Has anyone ever had any luck or ever called in a buck with a rattle bag?? If so would it matter which brand and does it sound good to you??? Thanks, Jim

Got one last season I am not overly inpressed with it I am not one to go out and go crazy with it but the couple times I did try to bring a buck in he didn't seem very willing to come in. I had a 6 pointer out in a marsh late bow season and twice I rattled and he would stop turn around but not come toward me. Just hasn't impressed me thats for sure.

There is no way one can obtain the actual sound of real antlers or simulate the different contact sounds made when bucks are clipping or banging antlers.

I use a heavy set of real antlers that came off a healthy 8-pointer. I have had many bucks come running to "rattling," pre-rut and in rut. I am so sold on rattling, that when I do rattle I get into a ready position because the odds are high one will come running in.

However, I do not rattle by hand. Deer are very good at pinpointing direction and height of sound. I have the antlers tied off at each antler base with about 18" of rubber cord. I then tie a nylon cord in the middle of the rubber cord and suspend the antlers just off the ground, either directly below me or across a tree limb 10 to 15 yards from me. I always make sure there is brush near the antlers so that I can bang the ground and rattle the brush, just as bucks do when jousting.

This technique also allows me to have my bow in hand while rattling.

Meant to say:

There is no way one can obtain the actual sound of real antlers or simulate the different contact sounds made when bucks are clipping or banging antlers.....with a rattle-bag.

hoytusa10,
I've had about as many does respond as I have bucks, to my rattling bag. The rattling bag that I have is from Cabelas. Recently, I attempted to shorten the doll rods inside the bag to make it easier to carry, BUT all that did was change the pitch in the sound of the rattling bag....NOT GOOD. I don't use it any more.

I've had far far more responses from an inhale doe bleat call! Let's face it, the does are what the deer social structure is all about. Fawns like does, does like does and bucks certainly like does. So, why not try to sound like a doe? Inhale calls won't allow you to call too loudly and that's a plus.

Nothing wrong with rattling, but there's an intemidation factor there, that's not a "sure thing". If a buck hears the rattle of antlers, perhaps he's recently had his butt kicked, it's a good possibility that he's not going to be up for it again.

I can and have had respones from deer, using a doe bleat call, in the Spring and Summer months.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

Guns cause crime, like silverware causes Rosie O'Donnell to be fat.

I bought a rattle bag 2 years ago because I didn't like carrying a noisy set of antlers into the woods and then getting them silently up to my hunting height. I'm not happy with the bag either! Although I thought it sounded pretty good in the store, I don't think it sounds natural anymore. It sounds like 12 PAIRS of deer fighting--too many pieces banging together to be just 2 ten pointers. It's a little "tinny" sounding too.

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.

Although I have never read any scentific facts about it, I have to go with "Bowhunter57's" comment:

"Nothing wrong with rattling, but there's an intemidation factor there, that's not a "sure thing". If a buck hears the rattle of antlers, perhaps he's recently had his butt kicked, it's a good possibility that he's not going to be up for it again."

Makes sense. I have seen young bucks staying at a distance while watching bigger bucks rock-n-roll.

That is why I use 2 methods of rattling. One that sounds like a heavyweight division, and another that is light and clipping to simulate young bucks punching each other in the shoulder while daring the other to take first punch. LOL

As for callers, it must be me. Only once am I sure I called a buck in. Most of the time they leave the country in great leaps and bounds.
Same reason I do not use "attracting" scents. I have seen too many negative reactions to such scents. Once I stopped using attracting scents, the deer population and traffic increased.

I have tried them over the years only had it seem to work once. not for sure if it was the bag or not. heck anymore I hardly use any calls, scents or anything else. I have tried all of the stuff & have had better luck not using any of it. I do like a grunt call - have had some success with it.

I have gone the route, as many bow shooters have and will. I have stuff in my tackle box and drawers -the wood kind, that I have long forgot what the purpose was.

When you finally smarten up; the fog clears up and you thump yourself in the forehead with the heel of your hand.

Undetected, location, and placement; that is the formula. Why try to entice deer to come off routes they use and follow every day? Why introduce sounds and scents into their area that they are not familiar with? Go in as undetected as possible; leave in the same manner. Go in high when the air current is rising, go in low when the air current is falling. Sometimes the best entrance and/or exit may entail a longer walk.

C903 i'm with you some people think there's a magic bullet out there. when all they got to do is spend more time in the woods and less at the store. keep your nose into the wind and all will be find.

you can use your pepper spray my 12 gauge with 3 inch slugs works fine