subject: 3 Ways to Rattle In A Monster Buck [print this page] Many of us have heard of or have even tried to rattle in bucks during the pre-rut, rut, and post-rut. Some of us have had success. However, most have never even seen a deer using this tactic. That is because we don't create the illusion of two bucks fighting. Moreover, most do not even understand why or when Bucks fight. Lets start with the when and why. Bucks will begin sparring after they have shed their velvet, and continue on after mating season. But most often the main sparring begins 30 to 45 days before primary rutting activity begins. It is within this time period, that I find rattling to be most effective. Why do bucks fight? Simply put, and for the purpose of this article, its for the "Right to Breed". We as hunters must understand that deer are attempting to create a pecking order. That there is a certain level of competition Derived in direct relationship to buck to doe ratios. What this means in layman terms, that the higher the ratio of Bucks to Does, the higher the level of competition. The higher the competition, the more fighting will occur. Ultimately, the greater the amount of fighting, the more effective your rattling will be. Think about it, you go into a bar and there are 100 women and 20 men, will there be a lot of fighting over, who gets who? No, however, change that statistic and I can guarantee fists will fly by the end of the night. What Im trying to get at here, is that there is a time and place for rattling. Keep this in mind, as it may not be effective in your area or the time of year you are hunting. Now that we have looked at the when where and why; lets look at the how. First off let me start by saying; using big antlers and smacking them together as hard as you can, will most likely scare away most deer. Contrary to what you see on T.V. You would prefer to sound like a medium size buck. As my friend Peter Fiduccia says, Sound like a beatable buck.? Mainly, because no body even bucks want to pick a fight with some they think they will lose to. The Three Ways to Rattle a buck: 1. Create the sounds of a Buck Fight?: grunting, trashing of leaves breaking branches/twigs with their hooves and of course the clashing of antlers. Depending on the time of year is how aggressive you should clash and trash the closer to the rut the more frustrated bucks become and the more aggressive they become. In the eerily season they are just sparing and feeling each other out. 2. It is a good idea to use a minimal amount of deer scent during rattling sequences. I have always had success with young buck urine at all phases, and rutting buck in the last few days leading into primary rut and through the rut. You never know what direction a curious buck will come in from and most time the will circle and scent check before they come running in. 3. It is a good idea to have a small buck decoy as well a lot of time a buck will come in and see there is nothing there and he may take off instead of investigating closer offering you a shot. Set the decoy in a manor that when the buck come to engage your decoy he will present a broadside shot.
