I've rattled in quite a few over the last 20 years, and tagged a few including my recent buck. Heck, my 8 year old daughter rattled me in a little buck one evening and I was too excited to get my bow drawn!
My rattling/calling sequence is all about creating the scenario that there is a doe nearby needing some company. A single buck shows up, followed by a second. They size each other up and begin to push and shove. The duration, timing, the use of scents, and other sounds are what can make the difference in a successful set up. It's too much to get into in a single post but I'll be writing about it in great detail very soon on my blog. I've got a good part of it done but it's not ready to post yet.
Rut phase timing is key and you have to tailor your calling routine for the different phases and what real deer are doing in each phase. Assuming you are talking mid-November into December, it might go something like this:
Two soft doe bleats
Wait 5 minutes watching carefully
2-3 more soft doe bleats, break a twig
Wait 10 minutes watching carefully
Use sticks or your rattling antlers to create the sound of a bounding or trotting deer, swishing ferns, salal or brush
Wait a minute or two and bleat softly again, once or twice
Wait 5 minutes
Begin rattling sequence (caution! – this can and will spook game, even bucks during the rut) Again, timing is key here. How you bring the antlers together depends on the rut phase and other factors in the area you’re hunting. If you’re going at it blindly, as many times is the case, I start soft with a few clanks and tine touches for 20-30 seconds. You want to alert deer within earshot that two bucks are nearby. All the while, you need to consider whether or not any deer hearing your antlers have also heard your doe bleats. Wind, rain, etc will determine how loud I get and how long I go.
Wait up to 5 minutes after your first rattle sequence
From here on out I’m creating the illusion of two bucks pining for the same doe. My sequences may be short, hard and fast with lots of ground pounding or they may be all about thrashing brush and even running back and forth in 10-20 yard sprints. Tree rubbing and other antics can help seal the deal.
Hope this helps. This is a very detailed topic. I have a few blacktail seminars planned for the summer and early fall. I’ll get way into this with demos, etc.
