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Horns or Rattle Bag???

deadeye

deadeye

Active Member
I am wondering what the consensus is here?

I always carry a rattle bag because it is easy. I don't have luck rattling. Like I mentioned in a different post my buddy rattled one in for me. He uses real horns all the time. They are more to carry and can make unwanted noise IMO. However he has luck almost every time he rattles. He comes and hunts with me and has never rattled one in on our land. I think the neighbors educate too many by rattling too much. They do seem to have luck getting them to respond though - unlike me.

What do you guys prefer and why???

THANKS
 
I prefer the real deal but use both. I have a set off a 120" 8 point that I've used for almost 15 years. They have been dinged up quite a bit but sound GREAT!
 
Real deal here. I have never tryed a rattle bag while out hunting. But testing in the store made me pass.

I hope a lot of you can also contibute some good information about rattling.

What time of the year is best?

Rattling techniques and sequences?

Reactions of different age groups of bucks to different styles of rattling?

Anything else on the subject of rattling?
 
Real horns have you ever seen a deer running around with a rattle bag on it's head? Then why would those bags sound like horns?
The key to rattling is something that most people don't do and that is make as much ground noise as possible. Sure you will get lucky once in a while out of a tree but to be consistent you have to make ground noise and a lot of it. Big bucks know better than to believe that other deer fight standing still.
If you don't have a buddy to rattle for you take a string tie around your foot tie the other end to a set of horns and leave them hanging in the brush on the ground and then swing your foot to make the horns rake the brush and also bang together. You can't make it very loud but it does create ground noise.
Use a ground blind and start out rattling just outside the blind and go in a 20 yard half circle so you never go out in front of the blind always stay behind the blind rattle for about 3 minutes and end up back in the blind and get ready they come in with no notice. The deer will always come in from the downwind side but you may pick them up circling your position so grow eyes in the back of your head.
The last 2 P&Y I have taken while rattling was on Oct 30 and Oct 18 so I have found in Iowa from Oct 15 to Nov 5 or so it is effective. Also effective in late season when some of those yearling does come into heat it isn't quite as effective late season but you will find one once in a while that will still mix it up over a yearling that late in the season. If you see a buck a couple hundred yards away and you put the horns together and he turns tail and runs away don't blame it on the rattling that buck probably just got his rear end kicked in and is a little skiddish but stay hunting there because that also indictates that there is a bigger buck close by that is running the show. I guess the last thing I would like to say is don't over rattle a spot if you rattle and you only get a response from little bucks put the horns away for about a week because that tells me the big boys know that there aren't any does in heat yet so they know there is nothing to fight over yet so they just let the little ones check it out.
Just a short story about rattling. 2 years ago I was rattling in a make shift ground blind with a river to my back (so no deer could sneak up on my backside always if it is possible put a river,rock bluff,steep gully etc.. to your back.) I rattle in 2 100 inch deer they meet and they started getting so excited they started a real live throw down right in front of me when those 2 really got going they were making so much noise they called in 9 different bucks to my area only 2 possible shooters out of the nine I never got a clear shot at either one of them but what a show.
 
real horns. the bigger they are the bigger the bucks that come in for me it seems. as far as doing it in a treestand or off the ground i have never noticed a difference as far as how the bucks respond. i've rattled in way more bucks out of a tree than off the ground.
 
Real bones for me. Rattling seems to have waves of response from year to year. Last year, I rattled in 3, the year before, 20, the year brfore that, 30+ etc. Most in one day, 9 (2000 season) . I have never rattled off the ground but can see where it would sound more authentic. I have been fortunate enough to witness several full blown buck brawls in 20 years and they sound awesome. Loud grunts, bone on bone, leaves and twigs crunching and breaking, small trees getting mowed over etc.

From a treestand, you cannot replicate a true buck fight nor even get close. One thing that has helped in years past though is to tie all of your tree trimmings to a rope and to your stand and in between antler clashes, yank the rope up off the ground and let it slam back to earth. Gives a little more sound to your sequence and may persuade a big one to roll in. Also, simulate bucks rubbing by raking the antlers on the tree a few minutes before the sequence. I have had mature deer come to that alone. Last year, I called in about ten deer on the grunt, snort wheeze alone. The use of a decoy really helps when calling because it gives the responding buck a visual thus further confirming the "fake" fight.

My opinion on the key to rattling is timing and the deer's attitude. Non aggressive bucks do not want to come to the horns especially if they have had thier butt in a ringer already by the dominant buck. Also, if there are a lot of does around, a buck may not want to risk getting injured over a doe knowing he can search a little longer and find a loner in heat. I am sure that was my problem here in Illinois last year. Does galore on the best farm. I saw a ton of mature bucks but all were already tending to or chasing does.A buck to doe ratio nearing 1:1 to 1:2 which is very tough to achieve yield much better results than 1:5-6. Whatever you choose, don't base it on what you have to carry to the stand, base it on the tone and volume. Real antlers hands down do the trick more often than the bags of dowel rods and plastic. Experience with the both of them have led me to use the real bones.
 
I've had the most luck with real antlers. I've tried a rattle bag and really haven't had much luck. Although, I usually carry one in my backpack...just in case I forget my antlers in the truck.
 
Real antlers for me. I use a set that I cut down so they would be easier to pack. They are a bit palmated and are basically just a larger set of forked antlers. I was worried that they would not sound as good after I sawed them off but they sound the same to me. I can stick one of each of the long tines in the top of my rubber boots when I'm not using them so I don't have to hang them up if a Buck comes in quick. I've had as much luck using them as any other set I've tried. I have tried a rattle bag in the past and had no luck whatsoever with them.

In my experience with rattling I've found the Buck to Doe ratio to be as important to success as what time of year. Your setup is also important. I have the most success when I rattle in a spot that makes a Buck come in close to see what's going on. If I'm on a field edge where he can see across to my setup there is a lesser chance for him to come in. If I'm in a spot that has a bluff or steep ridges a varied terrain they have to get close to see what's up. As always, some years are better than others. the 2000 season was hot for rattling. 2001 was good but not as good as the previous year and 2002 just plain stunk for me and the bones. I don't know why, but that's the way it is sometimes.
 
I have used the Synthetic ones with good response. I use my bow tow rope and tie them on to rattle them from ground level. The buck I killed last year came into it with the aid of a deke. I also bought the rattle bag last year. Had a buddy throw some chunks cut from carbon arrows in the mix......sounds pretty authentic to me. One thing I have learned is that you know when they are coming to your ratteling. Their response is usually very quick.
 
I have always favored the real thing but one must be careful as old bone can splinter and I had a buddy create his own blood trail after getting hit above the eye with a sharp broken tine.

I have seen a direct relationship of the rattling antler size poportional to what shows up. When I use my 130" set, nothing under 140" has ever came in.

With a bag or small antlers, anything can show up. You have to take the chaff with the wheat. I usually only rattle the bag if I see something I want.

I think the bags are more convenient for handling.

I like the idea of keeping the sound at ground level.

Luck has alot to do with faith in your efforts......

When the time is right, little else matters.
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I also use real antlers. I have found however that traditional rattling with real antlers can usually only be done with 2 hands, leaving your bow hanging on the hook. I now carry both in the event I rattle (with real horns) and have one coming in, if he hangs up I can then rattle (with the bag) with one hand and still hang onto my bow. I've done this several times and seems to work really nicely.

I like to have a hold of my bow when I see deer coming!

Pupster
 
Seems to me like you need the real deal. I was very curious as to this since I have not had luck rattling period... I picked up a lot of good info. I can't wait to try my luck this year.

THANKS ALL - you can keep talking too.
 
i like real anlters the bigger the better. seems like the more leaves and rustling sounds you make the better the reactions. a good time to take out some of those pesky branches that are full of leaves, hanging all around your tree when you throw it up quick and dont have much time for trimming. my one friend watched this one guy, that had two brush piles between two ridges. he would run down the hill in the leaves rattling the hole way and then jump in the brushpile and get ready, then if nothing came in awhile he would repeat the procedure all night long. dont know if it ever worked but thought it was pretty funny seeing a guy running back and forth between brushpiles
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probably sounded really great and looked really weird. As long as he made it to the brush pile in time he might have been on to a good idea. Imagine the look on his face when a 170 class comes bolting in and locks up because he is dead center between brush piles:
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There are some great ideas on this thread! I'm going to have to get my horns back out and try some of these strategies. I've never had any luck with a bag and didn't like carrying horns. The idea using horns on the ground with a blind and maybe a decoy sounds interesting. Thanks for all the input!
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I used to use real antler and a grunt tube with a doe bawl thrown in once in a while with good results.
Tryed one of them rattle boxes before with no results.
Anymore a grunt tube is about all i carry.
I had good hunting around some ground that boraderd a lake.A no hunting lake with a high deer population.These deer reacated to rattling and grunting very good.Had many times when i know a decoy would have paid off.These deer get educated fast.Most of the time they would come in a hang up at least 50 yards away or more looken to see where the deer in question were.
This land has since been sold and i cant hunt it any more,found out rattling and grunting in a area with one quarter of the deer population that has heavy hunting pressure was much harder getting results rattling or grunting.Any more i carry just the grunt tube and i dont use it unless things have been slow.
I have heard you can save a deer tail and use it as some what of a decoy.By hanging it in a bush with a string tied to it.When the buck hangs up give it a few little jerks and it is said its enough some times to let them think there is some other deer accually there abouts.Never tried it but it may be easyer than packing a decoy around.
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