fingerz42

Well rattling brings in bucks thats obvious but when I go and rattle often times I feel like I diminish my chances of seeing a doe. Is this the case? Does rattling actually decrease the likelihood of seeing does? Or is my way of thinking crazy?

shrewbeer

i am very interested in the opinions on this matter also

drenal

shoot thats a wide opinion also some woods i hunt they could be plenty deer in the field and bucks start going at it other deer are curious and eighter just stay there and watch or pay no attention at all,then in some other parts the fight spooks some deer that are close by
its the curisity of animals that gets them in trouble

GMMAT

I'd say it diminishes your chances of seeing "some" bucks, too.

Interesting article in D&DH this current issue....talking about juvenile/"bully" bucks....and how they might be hindering your herd.....and how it might be best to take them out.

It's saying that the biggest/oldest bucks might not be the "dominant" buck for that area. It aslo mentions that some bucks aren't pugnacious....regardless of their size or age.

So....rattling (it would seem, to me) is a crap shoot. You might take the chance of the biggest not being interested in a fight at all.......nor would he be interested in another buck in the area (if he isn't the fighting kind).

But he knows "something's" "over there" now.....that he wants nothing to do with.

Proven method of kiling deer. What we'll NEVER know is......what you scared away that might have come in.....or what knows you're there, now....that didn't before you rattled.

mauser06

Jeff, i agree with that piece of the article 100% its been pretty much proven that the older bucks are lazy and dont do much breeding at all...its the younger, more energetic bucks that do most the breeding...i dont know, but id say 2.5 and 3.5yos will probably be the dominant bucks and the bucks to be more aggressive and do most of the breeding in the area...

the only times ive rattled, ive had a 1.5yo buck come in like on TV...pretty much as soon as i set the horns down, he was 40-50yds out...came right in on a string lookin for the fight...i kept him around for 15 minutes or so...every time he would take a couple steps away, id give a soft grunt...i had him working circles...the next morning i rattled, grunted and used "the can" i didnt have deer come directly in, but i seen atleast 3 deer that morning...2 1.5yo bucks(the one i killed last year) and another deer that bolted when i shot mine...i didnt see IT under the hemlocks...from the body size id almost guess it was a bigger buck...i was in the mountains where the body sizes are smaller and i definently believe it was bigger than my buck.....i'll never know...but i see a fair bit of deer throughout the year, every year...im usually pretty good about calling a deer a buck before i see the head....actually passed a GIANT drop tine in late flintlock season...came right to me from a drive...i KNEW it was him...huge body...he got in plain view and i was getting ready for the shot and his head gear already fell off....im 195% sure it was "old droptine" as we called him...he was a BIG old buck...not many bucks get to be his age or size....after that i seen the bases...he just dropped a few days prior id bet...i let him walk...though i could filled an antlerless tag with him...i wouldnt felt "right"

Schultzy

I don't think It decreases the chance of seeing doe's at all. Allot of times the doe's will come to It to see what's going on. If you chase anything away It's more then likely a buck.

childers

rattling never does anything for me. i try every year at dif times of day and season. no results

blakefrautschi

I dont think it lessens your chance of seeing does, but i guess it depends on the deer, some bucks dont wanna fight and they'll get scared and trot off, same with some does. I have rattled does in though, it was passed shooting light and i was walking back to the house with a full moon and in a field i walk across i saw a deer so i rattled just to see what would happen and i just kept walking as if i was a four legged animal, maybe like a cow and the deer i saw ran towards me untill about 20 yards away and it turned out to be a doe, or maybe a spike i couldnt tell that well because of the light situation.

So i guess i think i would rattle becvause you have that chance of haveing a nice deer come in to the calling, but you also have the chance of scaring that deer away.

Horizontal Hunter

I don't think that it diminishes your chances of seeing a doe, especially after what happenedto a friend of mine last year. He actually rattled in a DOE. True story. He just completed a rattling sequence and a doe came running in like she was on a string. When he went to field dress her it was obvious that she was in estrus. The only thing that I can figure is that she was expecting to be bred by the winner.

Bob

stabnslab_WI

I have had curious does come in to check out what the heck is going on, but they always seem to keep their distance. I have had best luck calling does in with a mixof soft grunts with fawn bleets.