Predator Call

As a youngster, I thought that “rattling” was magic, a “cure all”.  If I only knew how to rattle, I would never have to experience another hunt without seeing a buck.  I could go to the woods, knock the “horns” together and all of the old bucks that had avoided me for years would come charging from the thickets.  After rattling for over 40 years, I am convinced that rattling is a truly a magic hunting technique when it works, but certainly no cure all.

While some rattling experts would want you to believe that if you do not perform a certain routine or sequence that your chances of calling a buck are slim to none.  I do not agree for it seems to me that the racket that you make may not be as important as when and where you are trying to call a buck.  My Great Uncle rattled many whitetail bucks by banging a four inch 2×4 block on the wooden stock of his rifle. 

I feel the key ingredient to successful horn rattling is to call where bucks are competitive.  As a rule, the closer the buck to doe ratio, the more competition between bucks for a receptive doe.  It seems to me that I have difficulty rattling a buck if the buck to doe ratio exceeds 1 to 4. 

If your goal is to call a mature buck, rattle in the pre-rut (the week to 10 days prior to the peak of the rut).  When numerous does are cycling as they do when the rut peaks, you can bet that a mature buck will be occupied by a receptive doe.  Rattling a mature buck away from hot doe is almost impossible.

Use the wind and terrain to your advantage.  I prefer to rattle in semi-open areas, if possible.  Older bucks are sometimes hesitant to expose themselves in wide open areas such as grain fields in daylight hours.  An area of with patches of brush or trees will give you visibility while offering a buck the security of cover.

Be aggressive.  I am sure most of you have observed at least footage of two mature bucks fighting.  There is nothing subtle about it…they are genuinely trying to kill each other.  Don’t bang the antlers together as if playing the symbols, hit the horns together and push and twist them against each other to mimic the sound of two bucks locked in combat.  It seems the more aggressively I rattle, the more aggressive a buck will respond.  A buck responding aggressively will make more mistakes by not going to the wind or looking for the source of the sound.

Use a coverscent.  I don’t believe that there is any way to mask 100% of all human odor.  But I do feel that by using the scent of a rutting buck, you can confuse a buck and buy a little time.  My favorite source for this scent is to remove the metatarsal glands from a buck that has been rutting.  Hang them on branches just downwind so that your scent is mixed with the odor of a rutting buck.  The responding buck fully expects to smell another buck or two because he has heard them fighting. 

Care of antlers.  While rattling with synthetic antlers can no doubt be effective, my favorite “horns” were removed from a buck I killed in 1987.  I have rattled literally hundreds of bucks while using this set of “magic” antlers.  I have found a way to preserve my antlers while helping them to retain their natural odor.  Remove the kidney fat from a deer when field dressing, whitetail or mule deer and melt it down in a frying pan until it turns to a clear liquid.  When it cools, it should look like hog lard or shortening.  I store it in tuperware or plastic containers in the freezer or refrigerator.  At the end of the deer season, rub the antlers down, leaving a coating of the fat on the antlers.  Hang the antlers indoors so that they are never in direct sunlight.  When next season rolls around, wipe the excess grease from the antlers and they will be ready to go.

Rattling is not magic and will not call in a Boone and Crockett buck if there is not one in the area.  Rattling can be a very effective and exciting method to help you bag your buck this season. 

See you out of doors,

Gary Roberson