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Rattling

kaizen leader

kaizen leader

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I have a lot of deer in my neighborhood and a few nice bucks. I figured it would be a good place to practice rattling. So I drive in my golf cart down along a wooded valley by me looking in the woods. I didn't see anything and it's pretty clear in there. I grab a couple antlers and start rattling. I wait. Do it again and then I look down below me. There's a nice big body 8 point bedded down chewing his cud. He doesn't react at all to me or the rattling. He was t more than 30 feet from me in plain site. I could have nailed him but I left him and drove back to the house. 🤯 So much for my confidence rattling. Time to watch football. 🤷‍♂️
 

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In my experience rattling will scare of alot more bucks than it will attract. Mostly will only work on the most aggressive and most dominant bucks. Sometimes even the most mature bucks are quite passive and non confrontational. In my opinion the buck you took a pic of is quite young and is not interested in getting his butt whooped 😀😀
 
I've tried it but seems wildly loud. And never really dug in and rattled like crazy. I've seen it work on YouTube that's about it.
 
In 22 years I've rattled in exactly one buck. Not saying it doesn't work. I know this sounds strange but I've actually had more doe show up after a rattling sequence. In my area of the state they're so many bucks now compared to the early 2000's and all through the 90's you almost have to hunt a little bit different than you did back then. Understand I'm saying there are more bucks in my area. Not bigger bucks 👍
 
vanleerbuckbuster said:
In 22 years I've rattled in exactly one buck. Not saying it doesn't work. I know this sounds strange but I've actually had more doe show up after a rattling sequence. In my area of the state they're so many bucks now compared to the early 2000's and all through the 90's you almost have to hunt a little bit different than you did back then. Understand I'm saying there are more bucks in my area. Not bigger bucks 👍
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Does are super curious. I almost never use a grunt tube that a doe doesn't come looking around, especially young ones.
 
That's a great point. Never grunted in a doe before but can certainly see how the curiosity alone would allow it. Deer are naturally curious creatures already. Can't tell you how many have slipped in on me while I'm cutting firewood
 
The thing most ppl do here is beat their horns together like they see ppl doing in the midwest. You have to keep them clinched together grind and tickle em. I rattle from opening day of bow until my season is over. I call in a lot of deer. As ski said does are super curious and early season most of the time they come in first. I called in 2 young bucks yesterday right at first light then a 3rd showed up a little later. Soon as you can see 10-20 yards in the morning give it a try. Do it right they'll be at the base of your tree before you know it.
 
I've rattled in a few bucks and one I shot with my bow during the rut last year.

I think rattling is one of those things it doesn't work most of the time, but when it does, it's awesome.
 
With calling in general that particular deer have to be in the mood. I don't hardly rattle anymore I use to a decent amount. I've gotten where I don't rattle hard I tickle them when I use do it.
 
I've killed numerous deer rattling it typically only works pre-rut, and seeking phase. I don't think I've ever called in a deer past the seeking phase. I learned to never rattle to a deer I can see, ever. I will only grunt at a deer I can see. Most of, if not all the deer I've killed rattling, I knew they were using the area and I knew they were aggressive deer.

If I can see them I'll grunt just enough to make his ear twist, if he doesn't look I leave him alone. I will let him walk completely out of sight and depending upon cover I'll wait a several minutes and then rattle.

This time of year I love to get a tarsal gland from a mature deer from some other area. I will drag it walking in so it brings them upwind of the tree I'm going to climb. I've had multiple good deer trail that in and I've also had deer attempt to circle me after rattling and they will hit that trail and it redirects them upwind of me.
 
My best ever hunt ended with no shot, trapped in a tree, in East Texas.

I played out a scenario in my head. Doe walking by letting go an estrus bleat. Buck 1 contact grunts. Buck 2 responds. Buck 1 snort wheezes, and then rattled for about 30 seconds. then a series of tending grunts. at the 5 min mark after the sequence, I had one coming in from the north, but because of my climber position, I was only able to catch glimpses of him on the way in (half of his rack here, rump there). He came to the base of my tree, bristled, stomping, snorting. I could not get around on him. Then there was a BIG Grunt to the south of me... The one at the tree laid down. Then an additional grunt in the cutover to my east. I was covered up.

After dark, I had a buddy come down the trail with his UTV to run them out of the area so I could get down without spooking them. I had seen them come in hot before, but NEVER seen one go completely docile and lay down.
 

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