There are many tactics for drawing big whitetails in for a shot. They range from using decoys, calls, scents, rattling, and more. For years, rattling has been thought of as a south Texas tactic, but the truth is, it works wherever whitetails live.
Bucks are likely to come to a fight from downwind. To take advantage of this, I set up in cover heavy enough to conceal me, but still sparse enough that I can still get a shot off. I also want to be able to see clearly for 360 degrees 50 to 75 yards. I do not want a buck surprising me. My preferred rattling spots are where the does are concentrated. These places are normally bedding and feeding areas. Bucks are sure to be close to these locations as they cruise for does.
During pre-rut, hunters are most likely to rattle in bucks as old as 2 ½-years. Older bucks are likely to be the ones that respond during peak breeding and post-rut.
Go all out when you begin a rattling sequence. Begin with the hardest, loudest bang possible. This should simulate two bucks making initial contact in a fight. After the first hit, twist the antlers to make a grinding sound. When the grinding is over, follow it up with clattering on the antler tips to make a realistic fighting sound. For added realism, take the antlers and hit the ground from time to time during the fake fight, kick some bushes, and break some twigs. Fighting bucks are anything but quiet.
My rattling sequences last anywhere from one to two minutes then I stop for ten to 12 minutes before I start again. If a buck has not responded after my second rattling sequence, I will wait 30 to 45 minutes and then repeat the process.
I have noticed that I have the best luck with my rattling antlers on cold, cloudy mornings. Evenings have also done well for me, but not as well as mornings. The seeking and chase phase all the way through the post-rut will bring a buck in. Just do not give up.
I like to use the biggest set of antlers I can get my hands on. The bigger the antlers I use, the further the sound travels, and the bigger the buck that respond to the mock fight.
Some hunters disagree with me, but I don’t stop rattling after I see a buck approaching. As long as the buck doesn’t see me, I’ll keep banging the antlers together. You can bring bucks awfully close to your setup this way, but I stop before they get too close. The closer a buck gets to you, the more that can go wrong. I take the first good shot I get. As long as I have a shot that I should be able to make, I don’t wait for a perfect shot. Perfect-shot opportunities don’t come around very often.
When the temperatures warm up during the pre-rut, I don’t take my rattling antlers into the woods with me. Bucks will not be active, and the warm weather keeps their testosterone levels low. Another time antlers are not that productive is on extremely windy days. The wind tends to play havoc on a buck’s hearing, and he won’t be able to know exactly where the fighting sounds are coming from.
If I know for sure that a buck is close, I won’t start out with the hardest, loudest crash of antlers possible, as I mentioned earlier. I don’t want to startle a buck and scare him off, or put him on high alert. Instead, I will begin with a light rattling of the antler tips and take it from there.
When a buck approaches your setup, he’ll be looking for a doe, or at least expecting to see two fighting bucks. For added realism, position a doe decoy within shooting distance of your position.
Rattling is not just a south Texas tactic. It’s just as good in your neck of the woods as it is anywhere. What are you waiting for? Grab a pair of antlers and head to the woods and start banging them together. You might just rattle up the deer of a lifetime.
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