Anyone have luck rattling and using calls?

[aquafang]

None of any of this works in Northeast South Dakota! Period! Scent......don't work. all that stuff like C'mere deer......junk! I'll tell ya what I think, around here there are so many does to one buck that the bucks just take a doe when they want at their convenience. I've hunted for years right in the prime rut and i've had bucks walk withing feet of my scent wicks and not even take a sniff. I've spotted bucks and rattled.....they might stop and look, but basically ignore it. My dad tried C'mere deer last year. watched several deer every night sniff it and walk away. it was there all year untouched. I've grunted to have the bucks pretty much act like they're deaf. Does anyone else share my frustration?

All this gimmick stuff is really a waste in my hunting grounds. next year I'm even gonna prove a point and hunt with no camo. I'll wear jeans in warm weather and my carhart bibs in the cold.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I think a lot of it has to do with Buck to Doe ratios.. The higher the buck to doe ratio, the better calls and such work. If you are in an area with a lot of Doe, why fight over one hot chick when there is another just over the next ridge?

[Odonata]

I would agree with ratios being a key factor. I used to hunt an area where the buck-doe ratio was about even. Rattling and grunting worked very well. Almost, again almost, all the time something responded. The area I hunt now has an inflated doe population and the bucks don't need to compete as much. Rattling has not worked. These two areas are approx 8-10 miles apart as the crow flies.

[rage2blade]

Agreed where i hunt there is a high number of doe compared to bucks and i've tried rattling, sents, and some other stuff with no success i guess the way i look at it though is someday it may work just that one time and if it does then it could bring you the buck of a lifetime, then again maybe not. plus when you try some of the calling and things it always makes you wonder "what if" and keeps me on edge and focused. When most people are saying the rut is on i really dont see any of that maybe a buck chasing a doe once a year at most. i think the rut has been better than past years around here this year so maybe things are looking up. but i share your frustration trust me i wish that stuff worked better around my hunting area too!

[lawdog]

Ratios are important. Its also too late to rattle real effectively I think. They are breeding now, they aren't going to waste any more energy establishing the pecking order as that's already done.

[charliepete2]

I've had deer come in on rattling, grunting, mock scrapes, and drag lines. They don't all work all the time, but they all work some of the time (even if that means one week a year).

[BobT]

Two years ago I picked up my first call, a TrueTalker. I was skeptical but thought I'd give it a try.

My 12-year old daughter and I got into our ground blind, which was located on a low ridge, about 6:30am. At about 6:45 I decided to give about three moderate short grunts using a lower pitch from the call.

I kid you not, within three or four minutes we hear something approaching and catch a glimpse about 20 yds to my left. It turned out to be a timber wolf. He got downwind, caught our scent, and stopped. I moved to get a better look at him through the brush and he saw me and left.

Within the next five minutes we hear something approaching from my right. This turned out to be an 8-pointer as he stepped out less than 15 yds from our position. My daughter shot her first deer on the first hunt of her life within 25 minutes of her first day hunting. Was all this activity coincidence?

Don't know for certain but I can tell by the attitude of that buck when he came in that he was looking for a fight. He was very challenging as before he stepped out for the shot he was somewhat hidden. He stood there snorting and pawing the ground like a bull. I can't help but believe he came in to my grunt.

Bob

[SDbowhunter]

Just to let you know Cmere Deer, Salt Licks, etc. are considered bait in SD and is against the law. Yes they sell it in stores but it is not legal. A coworker of mine asked the question to the GFP and I read the email replys.

[aquafang]

Well I sure wouldn't call it BAIT!! Around here anyway

[Powerstroke]

There are many factors and of course there is the obvious one of does the deer really care at that moment.

I saw 7 deer this morning including a 6pt and an 8pt. Both completely ignored my scent wicks. The 6 ot walked within feet of two different ones and didn't stop to sniff.

I tried to rattle and use grunts to get them to turn or even think twice about coming back and they wouldn't. Neither of the two deer got spooked or winded me. They both moved on without noticing me or giving me a shot.

Now 3 years ago I shot my first deer with my bow because of scent. I did a scent trail and a mock scrape with doe urine, not estrous, and that little guy came in on a string he walked the exact scent trail with his nose to the dirt. I shot him at 6 yds.

That same year I started several mineral sites with Deer Cane, Molasses block topper with salt block and a plain mineral block and places cams over them. The best one by far was the deer cane. Unfortunately deer stop using mineral sites kinda early so the benefits don't carry over.

It only works if the deer gives a [PoorWordUsage].

[JustLOVEit]

Called in a 9 pointer on opener this year. Took him down with a single shot from my 12ga at 15 yards. I saw him about 60 yards away. Thought i should try calling him. I grunted twice followed by a bleat, then another grunt. He turned and walk within 40 yards, then he stood and grunted at me twice. I grunt once more and before i could let the call out of my mouth he was standing 15 yards away, where i dropped him. That was call story. I don't usually call that much but when they response then i usually response back.

[bigbucks]

Okay if you're bowhunting I can understand, but slug hunting why call at 60 yards, why not just shoot him? Now I can understand if there was too much brush or something.

I blind rattled in three bucks this year & can called in at least one other. The better bucks came within 10 minutes & their posture told you they were looking for you. The smaller bucks came more like in 20 minutes. At least two of them came from a minimum of 300-400 yards away. The small bucks were being more careful without the aggressive posture. The little one that came to within 10' of me from in the corn behind me where I was sitting on the ground, was really a rush. I didn't shoot any of them the nice 8 pointer saw me at full draw, when he was at 10 yards, but not clear. A smaller racked 8 pointer got blasted by a neighbor (that I hadn't seen) enroute to coming to challenge me.

I do think the buck to doe ratio in our area is pretty even, if you don't count the fawns, half of which should be bucks anyway.

[looneyducer]

Rattled a grand total of three times this year, twenty minutes apart. After that it was just a light squeeze and some knife work.