RE: Rattling
early season I only rattle my carbon arrows that are in my quiver. Rake my metal release against them and it's effective for non agresive rattling. This time of year I use real antlers to get more volume. The best rattling results for me though isn't standing in a tree stand. Got to be on the ground and adding stomping sounds by beating antlers on the ground together. Rattling antlers or a rattle bag from a tree stand just has'nt worked for me like it does for the guys on TV.
One time I was set up on the ground and just opened a can of Mountain Dew. My first drink went down wrong and I couldn't help coughing. I had just got there, didn't want to ruin my stand so I grabbed the antlers and as I coughed I beat the heck out of them on the ground and brush around me. When I got control and stopped coughing, I leaned back against the tree, looked across the woods and here comes one of the biggest bucks I've ever seen bow hunting AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR A FIGHT! What a rush! I watched him mangle a few small pine tree's, strut around like a brama bull then I rattled once too often. He charged straight at me and then turned himself inside out when he cought sight of me on one knee at full draw 15 yards away. At one point I thought I was going to have to shoot him straight on in self defense. He closed the distance so fast that I actually drew my bow in self deffense. One second my pin is between his eyes, the next I see his white underside then tail. I'd call it a back flip with a half twist. At his speed, his feet only needed to touch the ground 1 more time to close that last 15 yards, I had a vision of releasing the arrow from about 3 feet away if he didn't turn before that. I also determined that his main beams were wider apart than my chest is wide and had a vision of his G2's in my arm pits....It's incredable what can flash through your mind in times of danger.lol I never released the arrow yet is absolutly one of my best hunts ever and it was over in less than 3 minutes at that blind.
My question to fellow rattlers is do you take at 10-15 yard shot at a buck in rut straight on? If so, what are you aiming at? My answer unfortunatly is no. After that opportunity I practiced for the "next time." The next time came, I took the shot, straight on, ground to ground, from 10 yards. No exit wound, broadhead made it to the pelvic bone taking 1 lung on the way, the brisket protected his heart, arrow just missing. That buck over 2 hours later nearly killed me. It layed down 100 yards or more away, waited and charged me from a blind side, then died.
When you've got a buck in rut responding to rattling, you're messing with an adrenalized animal. Wound that animal, he will fight, that's what he's there to do in the first place. Fight. When you rattle, be prepared, be carefull, be 100% ready, and pick your shot placement wisely. Broadside broadside and broadside are the 3 shots you want. Expect that buck to come in fast and furious but also know on some days he'd rather take a loop around first to scout his apponent. Depends on his mood I guess.
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American by birth, hunter by choice.
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