks around because I never see them. Same thing with buck fights. Just because I'm not seeing a lot of it doesn't mean it's not happening a lot. The evidence overwhelmingly says it's common. We just don't get to witness it.

That about sums it up for us. In person, we see about 15-20% of the bucks we see on camera.

 

[UTGrad]

How many rack bucks have you killed that had clean, undamaged racks? I've only killed one and that was because it was very early October. Every other buck I've ever killed that was 2.5yrs+ had one some or all of damaged antlers, scarred face & head, gouged eye, ripped ear, etc. I've butchered several that had fighting bruises under the hide. Last year's buck actually had another buck's antler broken off in his skull & healed over. And every season I see at least a couple different bucks limping from fighting.

Whether we're there in the moment to see it or not, bucks fight a lot and they fight hard. They hurt one another. I run dozens of cameras on a half dozen properties year round. On cam I see a lot of different bucks and see some of them quite regularly. But when I hunt I rarely see them. I'd guess I personally lay eyes on maybe 10% of the bucks I catch on camera, and far fewer than that are within range and offering a shot. If not for the cameras I'd probably assume that there aren't very many bucks around because I never see them. Same thing with buck fights. Just because I'm not seeing a lot of it doesn't mean it's not happening a lot. The evidence overwhelmingly says it's common. We just don't get to witness it.

Great post and I concur. A lot of rut activity happens at night, plus none of us live amongst the deer 24/7. There are a lot of things we miss.

 

[Snake]

I've seen I think three good fights in all my years hunting not sparring as I've seen quite a bit of that I'm talking knock down drag off fighting . One fight I actually couldn't see that well but could catch a glimpse every now and then but the one finally took off running with the other in tow . One I watched from the neighboring property and it did go on too awful long but one kinda went into a submissive posture and the other one just walked off . One I heard them fighting then all of a sudden I heard a deer bawling and it was running making all sorts of noise . They came by me with the one in front still bawling to the top of his lungs with a really good buck in tow right on his hindend . I would of shot the larger one but just couldn't get an ethical shot at him . They run all around our lease and the other properties all around us for about 15 - 20 minutes seemed like . Finally the commotion just quit , guess the one in tow gave up trying to catch the one in front which was a younger buck .

 

[TnKen]

I never had much luck, and just tried it periodically. I never called one in until last year in Ky. I must have hit the timing just right, because almost every sequence brought a buck in. Most were small, but I did rattle in and kill a good one. I thought I had some magical antlers for rattling. A week later in Illinois I had zero luck.

 

[R&T Farm]

The "Black Rack" is some kind of synthetic. Mine came with the Extinguisher call.

 

[mike243]

I rank it lower than a grunt tube, I have probably ran off more deer with my rattle bag lol, I did kill a 6pt using it, setting in the barn and hit the bag hard, set it down grabbed the coffee cup and had to set it down. A nice deer came out on top of the hill looking for a fight, 300wm won. it rolled to within 25' of my hanging tree was. It was a short drag.

 

[buckaroo]

I called in 3 coyote one time rattling at dawn, shot all 3

 

[Snake]

Most don't understand that it's not like on these hunting shows were they call bucks each time they hit the antlers together. It may work may not thinking it's all about the timing but unless deer see your movement I've never had deer spook because of rattling but be careful because some sneak in to the rattling and not come running in .

 

[woodsman04]

I never had luck with it. But don't do it a lot. I had a fight sequence at night on camera once. I saw bucks fighting in a hayfield one time when I was kid going to school. Other than that I've never seen or even heard one in the woods.
I have only on one occasion heard a buck snort wheeze. He was singling out a certain doe and there was a smaller buck following them.

I hear bucks grunting some when they chase does.

I do believe in grunt calls. I mostly bow hunt. There have been a few times where I see a buck way out of range so I grunt at him. Once he hears me I shut up. Kind of like turkey calling. I don't over do it. And I never blind call. Only if I see one that appears he will stay out of range.

 

[Ski]

Most don't understand that it's not like on these hunting shows were they call bucks each time they hit the antlers together. It may work may not thinking it's all about the timing but unless deer see your movement I've never had deer spook because of rattling but be careful because some sneak in to the rattling and not come running in .

Exactly that ^. Doesn't work every time but doesn't hurt to try. It's something the deer hear from September through March while bucks have hard horns, so it's not the sound that spooks them. It's the human making it. That said, the entire premise of rattling is to bring attention to yourself in hopes a buck comes looking for you. If you're not able to set up correctly to stay hidden from deer then rattling might not be a great idea.

 

[BSK]

Exactly that ^. Doesn't work every time but doesn't hurt to try. It's something the deer hear from September through March while bucks have hard horns, so it's not the sound that spooks them. It's the human making it. That said, the entire premise of rattling is to bring attention to yourself in hopes a buck comes looking for you. If you're not able to set up correctly to stay hidden from deer then rattling might not be a great idea.

And that's the primary reason I don't call. My style of hunting is ambush hunting. I figure out where the deer are going to be and ambush them along their route. The "thrill" for me is figuring them out and being able to beat their natural defenses by getting close. For whatever reason, the idea of calling one to me isn't the experience I'm after. I guess that's why turkey hunting has no appeal.

 

[deerfever]

I think it depends on how many bucks are in the area ( competition)wether it works or not and the mood.I have had it work one time on a nice 8 as he was moving away through a thicket. I pulled out the rattle bag and he came in looking for the fight. I figured that I had zero to lose trying it. On that same property I used actual horns to try and rattle back a buck that I couldn't decide to shoot or not. I caught movement the other way and there stood the buck of a lifetime that I had caught on camera one occasion. Like others said he had me pegged, I couldn't even raise my gun, one jump and he vanished. Now if I hadn't been looking in the direction the buck I let walk went, I may have had a chance Double edge sword , probably never saw him if I hadn't rattled but he busted me by pin pointing the noise. That property had several bucks and we had fights on camera. Keep in mind it works a small amount of the time or at least that's my experience. I don't think it hurts anything but who knows.

 

[Snake]

And that's the primary reason I don't call. My style of hunting is ambush hunting. I figure out where the deer are going to be and ambush them along their route. The "thrill" for me is figuring them out and being able to beat their natural defenses by getting close. For whatever reason, the idea of calling one to me isn't the experience I'm after. I guess that's why turkey hunting has no appeal.

That's my take as well , a good ambush stand is what most are looking for . Thing is deer get used to your set ups and rattling is just another tactic that for just being honest keeps me from getting bored. Early on the ambush stand is great because you hope your preparation is spot on but like I said once in to the season things get slow so IMO rattling ups your chances especially at the right time. Some say you have to have the right buck to doe ratio for this to work and it may be correct but where at least two competing bucks congregate there could be a chance they will fight for dominance if anything else. There is always going to be the "king" buck and anytime he thinks another buck has come into his territory and hears the rattling of antlers you could get him to come to them . Most that don't rattle thinks it's cumbersome to take antlers with them with all the other accessories we hunters take to our stand but if the odds of rattling in a buck were much higher I guarantee they'd be more hunters do it !

 

[BSK]

That's my take as well , a good ambush stand is what most are looking for . Thing is deer get used to your set ups and rattling is just another tactic that for just being honest keeps me from getting bored. Early on the ambush stand is great because you hope your preparation is spot on but like I said once in to the season things get slow so IMO rattling ups your chances especially at the right time. Some say you have to have the right buck to doe ratio for this to work and it may be correct but where at least two competing bucks congregate there could be a chance they will fight for dominance if anything else. There is always going to be the "king" buck and anytime he thinks another buck has come into his territory and hears the rattling of antlers you could get him to come to them . Most that don't rattle thinks it's cumbersome to take antlers with them with all the other accessories we hunters take to our stand but if the odds of rattling in a buck were much higher I guarantee they'd be more hunters do it !

Snake,

The biggest problem I have with any type of calling is our limited visibility. Most shots are point-blank, even with a modern rifle. The experiences I've had with calling (when I tried it fairly extensively many years ago), was that bucks would sneak in close and have the sound pinpointed. By the time they could get close enough for a shot, they already had me pegged. That's why I stopped doing it. Because I'm an ambush hunter, the last thing I want is to have a deer looking for me by sound or anything else.

 

[Ski]

Snake,

The biggest problem I have with any type of calling is our limited visibility. Most shots are point-blank, even with a modern rifle. The experiences I've had with calling (when I tried it fairly extensively many years ago), was that bucks would sneak in close and have the sound pinpointed. By the time they could get close enough for a shot, they already had me pegged. That's why I stopped doing it. Because I'm an ambush hunter, the last thing I want is to have a deer looking for me by sound or anything else.

Absolutely. You've got to be in a set up where you can see out but the deer can't see in without coming in to you. If you're in the same thickness with the deer then calling is just begging to be busted. To call you need distance and clear view.

 

[BSK]

Absolutely. You've got to be in a set up where you can see out but the deer can't see in without coming in to you. If you're in the same thickness with the deer then calling is just begging to be busted. To call you need distance and clear view.

Two things I have virtually zero of on my place.

 

[Madbowh]

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.

I have had great success with rattling but knowing for sure when to do it is tough. I've shot deer I rattled in and have had many come to it. You technically could rattle all deer season I've seen videos of them fighting in early September and as late as mid January but when they are attracted to it is a tough call

 

[Flintlocksforme]

My problem is the sound is coming from 20 plus feet off the ground. I saw a video somewhere of a set up on a rope with 3 antlers tied to it. Now that makes sense. Bouncing that up and down off leaves and limbs. I did use rattling to turn the nicest buck I ever took and get him to sneak in behind me. I was able to see him the whole time but it would have been bad if I had just been blind rattling and he pulled that. I rattle and grunt mostly to get them to change course and come investigate. Doesn't always work but it has on some nice ones that were in the right mood.

 

[TheOG]

I carry a rattle bag with me. I have only rattled when I am fairly certain there are bucks in the area, or I can actually see them from a distance. I only rattle when my tree is near some very thick vegetation or a recent blow down. I feel like a buck will be expecting to see two bucks sparing or fighting, so when he doesn't, there needs some kind of reasonable explanation that will cause him to be curious and approach.

My biggest buck was still bachelored up during the first week of October. I located a bachelor group and moved to a tree that was upwind, but blowing slightly off from where they were bedding, and hanging out. I did about three quick but soft grunts, and about 15 seconds later, I did about 5 seconds of really light rattling (I read about this tactic in an article years earlier). The 1.5 and 2.5 year olds came bursting out of their hideout, and then a 3.5 and a 4.5 came out too, but really slow and cautious. After all of the deer calmed (about 20 minutes), they were all walking around sniffing the ground and air. The 4.5 year old got too close to me and got him.

I have called in bachelor groups using the same tactic since then, but either there weren't any mature bucks in the group, they didn't present a shot I could take, or they busted me.

I try this every time I think there is (or may be) a bachelor group nearby during the first week and a half of the season. Occasionally it works, but I usually learn something useful.