Rattling

[Kyle]

Is it a good idea to rattle at the very beggining of the archery season? I know the bucks are not heated up yet, and will most likely be in groups still, but I was just curious if anyone knew if it makes them curious at this time or if it scares them. Ive never had success rattling, but figured I would ask just in case the situation would present itself.

H4L

[harvey lee]

What I have read and learned over the years is that rattling should be done during the rut period.One of the reasons that it sometimes seems to work so well on T.V. is that the majority of those hunts are on game farms with a buck to doe ratio of 10 or 11-1.Pretty hard to find that in the wild.I still do use the rattling horns at specific times during the rut period.I have had only limited success.

[Stratosman]

Harv is right, pre-rut and early rut, it's a territorial thing. I seldom rattle, so therfore have had limited sucess, I have rattled in two deer, one small guy and a doe that came running...that's it for me. You need a high buck to doe ratio like Harv said.

[Kyle]

Thanks guys.

[Lucky One]

What about calling? Do you guys use a call during the early bow season? If so, what type of call do you use (Fawn Bleats, Doe Grunts, Estrous Bleats, Buck Grunts or a combination of these)?

[harvey lee]

I personally dont use any calls at all.I just try to set myself up in a good location and wait.I have been bow hunting the same area for the last 15 years and pretty much know where the deer travel.I am not saying that calling is bad,I just try to do it as natural as possible.I will use some different scents during the pre rut and rut but that is about it.

There are many different calls out there to be used and I am quite sure some are good.Its always worth a try just like rattling or using scents.I would think that a doe in heat call would be worth a try during the rut.A fawn bleat might also be good for finding mama.

[HUNTINGBAILEY]

I don't rattle early in the season but I have found a fawn bleat early in the season will bring the Does running in if they think a fawn is in distress (motherly instinct).

[Dahitman44]

I havee had two examples of each thing working.

First was the "Can Call" three years ago. I spotting a buck about 300 yards away and I tried to coax him in for a better shot so I starting dinging around with the can. He must have heard and he started toward me. He would travel about 30-50 yards and then stop and smell. Then I would hit him again and coax him in a little closer. I finally got him within about 75 yards and shot him. A nice eight-pointer. Nothing special, but a nice big-body deer.

The next was a bad/good exxperience with the rattle bag. First of all that has never worked. NEVER even looked up. Last year during second weekend I saw a buck cut accross the feild on my rigth and head into some brush. I tired to can call him to coax him out and no luck. So I rattled for a while. I kept watching that area that for about 15 minutes. Nothing

Then I got the feeling that something was watching me and I turned to see a buck off to the left pawing at the ground and looking [PoorWordUsage]ed. I was pretty spooked. I didn't expect to see him 50 yards from my stand in the open. I reached for my shotgun and he was gone. Went into a full sprint accross the field.

It was shotgun zone there so I had no chance for a decent shot.

That boy was BIG. I mean BIG. He had a rack that looked like a mule deer. Tall and wide. He was either a 12 or 14 pointer, but his rack was so tall and wide.

I still think about what could have been.

My two stories on rattle bags and can calls.

Anyone else have similar stories?

[TomBow]

I just started using a rattle bag two years ago. In early October about the 8th, I rattled in 3 small bucks in a 20 minute period. I've had does come in to check out the ruckus also.

I purchased a Whitetail and Elk Obsession video, produced by Wild Outdoors, Jay Gregory and there is a hunt on there where rattling is done successfully in Late September. All the hunts on the video are supposed to be "in the wild, no fenced in areas", etc. Two bucks are seen battling in an open field in the morning, across a typical-height 4-5 ft. barbed wire fence and a couple hundred yards away from the hunter. After some serious pushing each other back and forth for several minutes, the bucks get back into some brush out of sight of the hunter so he rattles some horns. A few minutes later, both bucks come in to investigate the sound. Based on this video, I would say that rattling MAY be effective prior to October. Once the velvet is off the antlers, bucks are going to be establishing the pecking order as the testosterone starts to rise. I plan on doing some light rattling early season to see what happens.