Does anybody have any tips on when the best time, place, or all- round situation to do any rattling? I have usually ratttled alot during the rut and pre-rut phases. But if anyone has any tips on timing, technique, etc. i would appreciate the help. Thanks, KS_Bowhunter

When deer come in to rattling they like to circle downwind to smell the area first. I like to be on the edge of a field or river to keep them from going downwind.

Another for me is, I like to rattle if there are squirrels making noise in the leaves. It helps with the deer thinking something is on the ground.

i usually rattle pretty heavy about the same time of year that you do. i couldn't tell you that those are the best times to rattle but they've seemed pretty solid in the areas that i hunt.

I find in my area that during the pre rut that instead of heavy rattling I only tickle the tines so to speak because during the pre rut its just minor sparing matches nothing major but during the rut I grut a few times then hit the bag pretty hard at the same time tring to sound realistic then I stop grut again then a few seconds later I rattle again I do this a couple of times then quit for a while. Hopfully I bring a buck in during my first routine if not then I repeat the same routine but not to close together and not to far apart, it can also be beneficial to throw in a doe bleat before,during or after this routine just to intice the horney/aggressive bucks a little more.