Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Rattling

I've been seeing some bucks sparring on cams the last couple days. I'm in Dale so this question is for you guys in the southeastern part of the state. Have you ever done any blind rattling and actually had a buck come to you? I've had some spikes come by before but nothing mature. I know bachelor groups are about to start busting up, so figured it's time to try it. Hopefully it won't scare them to the next county.

I have not. I know others swear by it and some big buck killers on here don't go to the woods without rattling antlers, but I've tried here in AL and in TN and TX and have never pulled one rattling. Grunt calls, yes, but not rattling. But I won't stop trying. I reckon it'll work at some point.

Ive never had alot of luck in alabama..ive had some smaller bucks come by me when i just happened to have rattled prior to their arrival..cant say they actually came because of the rattling..now..in south texas..from about thanksgiving until new years…they will absolutely maul your butt…iustah walk out of my little apartment on the ranch an whack some sheds together..theyd be 4-7 bucks in eyesight within 5 min…its like that everywhere down there..in peak rut..it is kinda dangerous to rattle alone..me and my brother both have had close calls where we coulda got hurt by some big deer…a couple deer were shot basically in self defense…its alot of fun because they are so responsive…but you gotta be on your toes..and you show nuff got to be careful..cause it aint no joke out there.

It was about like that in KS 20+ years ago.

I have had good luck in the past, and the sparring is really starting to pick up in Madison County. If deer come into the rattle sequence you typically will know because they are on alert and scanning the area for the ruckus. The downside is that once they realize no deer are nearby, they start to get skittish. Including a decoy with your sequence can really help heat things up.

It will work ANYWHERE there is good buck numbers and age structure . The most successful time for me is pre-rut , about the two weeks preceding the actual breeding period.

Pro tip: when you rattle , do it loud and long , you want to sound like two grown uns going at it. I learned that from watching two nice bucks in a real fight , not any pushing and shoving stuff. They "rattled in" a third big buck that lost his life.

In the past week, I’ve seen several bucks with broken antlers hitting the feeders in cullman county (first rut started). I haven’t rattled much in Alabama, but I’ve brought in some small bucks and my dad called in another hunter once while rattling when I was with him (long time ago)

Never rattled or grunted one up to my knowledge. Stopped carrying horns 20 years ago. I still carry a Broadway grunt call but I’ve never had anything respond.

I’ve lost my marbles on numerous occasions rattling, in Bankhead. Only to find out it was a spike. 4point, 6point when they came in to view. Haven’t ever rattled up a “shooter”

We did it in Texas during the rut. It was crazy. We were standing in a road just messing around, and the bucks came running in.

I rattle in a good one every year. I’m in the black belt in Alabama so not southeast. It’s more about timing then anything. I have the most luck mid morning during the rut or pre rut. Two tactics I use, one covering the down wind side of a large/ thick clearcut on a cold morning and the other way back off the beaten path watching a road or sitting on a hillside watching a big bottom. The bucks will not be able to locate the sound, only pinpoint the direction and will make an attempt to get downwind of you to find the source. I’ve killed four or five this way and call in all age classes. Watch for movement.

I wanted to edit my post and say that I think rattling goes hand in hand with the quality of the property you are hunting. If you are hunting property that is short on numbers of deer and age classes of bucks I could see how rattling or grunting would be less effective.

Yes, I have.

I've killed several rattling over the years but the percentage of attempts to harvest are very very low. When it works though it's awesome and 9 times out of 10 it's usually a full grown man that shows up when it happens.

I've never had one respond to rattling antlers. I have experienced some unreal hunts with a grunt call.

I can't say I have ever had one come into rattling, but I do it any way when I think the time is right....I know I have had them blow at me while rattling.....I have had good success using a grunt call though....

I've rattled in two bucks out of hundreds of tries here in Alabama. It was on the same piece of public land and a few years apart. Both times, the rut was one week away. The first was a small 6 point that came running in hard. He stopped and was looking around for the fight. The second deer was a nice 8 point. I had gotten to the stand at daybreak (later than I wanted). I had to get in the stand quick and chose a pine tree that was too big for my climber. I had to attach the cable to the last hole. I was making bark fall like crazy; it was so loud. Luckily, the fog was so thick, I could not see past 40 yards...so I knew the deer couldn't see me either. I was on the edge of a cutover. I thought maybe if I rattled and simulated a horned fight...a buck nearby would think the bark scraping was a buck rubbing a tree. I hit the horns for a few seconds and paused to listen. I immediately heard crashing out in the fog. Crashing and thrashing and could make out a small tree shaking. I strained hard to see through the fog and made out a buck thrashing that tree. He stopped and walked straight to me. 20 yard shot and stuck him!...It was like a scripted TV hunting show. But other than that...It hasn't been worth the trouble of carrying horns around.

FYI, an old buddy of mine used to hunt Dale County on 60 acres of thick pines. He told me he used to rattle in big bucks there quite often when the date and wind was right. He had a handful of nice bucks mounted, so I believed him.

I’ve never rattled one in but I did kill a full grown 8 pointer with a bow and the use of grunts and two snort wheezes. He came in on a string stiff legged and bristled up. Never would’ve had the chance without the snort wheezes.

This has been my experience too. Also, killing one you rattled in with a bow means everything
went your way. Especially in timber. They will generally circle downwind out of bow range.

Close to and during the rut, I’ll rattle once or twice if it’s slow or just before I leave. Never once had it even remotely work

If you aren't really rattling but rather just tickling the tines you will attract young bucks... they pretty well push around on each other about all the time.

If you rattle you need to be on the ground that is why most have never had success.... it just doesn't work from a tree or shooting house IMO but I am sure someone will say it has worked for them. Never has for me from a tree.

From the ground several times.