Rattling during the rut

[Jock Whisky]

I've rattled in a couple of bucks in the early part of the season, mid Oct. But in your experience as the rut progresses thru November does rattling become less effective? When is the best time to get their attention?

[Friend]

Buck responses to rattling is much greater during the rut per extensive studies. The vast majority of responses though, are by immature bucks.

The mature bucks tend to respond in later season such as December.

[Bowguy67]

It all depends on buck to doe in heat ratio. No buck is gonna leave a hot doe to fight. It'd leave his doe available to being bred while he was scrapping. It either side of the peak rut that imo will work best

[BRONZ]

I usually rattle most toward the end of Oct into the first 2 weeks of Nov. In the first week of Nov, I'll start using an estrus bleat and will follow it up with a tending grunt while swinging my head-- trying to sound like a buck dogging a doe.
This year I rattled in 4 bucks. One was 170's with a 10" droptine hanging off his left beam-- biggest  buck I've seen from a tree! Just couldn't pull him in. He hung up at 45 yards looking for the fight and snort-wheezed 3 times trying to "call me out". He finally turned and walked away... but there's always next year.