I do it all the time. The best and only time to rattle is during the rut. Whenever that is wherever you hunt, thats the time to rattle. In texas its December. Also you may want to use real horns instead ofa rattle bag. Another thing to take into consider is the buck to doe ratio in your area. IF you have a high buck to doe ratio rattling will not be very effective. In south texas the ranch i hunt on has a 1:1 buck to doe ratio which provides very good conditions for rattling. No scent is necessary but i dont suppose some doe in heat or buckurinewould hurt nothin. My normal rattling routine consists of rattling at one location and waiting awihle. I also prefer to be on the ground while rattling.Bucks dont fight in the trees. Dont forget to scrape the ground around you and brush up against some trees around you. If nothing happens i move on. Small deer also react to rattling so dont worry about scaring anything off.