Rattling?

[1bowhunter1]

I live on about 160 acres in Battle ground unit...I hear that rattling BT only works in areas that hold lots of deer.  Is this true?  I have been scouting to find where this big 3 point is going that we see eather 11 in afternoon or last light its the wierdest acting BT i've ever seen....anyway  I found early today where he is coming and going and its real, real, deep, thick stuff!!  I found lots of his rubs and scrapes.  I jumped a small forky today that was the size of my dog...LOL!!  Should I bust him with trying to wait him out or get help and try rattling him out?  The owner of the property has let abunch of shot gunners go in....but you know they dont get much!!!  LOL.  Any ideas??

[SW Blacktail]

Is he with a doe or by himself, how was he acting "weird"??

[1bowhunter1]

No does and on tree line at 11am by him self...

[SW Blacktail]

A doe in the immediate vicinity must be starting to smell good or he's passing through trolling for receptive does.  Keep your eyes peeled for does, a lot of them are coming into heat.  If the area is getting heavy pressure follow the deer to the thick stuff, I'd head in there with your bow and still hunt and maybe grunt/lightly rattle.  That's just me, experiment  Good Luck

[1bowhunter1]

I've never rattled before should be interesting...LOL!!  Should I do it from afar or pretty close?  Thats stupid ?  I will figure it out.  One more ?  Should I what till hunt or practice on him now? 

[Fullabull]

BT's tend to follow a pattern, find a place close to where he travels and waite him out of possibly set up a tree stand near by. As long as you know where he travels (which is the hardest part about hunting BT's)you should be able to get on him.

Good luck,

Fulla

[1bowhunter1]

Thanks 4 the info....I need help i see it all ready, this one is smart and has been shot at 1 or 2 this year.  I want to get this one so bad!!!  I was wide awake stairing at the sealing knowing its raining waiting 4 sun up...LOL!! Wife says I have problems.   

[SW Blacktail]

I know how you feel, my wife will never understand why I like to scout so hard!
If you are strictly going to hunt this buck late bow season don't practice on him now, if you screw up and he busts you you'll just educate him for later.  Chances are good he's on a hot doe(hidden to your eyes), a smart nocturnal buck isn't going to stand around being stupid in love at 11am unless he's on a doe.  If you know where this buck hangs out in September you have a better chance for late bow rattling.  It's early enough in the rut right now to "hope" that he's still on the edge of his core area, though he could have traveled from quite a ways to get to where you saw him.  You just never know unless you've seen this buck before the rut and know where he's from.  You won't be able to pattern him right now, he's gonna be on the move after he covers his first doe..  Your best chance if you want to keep seeing him is to watch every doe in this and the surrounding area over the next two weeks, as the rut tapers off towards the end of November he'll slowly return to his core area just in time for late bowseason(in theory).  He'll still be somewhat fired up from the rut and tempted with the possibility of another breeding when you rattle (hang a doe piss scent rag within bow range).  The late does that didn't get bred the first time around will come into heat again, sometimes into the first part of December.  I've had a lot of action with rattling the last week of Nov. into Dec.  There will be more competition for the last of the hot does. It's a lot of fun, if you've already tagged out use a camera.  I like to set up where I can see older rubs from the beginning of the rut or if I know where the buck tends to bed down.

It's been hard for me to rattle them in during the peak of the rut, the dominant buck isn't likely going to leave his doe to come check out the fight though other smaller bucks may respond.  Study whitetail tactics and try them out on blackies, just keep experimenting till you figure out what works for you.  Good luck. (sorry I can get long winded)

[sanjuankelso]

I agree with sw blacktail, rattling is usually good earlier in the pre rut phaise, scents, a can , and setting stand on a scrape line (probably that tree line you're mentioning) are good peak rut tactics. In my experince bt bucks act very similar to whitetails and there is tons if literature available.

[merlo105]

No, I have rattled in a few blacktails they came right on in