Over the past 10 years, rattling has been so successful for me I no longer use the " tube" because I have had bucks spook on the tube. I do throw in a throat grunt or two if a buck has taken the bait and is curious but not yet over the edge.

However, I do not rattle by hand, and the horns are not in my stand. They are on the ground but can be lifted to the height I want to lift them.

As for distance that a buck can hear the ticking and rattling.

One morning I observed a buck on a high spot across a very wide and harvested cornfield. He was approx. 1500 yards away with a river between him and me. I lifted the horns, jerked the cord to slam the horns loudly 4 -5 times, danced the horns so they ticked loudly, and then dropped them in the brush a few times and bange the brush and a small sapling nearby. That buck covered the distance so fast, I almost was not able to get on the string fast enough. He pulled up just on the other side of the river at about 40 yards out and would not cross. He is a 12-point big boy and I am not going to take anything but a sure shot.

Later in the year, in the early AM, I saw him in the same field, about 200 -300 to yards out, heading for where he beds. I gave him the horns again. He spun around, and again came on a dead run. This time he hit the river and stood in the water looking around at about 25 yards out. However, he hit the river behind me. I fingered the cord and lightly ticked the horns. He came out of the water, came up the bank, was slowly moving my way, and was going to come to my left

As I slowly turned to position myself for the shot, a " pull-flap" on one of my rubber boots went underneath one of the cables on my stand and " twanged" the cable. The sound was not high-pitched nor was it loud, but it was a quiet morning and he and I were tense. He then demonstrated why he is big. I swear he walked on the water when he crossed back over the river and disappeared into the timber.

Therefore, I would have to disagree that a deer must be close, or that rattling is a waste of time. I have downed a few bucks over horn rattling that did not obey the rules. And I have rattled several in that I did not shoot at, or they missed my arrow.

On two occasions, I have also had does come in.