Rattling Fool ..

[hunter399]

Couple questions for some more experienced hunters.

If you rattle in a doe,does that mean it identified as a buck?

What's your standard procedures for that.
Do you stop rattling,wait for doe to leave.
Keep rattling,maybe get busted by the doe.
Is there a work around for these rattled in doe.

[boneaddict]

You could only be so lucky.   Enhances the chance of a buck exponentially

[hunter399]

All I rattle in is doe.
Then they bust out ,when they don't find a buck.
And scare everything off.

[hunter399]

Waiting for 6:50 right now,so I can walk in and rattle another doe.
Thinks I might just keep rattling after the doe shows up and busts out.
It must sound ok,if doe shows up.

[hunter399]

Yesterday,I did an hour ,5 min rattle,5 min pause.
For an hour,nothing.
Second hour just did off and on,more just messing around.
Got up to leave,doe standing about 20 yards from me.
Checked her for horns,then she busted out, sounding the alarm.

This is where my question comes from.

[boneaddict]

Well, rattling is mostly ineffective if done at the wrong time.  Not saying it wouldn’t work, but sort of like bugling for elk in July.   The odds are stacked against you.

[buckfvr]

I dont like to give them anything to home in on/focus on.  MOST of the time, no noise is the best noise just like no scent is the best scent.  I do however use scent effectively but its easier to leave scent in the right spot far enough away but in your shooting arena. 

That being said, hunting the wind and utilizing a partner as a rattler, ie.  he rattles, you are the shooter and you are set up to take advantage of wind direction and are far enough away from the noise source so that the buck is focused on where the noise is and hopefully over-looks the shooter, you can find success that way.

[BLH69]

 Talk to Tree Killer. He seems to have a pretty good handle on it

[Sundance]

Talk to Tree Killer. He seems to have a pretty good handle on it

Safe to say Ron has it dialed.

I don’t claim to be proficient at rattling but I’ve have had some success with it. I’m my experience it either produces nothing or is highly effective. Lots of smaller bucks come running it, the mature ones tend to be more weary. I’ve never taken a mature buck with ratting, but I’ve stood up to leave after hitting the antlers only to see a mature buck watching from a distance then slip away.

[3nails]

 If you are rattling for 5 minutes and only waiting 5 minutes there is where most of your problems lie. Try rattling for 30 seconds max this time of year and then waiting AT LEAST 20 minutes before even blinking. 30 minutes is better. If nothing shows relocate a couple hundred yards and try again.

[BLH69]

Thanks Sundance for giving him credit where it is due! I should have been more positive about his prowess. My sarcasm font isnt working. ha ha

[dilleytech]

If you are rattling for 5 minutes and only waiting 5 minutes there is where most of your problems lie. Try rattling for 30 seconds max this time of year and then waiting AT LEAST 20 minutes before even blinking. 30 minutes is better. If nothing shows relocate a couple hundred yards and try again.

Super helpfull. I have not been doing that lol

Remind me how does your late October rattling sequence go?

[hunter399]

Nothing on this trip ,no doe or anything.

Will say you guys are probably right on less is more.
I'm most likely being too aggressive with my calling.
Yes it isn't ideal time,correct on that too.

I was just doing it to kill some boredom.
Weather is pretty nice lately,first week of deer season activity is always slow. Figured I'd try to mix things up.

I'll try less is more thing ,next time I give it a go.
Thanks for the tips and reply so far.
Keep them coming.
I've only successfully rattled a buck in one time.
I was 16 , probably like most have experience.
Got up to walk away ,nice buck jumps up 25 yards.
Runs off to the next county.
Since then ,I've rattled a handful of times,with about half of those resulting in a doe showing up. And no buck.

So my experience is pretty low.
Any tips or tricks greatly appreciated.

[hunter399]

If you are rattling for 5 minutes and only waiting 5 minutes there is where most of your problems lie. Try rattling for 30 seconds max this time of year and then waiting AT LEAST 20 minutes before even blinking. 30 minutes is better. If nothing shows relocate a couple hundred yards and try again.

Super helpfull. I have not been doing that lol

Remind me how does your late October rattling sequence go?

What would be your late season November sequence.
Asking for a friend,I swear.
Just so I have an idea .

[slowhand]

Following
Love me some blacktail rattling stories

[hughjorgan]

If you are rattling for 5 minutes and only waiting 5 minutes there is where most of your problems lie. Try rattling for 30 seconds max this time of year and then waiting AT LEAST 20 minutes before even blinking. 30 minutes is better. If nothing shows relocate a couple hundred yards and try again.

Super helpfull. I have not been doing that lol

Remind me how does your late October rattling sequence go?

What would be your late season November sequence.
Asking for a friend,I swear.
Just so I have an idea .

You can probably find some good info from some of 3nails past threads…

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,101693.30.html

[JDArms1240]

That WAS a good rattling thread.  I'll be trying to rattle up some blackies soon

[Tree Killer]

After 35 years of rattling blacktails, my best advice is Patience & Confidence.

I rattle hard for 30 seconds to a minute.  Then I wait for about 5 minutes, and rattle again for 20 seconds or so. If I"m confident there's bucks in the area I'll continue rattling occasionally for 25-30 before relocating.  I've had bucks walk in slowly while waiting and run in with their ears pinned back while I was rattling. 

If you get a bucks attention from quite a distance they sometimes start off running to the sound, then when you stop rattling they hit the brakes and listen and look for movement before walking to where the fight was coming from. Quite often they'll be fairly close when I start the second rattling sequence and coming charging in, catching me holding the antlers.

It doesn't always work, but with persistance bucks will respond.

[hunter399]

I did look at that last thread from 3nails,good stuff in there for sure.
Tree killer great advise also.

I'll be using some of it. Had a hard weekend of walking.
My legs are fried,too many miles in the past three days.
So that's what I normally do,is trying to sit,call,or rattle,when my walking abilities are impaired.
Just to still get out and be actively hunting.

So keep it coming,any and all advise welcome.
I'll be most likely going to try rattling tomorrow.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Tree Killer is the real deal when it comes to rattling big blacktails in. You should see the photos he gets after season is over, rattling in the big ones.

[GOcougsHunter]

Good thread.  Tree Killer, for blacktails and using a rifle...  Let's say you were in a unit with lots of clearcuts, reprod, mature stands, and typical alder stream buffer zones.  You've located active rubs. Where would you put yourself?  right on the edge? inside the clear cut to see as much real estate as you can? into the older stuff?   I know that deer are going to be where the deer are going to be...  But, how would you place yourself?

[Tree Killer]

Good thread.  Tree Killer, for blacktails and using a rifle...  Let's say you were in a unit with lots of clearcuts, reprod, mature stands, and typical alder stream buffer zones.  You've located active rubs. Where would you put yourself?  right on the edge? inside the clear cut to see as much real estate as you can? into the older stuff?   I know that deer are going to be where the deer are going to be...  But, how would you place yourself?

I've never hunted in that particular scenario...but I'd want to be setup where there's good visibility and within shooting distance of bottom and the edge that has the wind coming towards me.  If nothing shows up I'd move into the timber, be it old growth or second growth.

[Mallardmasher]

Rattling and a little grunt, or raking a tree can go along way, at the right time of year. I love to rattle and rustle the brush for 20-30 seconds, then wait five min, another 15-20 seconds of rattling then a little victory grunt, wait five min and rub a small tree. I have had to dive out of the way on multiple occasions over the last 30 years. Good advice posted by some Blacktail killer above