No, its not too early for light rattling. Good friend of mine watched two bucks fight just a couple nights ago...I hit em together yesterday morning with no response....but its never TOO early.
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Mathews.....Catch Us If You Can!
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ive been doin a little bit but not alot of interest yet. i had a little fork horn think about checking it out but he decided not to. but with the temps dropping and it coming into the end of oct it will be heating up.
Well yesterday the forecast was very cold.. a low of 27 and high of 50 here in upper PA. So I thought with the cold temps, that I could rattle up some deer. I'm not talking light rattling either, I did a decent fight scene. Well I rattled once, with no response, waited 15 minutes did it again and within 5 minutes I had a 6 point 6 yards from my stand looking for what was going on. After he saw nothing he decided to strut away and make a scrape and then rough up some trees on his way out. I gave him some time and about an hour laterI rattled again, this time as soon as I stopped calling I heard RUNNING. It was a doe and a 4point. They came in and the 4 point was chasing her and ran back out. This was just my morning session. I went back out around 4 pm, and around 530 I did my first rattling session, then again around 5:50. At 6 oclock I had another big bodied spike come in VERY cautiously. He came looked around, walked the creek, then went up the hill. So in my opinion, the rattling is not only fine to try, but it is WORKING. Not to mention my younger brother has rattled up a 4 point and another scrub buck in the past week.
Early in the season bucks are playing around and sparring somewhat, not intensely in contest for does, but in a more playful manner. Lightly rattling can and likely will draw some attention to you as other bucks will think that some bucks are around. Of course, you don't want to rattle like its an intense fight
I rattled a little this last thursday evening. Had 6 does come in looking to see what was up. Then had 2 other deer coming in but the neighbor drove by on his side by side, little black dog in tow, and spooked them off before they came clear of the thick stuff where I could get a look at their heads. Gonna try again this Wed. morning with a decoy, see what happens.
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If I'm not hunting, I'm thinking about hunting. If I'm not thinking about hunting I must be dead.
I was thinking about getting some horns out tomorrow evening when I hit the woods!!! As was said above, it's really never too early, as long as it's light.
I've been doing a little light rattling the past few weeks here in Missouri and haven't got anything to come in yet,it has been getting colder and it should pick up within the nexy few weeks.I've also been using a Doe Decoy sparingly and will use it more as we get closer to the rut!
Too early?
