az.hunter,

Welcome to the forum!

Well, my first "advice" I can give is to try and focus on just a few questions in one post. When people read your thread and see 12 different questions, it's an intimidating thing to think "Where do I start?!!!"

I usually advise people to have 3 questions MAX in a post, but I go over that amount too. It just makes it easier for people to focus and not be so tied up in trying to answer all the questions. LOL!

I try and only use a snort-wheeze when I have visual of a buck. It's a last ditch effort to try and bring him in if he's not responding to other things like the calls and rattlin'.

Rattlin' is another good thing to do to bring them in from a long ways. You have to consider the time of year and figure how your rattling sequence should go. This can be best answered by your outfitter as he'll try and give you the best advice he can; it's in his best interest that you succeed!

Now here in MN(at the moment) I don't go all out, but just shy of that. Earlier I was tickling the antlers like a couple of bucks do when they're socializing; usually with a buck they are familiar with. This is done lightly. Imagine a couple of bucks getting close to each other and they lightly touch their racks together and lightly push and turn their heads while their gear is together. There's no real force here, just a little play I guess.

Then the season is getting here where those "tickling" sessions start to be an all out brawl. I've seen most fights up here around the 1st and 2nd weeks of November. If you have his attention while rattling, stop for a moment to see what his reaction is. If he is just standing there, you can throw in a grunt or two, but that's it. If he's still standing there, be quiet and motionless and force his next move. He either approaches or moves on. If he moves on, then try to get him again, but you'll have to keep working him until he does what you want and that may include more grunting. Once he's made the decision to come in, I may keep rattling a little if he's way out, but at some point I'll quit as not to rattle him or give my pin-point location away.

If the outfitter places you in a high traffic area, I wouldn't rattle or grunt at all. I want to be invisible and quiet, letting patience be my guide because the downside to rattling is the buck is now focused on you. The tree or blind you are in will also determine how long or if you should be rattling. If I'm in a sparsely covered tree, then I'm not apt to be rattling because I'll be picked off too easily.

Best of luck out there. Some day I'd like to get with an outfitter somewhere and have some fun too!

iSnipe