what to do when you hear rattling?
 

So I go hunting this morning, get my new pop-up blind out that I've been
eager to use, get it all setup. Sun come up, see one doe about 100 yds to
my right, watch her, ends up going into the milo. Later I hear 2 bucks
fighting! That's interesting, never heard that before. I grunt, nothing.
As I get ready to leave, I look back where I walked in, and under the stand
that I had been hunting, I see a deer walk into the woods! If I had just
sat there this morning I'd have some meat in the freezer! :(

Now to my question, When I heard the 2 fighting, should I have not grunted? What should I have done? It was in the direction of the first doe I saw. It was a light rain this moring and didn't put any scent or anything out.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

If i was in your shoes keith i would of took a walk over to investigate, its slim to none that grunting would bring the 2 bucks over to you or let alone one of them. In the case of them bucks fighting there guard was probally down and you may have been able to sneak up on them especiallly with the light rain.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

Two bucks fighting has a unique sound. I think I would suggest unique up on them!

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

I guess the main reason I didn't was I didn't know where the doe was, if she was still in the milo and didn't want to get busted. I guess we all learn from out mistakes.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

Just out of curiosity, if you didn't see the bucks are you sure it wasn't someone else rattling?

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

If grunting wasn't working I'd have tried a doe bleat. IMO bucks fight this time of year for a reason, so give them a reason. The best bet would be to wait until you hear a break in the fighting. I think there is little that will get a bucks attention while he's in a sparing match.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

I would have either tried to sneak up and Kung Fu them or try to break them off the brawl with a doe bleat.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

positive, I was the only one there, hunting private ground.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

Well they arer fighting over hot mommas ,so I would of used the hot momma bleat

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

Put a stalk on them, even if you spooked the doe, it wouldnt matter. If you ever seen two bucks fightn, man there are deer running all over the place coming in and leaving just checking stuff out. Does get spooked by that kind of activity, and they wouldnt have paid any attention to her anyway they are fightn.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

I wuoldn't have handled it much different than you did. I'd grunt a few times once they were done and throw in some doe contact calls to entice them that you are a buck and you have a doe with you.

I sit patiently, call again and perhaps do light sparing with the antlers and again sit patiently. If you don't call them in at least you know they are there and you haven't spooked them. A good stalk might get you in but it might also bust them out of there as well.

In your case, perhaps they didn't hear you, had does around or just weren't interested in another fight without a doe present. Great hunt anyway.

RE: what to do when you hear rattling?
 

I had the same situation a couple of weeks ago. I waited until they were done sparing and walked off into the woods. about a couple of min. later I gave a couple of bleats from my can call. both bucks came running back to the doe that was still there. they tried to 'put the moves on her' and after she kicked one of them they decided to go looking for whoever made the call and came right to my stand. It might not work twice but it did for me.