Idaho whitetails

[Bean Counter]

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[3nails]

read the link to the thread that 3nails posted. We rattle all the time for whitetails in north Idaho and what he provided is the best information I have seen. Forget the videos and just read what is in the thread

Yep this ^^^^

I hunt 10a, and after reading his thread I decided I wanted to take a deer rattling.  That year I took one of my better deer, using his tips.  It was possibly one of the coolest things I've seen hunting.  I will be doing it again this year.

Sweet! That was the whole purpose of starting the thread. I hope you rattle in a brute this year. I may be in 10a as well this year.

[3nails]

3nails, your inbox is full again, so I'll post this here:


Why do you soak your antlers?  Is it to give better sound quality?  Can you coat them with linseed oil and achieve the same affect?
When do you use the buck roar tube?  I looked up some stuff on the Ezee Wheeze, is that the one you use initially?  I have a Primos Li'l Shotty, when would I use that call?  When in your sequence do you use the doe bleat?
Do you try to set up with a clearing or some other natural barrier on your downwind side?

Thanks!

After a year of sitting around they dry out and get clanky. This is also too loud. A couple of years back I could hear a friend rattling from WAY too far away. Like a mile away! You are going to blast out anything close and any buck further out is going to have a hard time locating you after the rattling has stopped. They could also be on the run to your location and get freaked out as they get close. My brush breaking and antler stomping are just as loud as the rattling. It would be very unnatural to hear just antlers. Also, heavy beamed antlers are a must, imo. I don't know if coating them would have the same effect. 
 My sequences vary greatly depending on terrain, weather, and time. On a typical session I'll bleat and wait a couple minutes. If I don't hear or see anything I'll snort wheeze. Wait a couple more minutes, snort wheeze and start rattling. If it is windy or rainy or I am trying to get a quick one in before last light I'll go straight to rattling. Once I've rattled and waited AT LEAST 20 minutes (should wait 30) I'm done, time to move to next location. NEVER bleat, wheeze, or make any noise after you set down the antlers. Rifle has to be ready (like holding a shotgun over a dog on point) and you must be sitting in a position where you don't need to adjust to get comfy. I'm here to tell you this is harder than you'd think!! And gets harder every year I get older. 
 90% of the time I'll set up with a tree to my back. Maybe brush. I want nothing in front of me but you've got to take what you get. There's virtually no such thing as a perfect location. My favorite spot is a timbered draw with a brushy flat. I'll set up on a knob and do my thing. Keep an eye out on your down wind side because you never know what the air current is doing 50 yds away. This may sound odd but I like to face the direction I feel a deer is most likely to come from, gaze open eyed with my mouth open, never moving my head. I'll pick up any movement from the side easily this way and for some reason I hear better with my mouth open.    The brushier the better. Big bucks don't like openings so I don't try to pull them into one.
 Rambling now but here's another tip. If you rattle in a nice 4 pt (120"-) don't shoot! Several times I've passed on bucks like this and had a brute step out right after. My only weekness to this is if I have a kid with me. All my judgement falls apart and I smoke the little guy!     
 Sorry if I'm all over the place. Just talking rattling get's me all woozy with adrenaline.

[Bango skank]

How long do you soak your antlers?  Just put them in a bucket of water overnight?  How often do you soak them?  My rattling antlers are a couple years old, would thry be fine for a week or so if i soak them for a day?

[3nails]

 Oops. Forgot about the buck roar. To be clear I don't want to rattle in a small buck. I want Boss Hog! The roar comes in after bleating, wheezing. It's a " I'm the king of these woods and I'm coming to kick your a_ _" statement. He's really pissed off when he does this. Every once in a while a 2 1/2 year old with a bad attitude will come in all nervous. This can be comical. One year I rattled in a buck like this. He came in, peaked around a small bushy tree and jumped about 8' in the air when he saw a squirrel move. He knew he had no business being there and was terrified he was going to get clobbered. But the thought of a hot doe was just too tempting. So be patient if it's a big one you are after. However, if it's the first deer you've aver rattled in.....
 These comments are just for general info. Not necessarily directed at anyone.

[3nails]

How long do you soak your antlers?  Just put them in a bucket of water overnight?  How often do you soak them?  My rattling antlers are a couple years old, would thry be fine for a week or so if i soak them for a day?

I'll give them a 24 hr soak before I go. Maybe re-soak them after a week. Try and keep them out of the bitter cold and away from the moisture sucking heat of a tent stove. My antlers are 15 yrs old or so and still going strong.

[cem3434]

Tag

[3nails]

 Shortly after rattling a decent buck came in. I passed on him and maybe a minute later this guy came. Glad I was patient!

[JLS]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[Bigshooter]

I'm not much of a whitetail fan, but I would head mount that buck in a second.  Awesome whitetail 3nails.

[Bango skank]

Serious main beams on that bad boy!

[turkeyfeather]

To answer your one question.......I would find a nice place to park my butt and get comfortable. It can be very hard over there to move around without making alot of noise. Especially with younger ones.

[3nails]

I'm not much of a whitetail fan, but I would head mount that buck in a second.  Awesome whitetail 3nails.

I would too. I've got that one and a much bigger one ready to go. Or I can trap this year.......
 

[Carp Commander]

Did you find a spot? I hunt North Idaho most every year and know the area well.

[LeviD1]

If I dont get a deer early season I'm totally going to try and rattle one in. And or rattle one in for someone else. It sounds way to exciting not to.