I have always wondered on how long of break to wait in between rattling. I usually wait a little over a 1/2 an hour.......is this long enough or to long? Also what combination of calling does everyone use....I tend to either give 2 doe bleats and some different pitched grunts and then rattle and while rattling I also grunt......at the end of rattling I give a couple grunts and maybe just a longer one. Thanks!!!

Anyone here could tell you if your right or wrong, but only you know if it works. The important thing is the waiting. I'd be more inclided to wait 45min.- and hour. Some of them have had their clocks cleaned and will come in a lot slower. If your moving around or letting them pinpoint the sound. Game over.

I tend to start out with a couple soft grunts, then lightly tickle the horns or bag. I do this for about 2 minutes. Then wait 45 minutes or so, then do the same thing. Later in the season Start out the same but increase the volume to a little more agressive and wait about 30 minutes before rattling again. It seems to work well for me.

well for what its worth....... in the pre rut i am not nearly as aggresive as later in the year.... sort of just tickle the horns together ever so often...... no grunting or anything like kicking the dirt and hitting the brush with the horns..... as soon as you SEE signs of the rut get agressive and loud with the horns... in all the fights i have witnessed i have never heard any grunts during the fight.... once they make eye contact and they both realize the fight is coming they tend to get really focused on combat..... (plus im usually too winded to blow the old grunt tube).... and when being agressive with the horns i will hit them for about a minute and then wait about two or three and do it again while making noise with my feet.... as in deer pushing and falling and just thrashing around.... then wait another minute or two and rattle again...... then i will wait about an hour before going after it again if sitting in the same spot..... watching for the ones sneaking in.... and they will sneak in.... be very very still as they are on full alert looking so they wont walk into a a** whooping...if walking i will move about two to three hundred yards before doing it again...
after saying all that you have to know that its like playing a musical instrument.... like willie nelson and uncle ted...... they are very different but oh so very right.....