Rattle calls

[tughillhunter]

I have a question about this.... i have a cap mount of a 4 point and im tinkering with the idea of using them horns for rattling... is this a good idea cause its a small rack, or a dumb idea cause its a small rack. feedback will be much appreciated!!!

[Doewhacker]

They will be easier to carry and I doubt that a buck will care how points you are ratteling around, I say go for it.

Personally I use a 8 point rack and again, its a pain to carry them.

[agross]

If the rack is on the larger size i would say sure but if it is a small rack then you may have problems with volume

[tughillhunter]

ill post a pic of the rack... im new to rattling kind of

[Fletch]

I have heard, and I have no idea if this is true or not, that old antlers sound different than "fresh ones". Any truth to this anyone?

Otherwise a 4 point rack might be a little hard to be a little more loud with just due to being small. But otherwise I am pretty sure a buck can not tell the amount of points.

[Doewhacker]

Doesn't need to loud to be effective, but you do need to be close to a buck, just like a grunt tube.

[tughillhunter]

[drwost]

When during the season should you use them and when not to? I have always been curious and how long shoul you rattle? 5 secs? and how often?

[tughillhunter]

When during the season should you use them and when not to? I have always been curious and how long shoul you rattle? 5 secs? and how often?

thats my problem..... i watched a you tube video and it said every 30 mins or so.... i dont really know

[biggamefish]

I have heard and read that you should rattle a little and wait awhile. Also when rattling don't bang the horns together over and over again bang them then clash and grind like two bucks are pushing back and forth.

[tughillhunter]

think thatl work?

[Geno C]

i wouldnt even bothger, id just go buy a rattle bag or something... you would have to bang the heck out of those horns. my step dad brought his little 4pnt horns up to rattle with and it got a good lough lol. but try it , hey you never know

[BucktheBuck30-06]

I know this is stupid sounding but i seen a 6 point right on the side of the road,i pulled out my pack rack and gave it a rattle and man that buck got scared lol he weezed real lud and just booked lol..all the doe stood there for a min like what jus happen.then they took off

[BucktheBuck30-06]

When during the season should you use them and when not to? I have always been curious and how long shoul you rattle? 5 secs? and how often?

Man i think it all comes down to pernal opinoin..but id say use it in full swing rut when you KNOW THERES A BUCK AROUND,,from my past and from what i understand a dominant buck will try to claim his land soo if he thinks there are other SMALLER bucks around he will come to claim his spot and woop some ass lol,,But i allways try to make it sound like 2 smaller bucks that way the bigger onecomes in i called in a 6 this year but i passed and its the only buck ive even seen so i sorta wish i got em!!

[wooly]

I wouldn't ruin that rack for a set of rattlin horns. No offence intended but they're too small...you may as well get out there and rattle two chicken wing bones together for that matter. All you will get out of either is a bunch of clicks and tics.., not rattling.

I do a LOT of rattling right from the start of bow season all the way through the late ML season and I rattle hard. Even watching and listening to young small racked bucks spar early in the season you will hear a lot of energy behind them antlers that you just can't put into a little crotch horn set like that with your bare hands.

The more you rattle you will see a mixed reaction from bucks. When someone tells me that rattling big horns aggresively scares subordinate bucks, I say they haven't rattled enough in to have a solid base to reach that conclusion. One things for sure is bucks wont come running every time you hit the horns together...on the other hand, they wont all take off running for their lives fearing a good whooping from a dominate buck either.

Most bucks I rattle at I see first and get to watch their reaction. I'd say at least 80% of the time all it will do is get their attention and get them to look back before they carry on with what they were doing. That's by far been the most common reaction I've seen.

The other 20% can almost be split in half as to if the buck will become curious or retreat. The wind is crucial when rattling. Don't have it to your advantage you may as well leave the horns hanging silent or you WILL add that buck to the list of "runaways". They WILL and DO use the wind when responding to rattling 99% of the time. On a handfull of occaisions I recall that a buck just "threw caution to the wind" and marched right in on a dead run without circling downwind. Pretty intence, but quite rare.

Some days you can pull every buck within earshot of a good rattling sequence while other days you will swear there isn't a big buck in the woods willing to do battle. Never assume that since bucks are not responding that you are scaring them all away as that couldn't be farther from the truth. Don't ever think that just because you're rattling loud and aggressive that only mature bucks will respond. Even little spikes and crotch horns will come to investigate if they think there's a chance of stealing a hot date as the big boys beat each other up.

All that being said, I think I changed my mind! Cut them suckers off that skull cap and get out there and bang them together. Rattling responses are so unpredictable you just might find you hit one of the 10% that like what they hear and come to check out your fake fight. Once it works for you, you'll begin to experiment with it on your own and become hooked the same way I am!

On a sidenote, I put the horns together today on a nice 10 and sent him running for the hills,lol. You just never know!

[Sudzy8]

I would go and get a rattle bag....they work just as good as horns and are much easier to carry around. I usually rattle in short 1-2 minute sequences. Start soft just in case something is close. After a short wait you can increase the intensity and volume. I have had nice bucks come in as well as 1 horned spikes coming in looking for a fight.

[tughillhunter]

Thanks for the input.