Will rattling still work this time of year?

[MUSKY18]

Being as the bucks should more or less be in "lockdown" mode, will rattling still draw the big boys in or away from a hot doe to check it out? I was thinking that a doe bleat would probably be more effective, but when I think, it usually don't work out so good..............

[Greybeard53]

Not sure about your area, but here in South Central (Faribault, Owatonna) the bucks are still extremely active. In fact, yesterday I saw by far the most buck activity I've seen all fall. Definitely NOT in lockdown yet.

[96trigger]

I think it would work in a non-pressured area. Many of the bucks around here have heard every call made by now, but the rut was just starting when 3A was hunting. I think its probably going better now than it was a week ago. If I was in a low pressure area, I would not hesitate to rattle.

[Bear55]

I think you are going to have a very hard time pulling a buck away from a hot doe this time of year. I think your best bet is to catch one cruising around between does.

[CANOPY SAM]

+1 on that Bear. You might get a smaller buck curious enough to come over for a look, but the big alphas likely know better. If their girlfriend is ready and willing they're gonna hang pretty tight to her tail.

I called in a small 6-pointer the other day with a grunt call. It's funny the way those youngsters come charging in like they're SO big and bad!

[muskiemanAD]

I actually rattled a 3.5 year old in today. My folks live in EP and was dropping of my daughter this morning. Saw a buck cross the road in front of me and decided to go to the parking area at Birch Island Park. Pulled out the rattle bag with a grunt call and was able to bring him in on a line. I got a little video of it but tough to see him. For practicing rattling and grunting find a park in the metro and give it a try. French Park I have also grunted a few in....

[harvey lee]

I tried to rattle a buck in when I saw it about 70 yards away. I rattlerd softly and the buck ran off right away.

A friend tried to grunt one in he saw and that also ran off.

This area is all private property and sees no road traffic or much at all for hunting pressure.

Didn't try a doe bleat but that may have worked.

I had enough bucks chasing does so all I had to do was sit and wait for a good bow shot. I got a 9 pointers on Monday am as it ran right to me.

[Musky Buck]

Give it a shot, my friends Tcam on Sunday had a large 12 point fighting an eight pointer at 1:30AM of course but it was still telling me that what if your area is lean on doeheads ? What if the day you rattle is the day that nice buck isn't locked up with a doe because there aren't many does to be bred and he's just chillin waiting for dark to go lookin. Saturday wasn't so many days ago and my dads friend rattled in his 19th buck that he toasted, 8 of those 19 were toasted by his son, but like some said he's in a large tract of quiet land, little pressure. Is this the dilemma, you want to rattle and have it work, but you also don't want it to not work and you then wonder if he's hearing this or close enough, does he now have my stand site pegged, heck he maybe already does as they sniff check there area every night same as the does often. That mid-week rain was huge for me I think. Good Luck

[MUSKY18]

The area that I am going to hunt this weekend hasn't seen any pressure since last week and the one guy that gun hunts out there sits on the very edge of the woods, doesn't even go into the woods really. Its a great funnel that leads up into a larger stand of hardwoods. I bow hunted it before gun season and saw one really really big 8 pointer. Hoping he made it through the gun season. Didn't hear of any of the neighbors taking him. The funnel is tore up with rubs and scrapes, so I am going to sneak into the middle and setup in my climber. I might try some rattling during the afternoon hours, but dusk and dawn I'm gonna sit back and hope some slickheads bring the bucks to me.

[Musky Buck]

Good plan, don't be afraid if nothing is doing to crack of shooting light rattle, often calmer, sound travels a good ways, especially if you know you won't get in that woods again for some time, that last morning crack those horns a minute or 2 before legal shooting, hope for the best, better yet hope that 8 surfaces in scrape alley for ya.

[leech~~]

I have tried rattling about 25 times in the last ten years all over the state with a set of real 10 point antlers hard and soft rattling. Nothing!

It only works in Texas hunting videos!

[Musky Buck]

Leech that is why I can't believe my dads friend has basically bagged a horse year after year after year, he hunts near Lake George/Park Rapids, he has complete 100% faith, hunts hard, we've listened to him do his rattling sequences etc. I don't know, I'd swear in my farm country it may work but not with any consistency like that. He claims he's rattled in nearly 50 bucks now, not all are bruisers, if not he goes to a new area if he's not seeing large rubs, scrapes, or if he's only bringing in small bucks which is more often than not, when I talk to him it's still hard to believe but he has zero reason to lie.

[Scoot]

There are a lot of factors that will determine whether rattling will work or not: pressure, education of deer, timing in relation to rut, buck-doe ratio, etc. I used to rattle a ton and sometimes I had great luck with it. A buddy and I rattled in 23 deer one day- I swear that's true! It was an unbelievable day and we did rattling sets from before sun up to after sun down and called in deer at almost all of them (we shot none of them, however). We called in bucks, does, and fawns that day.

Of course, I've also seen bucks take off like a rocket in the other direction when I rattled too, so it's not like it's a silver bullet that works every time.

With the very high doe to buck ratio in the places I'm hunting now, I've had much less success than usual rattling. I've had a couple bucks respond to rattling this year, but not much. I also haven't gone out and just done rattling sets this year- not once. I've rattled to bucks I saw that didn't appear to be coming to me. Rattling, IME can work from around the 20th (I usually give it a go around the 23rd or so) of Oct all the way 'til the end of the season.

[tunrevir]

I will add to this thread. It can be very difficult to lure a buck away from a doe this time of year when in hot pursuit but results vary widely depending on the deer. Mature deer that are the boss of the area may feel challenged and break off and come in, may stop briefly and show a display of dominence or may continue on to get the prize. Each deer in any given area has a personality, some are fighters, some are lovers and some are clueless. I have found the best weeks to bring in a buck are the last week of Oct, 1st week of november and the third week of November when they are cruising to find that last doe in heat. Rattling can work from early bow season(light and brief sparring) right up untill the season ends but you have a far greater chance when things are heating up and just after the main rut to call in a deer while rattling. Some things that can tip the odds in your favor include close proximity to heavy cover and terrain feaatures that limit access to your stand. I have had bucks charge in leaving me open mouthed and handcuffed with antlers in hand to the more demure take a glance my way and work around the area downwind to see what is up. Having scent out or a decoy can up your odds at an encounter but terrain features blocking a bucks view from long distance is my favorite. When to rattle. If you have a mature deer to far away to hear a grunt or bleat call it may entice them within range to coax them in further with a bleat or grunt. When a deer is chasing and just blasted past, it can someimes stop them or the doe to come in and investigate. I rattle late morning, late afternoon and midday especially when the rut is winding down or just heating up. I often will proceed a light rattling sequence with a few grunts followed by a short light rattling sequence, wait 30 minutes or so and then grunt a few more times, listen and look and if I don't see a deer then I'll go into a heavier prolonged sequence for 45 seconds to a minute intemingling light rattles with heavy rattling to try and simulate 2 bucks going at it, getting fatigued and then going at it again. You will be lucky to get a buck to come in 1 in 10 times but when they do it can be awe inspiring! Always watch the downwind side because some bucks will try to see who is fighting by the scent. This is a scenario where scent can make or break a close encounter by what a deer smells or doesn't. Visual cues like a doe or buck decoy can be a great advantage along with scent. Mature deer are less apt to spook and run off then immature deer when you rattle heavy from my experience. Bring a set of horns out and when you get a smaller buck into range let them walk by and then play a little and watch how they react. One of my favorite times to rattle is late morning when a buck might be cruising or headed to his bed for the day but when things are quiet and there isn't any activity this is a good time to try and drum up some self made luck. Always be alert to whats going on around you for up to an hour after rattling. You may pull in a lurker that takes his time to sneak in and investigate but it may take awhile for him to wander in. The other thing to note, is deer have very good hearing and are able to pinpoint the sound and if you rattle to often then you will be less successful in luring a deer into your setup. Deer don't go at it every 30 minutes and I think this leads to failure in many setups from a hunter being way to aggressive. I rattle "blind" many times to call in curious deer when things are slow. It is another tool in the toolbox but needs to be used sparingly to be successful. The reason I like to rattle late morning and late afternoon is that deer are already on their feet and more apt to investigate a fight when already travelling. Mid afternoon is a good time because after the deer have bedded for awhile a rattle sequence may get them curious enough to move in after a breif bedding period or you may catch a buck on his feet already cruising searching for a doe.

After you rattle in your first giant you will be hooked. One other thing, hard heavy prolonged rattling can have a negative impact on younger less dominant deer so you run the chance of running off some decent shooter bucks that want nothing to do with a couple old bruisers going at it. I use real horns, a smaller set of sheds from a 8 point with about a 14" spread. I like the sound of real antlers over rattle bags and plastic but have been able to call in bucks using rattle bags over the years as well. Rattle bags are more compact and easier to pack in and out but I think you get better sound out of actual antlers. Downside, large and cumbersome to pack in and more movement that can tip a deer off to your presence. I spray painted my rattling horns so they are camoflauged to reduce being seen but it is hard not to creat movement when your rattling. Hope this helps!

Tunrevir~

[leech~~]

Ok you guys dang-it! I'll break the horns out one more time and give it a try on my last weekend!

I hope their not just more cr@p to carry as I pull out my ladder stands and oh of course that big bruiser out of the woods!

[Musky Buck]

leech those 2 hogs in your avatar, better spread them out a bit, hog number 3 will be down tomorrow !

[MUSKY18]

Going out to hang a stand in a few.....tomorrow around noon I will be able to get out there and sit. Slap some bone together and see what happens!!! Hopefully good things!