Calling / Rattling Bucks

[Kdog]

A few days ago I read in the hunting reports where happy_bowhunter and muley rattled a couple of super bucks in Mason county last weekend. It sounded like an awesome hunt. Lets discuss how to effectively use calls and rattling horns.

Last year at Lake Amistad (Thanksgiving weekend) in Del Rio I used a grunt call to get a buck within 8 yards of me. I was not able to connect, or even draw back. but it was more exciting than the 3 times I have flung arrows at animals over feeders. In this instance I was blind calling. I just made two 1 second gunts every 15 minutes. Then I look to my left and a buck is standing 25 yards away. He came within 8 yards of me hiding in the brush.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone could share techniques that have worked for them. When do you use them? What is the situation? This can be a very exciting way to hunt, but sometimes when I try it, I feel like all I am doing is making my presence known.

Thanks!

[Venom]

This can be a very exciting way to hunt, but sometimes when I try it, I feel like all I am doing is making my presence known.

Thanks!

I agree. I would love to hear some advice too.

[BustedAssRanch]

I like to hit the grunt call soft after I get in the stand. Maybe get any close bucks to come look for me. After a while mix the grunt & horns to maybe get something a little futher away. I dont like hitting the horns right away in fear of scaring the crap out of anything close.

[AtTheWall]

Hunted Amistad NRA a couple of years ago and rattled in 5 different bucks in two days. My P&Y held out at 60 yards on a Tinks 69 bomb I set out the evening before. Made the decision to relocate during that morning hunt and didn't realize I would have success to a point that Mr. 10 would lock in on my previous evenings scent lure.

I typically wait till it's light enough to see and crack the horns, bang the brush and hit the ground followed by a few good grunts. I carry two seperate grunt tubes (low/mature & medium/younger pitch) to mix up the sound. After about 5-10 minutes I let things go quiet and hit the doe bleat "The Can" before starting my routine again. At roughly 9 or so in the morning I'll start stalking up wind (Public Lands) glassing with my binoculars (if the terrain can support it) and work brush pile to brush pile for cover. Full camo with face mask and a very light setup with arrow nocked. I glass 200-300 yards out and many times you will spot activity. At that point I start my process again from a point I have a small shooting lane nestled inside brush covering left and right. Rattled in a couple of younger bucks using this technique during this hunt but never let an arrow fly. I let a young 8 pointer walk on the last morning. Gave him some thought but before I gave in a train rolled down the tracks close to me and he bolted.

I like to use doe in heat style attractants in permanent stands when I rattle. It allows me to set them up upwind of my position with the hope they work their nose into a shooting lane for a shot.

[bowhunterhelm]

I think timing is everything. Tejashunter and I rattled in about 15 deer on youth weekend last year. My nephew wound up taking a really nice 11 pointer. We rattled deer in to within 6-8 steps from us.

We went back the very next day and got no responce what so ever. We tried different parts of the ranch and the same part that we rattled the day before. The previous day we had deer showing up immediatly after we started rattling and the next day not a single deer. It was like someone turned the switch off.

I'm no expert for sure. I agree with you that calling deer is the most exciting part of deer hunting. There is noting like it when you get them to come to you.