Calling and rattling

[mark Willoughby]

Just curious when everybody breaks out the horns and grunt tubes I usually don't start rattling until a little closer to the rut but have been using my grunt tube the past couple weeks with a little success to my surprise curious if some light rattling may be effective as well ... what's your thoughts ?

[dnovo]

I usually start rattling around this time. I don't rattle hard like I do at peak rut, but light tickling can bring a curious buck in to investigate.

[Pat B]

I use a grunt call from the beginning of hunting season through out it. I rarely rattle but when I do it is usually near the rut. That said, bucks start fighting right after the velvet falls off. Not serious fighting until the rut but light tickling of antlers can be productive any time.

[Warden609]

Light tickling of the horns can be very productive now. I just saw two bucks pushing around last week. Scrapes and rubs are starting to pop up on field edges around my areas. Things are ramping up. Don’t forget the decoy if you have one. Some of my most memorable hunts have been with a decoy. Fun times ahead!!

[Danny Rowan]

I do not rattle much, mostly because I have not had much luck with it that I can tell. I have used a grunt tube and a doe bleat with some success throughout season. On Guam I use a cow elk call for Rusa deer, they will respond to it.

[BRONZ]

I'm an aggressive caller. Fawn in distress in the early season is lethal on does. Grunt tube all year. Estrus bleat during the rut.
I start rattling about this time when the weather starts getting cool, but not with too much aggession. Yesterday, I rattled in 3 bucks. Consideration with rattling is bucks will try and cirle downwind.
Rattling, like every method, doesn't work every time, but when it does, it can be awfully exciting!

[Dorado]

I don't know if it's helpful or not but I saw two middlin sized buck butting antlers back in June. They weren't being aggressive just playing around a bit. Also had a fawn come within 10' of me while I was stacking wood that day. Mama was not happy! She made a big fuss at me.

[Schmidty3]

My opinion probably isn't valid since I've never had any luck calling (except for once). But I know that everybody and their dog likes to make noise on the stand. So in higher pressure situations I'm not sure it makes sense. I know I've heard many guys rattling and grunting on public land. I can't help but think the wiser deer know to avoid that.

So in general my thought is if the deer doesn't know I'm there I've always got a shot. Whereas...if I start making noises there's a good chance I'll blow them out and educate them.

The one time I called in a buck was at MCAAP. A 40,000 acre military installation that has limited pressure and a more natural rut (less hunting pressure) then most of the
State. I snort wheezed in a buck from ~150 yards.

I do usually carry a grunt tube during the rut. And I can snort wheeze. The only time I would usually do it is in visual range of low pressure deer. But most of my hunting is in high pressure areas.

[BOHO]

Here I’ll start around 1st of nov with light stuff. Our main rut is around Christmas.

[zwickey2bl]

Here in Alabama, I don't usually call or rattle till later, like late November. When I lived in the Arkansas Delta, the buck/doe ratio was a lot better and rattling was very effective starting about the 2nd week of November. There, the rut turned on like a switch, here, not so noticeable. I think again this is due to our buck/doe ratio being too doe-heavy. JMO, of course.

[zwickey2bl]

Here in Alabama, I don't usually call or rattle till later, like mid-November. When I lived in the Arkansas Delta, the buck/doe ratio was a lot better and rattling was very effective starting about the 2nd week of November. There, the rut turned on like a switch, here, not so noticeable. I think again this is due to our buck/doe ratio being too doe-heavy. JMO, of course.