RE: Rattlin' Blackies
After years of half-assed trying bleats/grunts/scents, I finally decided to try rattle.
I went and bought "earth" coverscent, two brands of doe urine, and Rattlin' Bag, I already had, The Can (bleat & heat) doe call, and a Grunt tube.
My partner and I were huntng over a clear cut bordered by reprod in Capitol Forest one evening last week. I started a sequence, waited ten minutes and did it again. While glassing I noticed a very large deer skirting the edge of the cut. I rattled again and the deer stopped and stared in my direction. At about 300 yards, in the dark timber I could tell this was a large deer. I called my partner over (I killed a three point earlier in the day) and he got set up in case a shot presented itself. The deer did not move for almost 4 minutes and we had ample time for glassing, but it was in the shadows and we could not positively make out antlers. As it turned to moved deeper into the timber we saw that it was a very large buck, at least 4 points on one side, but by then it was too late.
I think my lesson learned is better concealment and work in thick cover.