How do YOU do it?
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Well, we all know the rut is here or almost here. This means the big boys should be more receptive to the sounds coming from our calls and rattleing antlers...
I haven't done a whole lot of calling but I have done some, and have had various degrees of luck with it. Usually I only use my grunt or bleat call when I have seen a buck, but this past weekend I called a little every hour or so in the stand. I would rattle with a set of shed antlers I have for about 30 seconds to a minute at a time then I would grunt a little and maybe throw in a doe bleat or two. Didn't work last weekend but I know that doesn't mean it won't ever work.
When I was calling I couldn't help but think how other might call, and if I had another, more experienced, hunter along would they think What the hell is he doin? I figured I would start a thread to ask everybody how they go about calling/rattleing. How often do you call? When do you call? How long are your rattleing/calling sequences? Do you use real antlers, fake antlers, rattle bag, etc?
I just thought it would be fun to see how other hunters do it.
O ya, i included a pic of a buck that showed up on my hunting property the past couple weeks. This is one of the guys im hoping to call in.(i know everybody likes pictures)!
![Deer Wildlife Antler White-tailed deer Organism]()
I haven't done a whole lot of calling but I have done some, and have had various degrees of luck with it. Usually I only use my grunt or bleat call when I have seen a buck, but this past weekend I called a little every hour or so in the stand. I would rattle with a set of shed antlers I have for about 30 seconds to a minute at a time then I would grunt a little and maybe throw in a doe bleat or two. Didn't work last weekend but I know that doesn't mean it won't ever work.
When I was calling I couldn't help but think how other might call, and if I had another, more experienced, hunter along would they think What the hell is he doin? I figured I would start a thread to ask everybody how they go about calling/rattleing. How often do you call? When do you call? How long are your rattleing/calling sequences? Do you use real antlers, fake antlers, rattle bag, etc?
I just thought it would be fun to see how other hunters do it.
O ya, i included a pic of a buck that showed up on my hunting property the past couple weeks. This is one of the guys im hoping to call in.(i know everybody likes pictures)!
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I guess no one wants to share their secrets...lol. o well.
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I felt like a tard clanging antlers together... until it got results...lol!
I've done some light tickling/sparring with the antlers followed up with some grunts and bleats. Usually keep my calling short, call off and on for 5-10 maybe 15 minutes...No luck sometimes i amp the fight up and/or call longer. I've had better luck using only a grunt call or bleat or a combo of both.
My 2nd yr of hunting at 14yrs old... i hadn't seen any deer sitting quietly so i pulled out the grunt tube for some blind calling and started out serious but ended up goofing off more than anything. Doing short buck grunts, mixing it up with some longer drawn out grunts...i was basically at it pretty hard more like a first time spring turkey hunter not knowing when to shut up.
Bout a half hour of almost continuous grunting and a nice 17" wide 6pt ran right to my stand. Busted up rack and a gouge in his back from another buck...in all his fighting glory, he hooked me for life!
I've done some light tickling/sparring with the antlers followed up with some grunts and bleats. Usually keep my calling short, call off and on for 5-10 maybe 15 minutes...No luck sometimes i amp the fight up and/or call longer. I've had better luck using only a grunt call or bleat or a combo of both.
My 2nd yr of hunting at 14yrs old... i hadn't seen any deer sitting quietly so i pulled out the grunt tube for some blind calling and started out serious but ended up goofing off more than anything. Doing short buck grunts, mixing it up with some longer drawn out grunts...i was basically at it pretty hard more like a first time spring turkey hunter not knowing when to shut up.
Bout a half hour of almost continuous grunting and a nice 17" wide 6pt ran right to my stand. Busted up rack and a gouge in his back from another buck...in all his fighting glory, he hooked me for life!
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Been gruntin & rattlin b/4 many of you were born. I'll be 69 & been Bowhunting 54 years.
It works sometimes & sometimes not.
I start rattling around the 25th of Oct. in my area (N.E. Iowa). I just tickle em together & not hard. I rattle every 1/2 hour after I have been in stand 1 hour. usually 3 times with no deer in sight. If I have under 45 min. of shooting time left I don't rattle anymore.
Nov. 1st I start my sequence with a hard crack together & rattle for about 45 sec.. I wait 5 min & do the same rattle sequence. I have had 90% of my Bucks come in on the 2nd rattle. My take is on this-IF they are a ways off & interested they know the "general" area & start for it. IF they are close enough they will be there within tat 5 min time. 2nd rattle they PIN PINPOINT your spot. Sometimes they charge in & other times they just cruise in. My Daughter & Wife have witnessed both while being with me hunting.
If I see a Buck that I haven't rattled in & hes not getting close-I will grunt 1st until I get his attention. If he doesn't come my way, then I crack the horns & give a little tickle to them. I have "spooked" smaller Deer with a rattle but NONE (Big or small) with grunting. I had 2 8s in the last 2 days turn away from my stand & rattles & grunts did not turn them my way. They just went their merry way. If there are lots of Does in your area your success will be much less-like being in a bar when your young-lots of girls, no reason to bully the little guy away from a potential doe..
Does will also come to the rattle if they are wanting a Buck & not being chased...
Pic is a Buck that came running in last year & I had him for 20 min. at 15 yds. He got a pass. i have video of him "searching" & lip curling. 2 years ago I had a small Buck come into my rattle only to have another small Buck come in behind me. Neither a shooter for me & I have video of them fighting 20 yds. from my stand after one passed within 10 feet of me. Enjoy, it does work depending on your Doe population.
It works sometimes & sometimes not.
I start rattling around the 25th of Oct. in my area (N.E. Iowa). I just tickle em together & not hard. I rattle every 1/2 hour after I have been in stand 1 hour. usually 3 times with no deer in sight. If I have under 45 min. of shooting time left I don't rattle anymore.
Nov. 1st I start my sequence with a hard crack together & rattle for about 45 sec.. I wait 5 min & do the same rattle sequence. I have had 90% of my Bucks come in on the 2nd rattle. My take is on this-IF they are a ways off & interested they know the "general" area & start for it. IF they are close enough they will be there within tat 5 min time. 2nd rattle they PIN PINPOINT your spot. Sometimes they charge in & other times they just cruise in. My Daughter & Wife have witnessed both while being with me hunting.
If I see a Buck that I haven't rattled in & hes not getting close-I will grunt 1st until I get his attention. If he doesn't come my way, then I crack the horns & give a little tickle to them. I have "spooked" smaller Deer with a rattle but NONE (Big or small) with grunting. I had 2 8s in the last 2 days turn away from my stand & rattles & grunts did not turn them my way. They just went their merry way. If there are lots of Does in your area your success will be much less-like being in a bar when your young-lots of girls, no reason to bully the little guy away from a potential doe..
Does will also come to the rattle if they are wanting a Buck & not being chased...
Pic is a Buck that came running in last year & I had him for 20 min. at 15 yds. He got a pass. i have video of him "searching" & lip curling. 2 years ago I had a small Buck come into my rattle only to have another small Buck come in behind me. Neither a shooter for me & I have video of them fighting 20 yds. from my stand after one passed within 10 feet of me. Enjoy, it does work depending on your Doe population.
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Get on the ground nearby and downwind of known bedding areas.
Use 2 different grunt tubes that sound different from each other.
Grunt a couple times on each tube, 30 seconds later let out a loud snort/wheeze.
Use your antlers to mimic the deer stomping in the leaves as they approach one another.
With a grunt tube in your mouth, grunt loudly as you first crash your antlers together.
As you rattle, get your antlers down in the leaves on the ground, bang them on trees, break twigs, etc to give the full illusion.
When you finish your sequence, use your antlers to hit the ground as if one of the deer are bounding away.
Let out a few more grunts, grab your bow, and keep your eyes open for approaching deer.
If nothing shows up in 30-45 min, either do another sequence or move 50-100 yards and repeat.
I've had good luck doing this type sequence in late Oct. until mid Nov.
Use 2 different grunt tubes that sound different from each other.
Grunt a couple times on each tube, 30 seconds later let out a loud snort/wheeze.
Use your antlers to mimic the deer stomping in the leaves as they approach one another.
With a grunt tube in your mouth, grunt loudly as you first crash your antlers together.
As you rattle, get your antlers down in the leaves on the ground, bang them on trees, break twigs, etc to give the full illusion.
When you finish your sequence, use your antlers to hit the ground as if one of the deer are bounding away.
Let out a few more grunts, grab your bow, and keep your eyes open for approaching deer.
If nothing shows up in 30-45 min, either do another sequence or move 50-100 yards and repeat.
I've had good luck doing this type sequence in late Oct. until mid Nov.
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I've had better luck with rattling than I have with grunts but the above could be a winner. I've lightly rattled in a few but the only one I've had come in at warp speed I was on the ground rattling away, sliding my feet around, kicking, jumping up and down - basically making as much noise as I could. This guy made 1/8 of a mile in seconds. I don't do it often, but every now and then on a whim...
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The buck I took this year came in to Primos pack rack and Flextone call...rattled for about 30 seconds and grunted a few times followed by a couple doe bleats...Did this about every 15 minutes or so...I stayed quiet in the stand for an hour or so after light to see what would come in first. Combine that with a little buck bomb doe estraus and dominant buck...
I brought the same buck in 4 times in an hour and finally decided he was going to fill my buck tag for this year.
I brought the same buck in 4 times in an hour and finally decided he was going to fill my buck tag for this year.
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Hunt the doe's... you'll find the bucks...where the girls are! that is what I do, I only rattle late in the day and not in the AM, i may use a grunt tube and doe bleat in the AM but I rattle in the afternoons around the time does start out to feed. I use a grunt tube to grunt while use real horns to be aggressive as if in battle over a doe. I rattle in hard strikes and lock the horns as if in battle then stop and look. Look good because there will be a deer coming to check it out.. sort of like a fight on the old play ground.. someone hollers fight and they come to see... let them leave if they come and start over.
But once a big boy comes you may have to tickle the horns, nothing that will make him look at you but behind you...sometimes it gets hard to put all of it together hunting in a tree with all of the extras we carry...
But once a big boy comes you may have to tickle the horns, nothing that will make him look at you but behind you...sometimes it gets hard to put all of it together hunting in a tree with all of the extras we carry...
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