I use the Knight and Hale rattle bag. It's easier to carry and conceal and one comes in without you seeing. It works really well, but it's like everything else when it comes to the deer and that's you have to use em at the right time.

Just really got into rattling the past 2 seasons. Always before me and my dad would have setups where one would rattle for the other.

My dad always used a pair of sheds he found. I think these sound better than the rattle bags, but I can't use them nearly as good. I use the bag and it has worked just fine for me. I rattled in 7 bucks the first year and 4 last year. That seems like it is good enough for me. 3 of these have been mature deer but only one came in for a close shot. Will be trying a decoy out this year to try and draw in some bigger deer.

I only rattle where I rifle hunt out west and I have had success with real antlers as well as rattle bags,I walk quite a bit while rifle hunting if you can strap the real antlers to a pack so they don't make any noise while walking.(cover them with something orange so no idiot shoots you) You will definitely get cleaner and crisper tone.
I have rattled in a number of deer with a primos rattle bag,and they are a lot more convenient to carry.

most of the time i use the bag, but when the air is heavier I like to use my synthetics as the sounds has a tendancy to travel further with them.

Never used a rattle bag and never will. I like to scrape trees, and paw ground a bit, hard to do with a rattle bag. I understand it is more handy to carry but how could u ever beat the real thing.

I usea rattle bag, for convenience sake. Last year, I had two bucks walk up, point at me, then say to each other "Man, I knew those weren't real antlers."

Real ones probably sound better to people, but I just don't think deer can tell the difference.

Didn't read all the results however,

If I use them which is very rare or last resort, I prefer real antlers.

That being said I probably have scared more bucks than I've called in (and I usually only ever rattle when I see a buck, never blind), but when it does work, it's cool.

I'd rather use a set of real shed antlers over a rattle bag anyday , you can't get a better sound if you don't use real bone.

Doesn't get any more realistic than the real thing.

Real antlers, nothing better!