I've bow hunted for years but never did much rattling. I do use scent and do a fair amount of calling. I currently don't have a set of "real"antlers to rattle with. I do have a rattlin bat, however. For those of you who have had success rattlin, is it necessary to use real ones or are the fake store bought ones ok? What are your feelings on the rattlin bags? Thanks.

I have done it with both real and fake. I have had no success, My doe to buck Ratio is probably off so that does not help. I am not saying it does not work, I have not been impressed to date. Now my scents have worked well, as far as covering my scent. I hunt funnels and thicket edges. All I can say is keep trying it may pay off, I will continue to try.

The rattling bags are easier to pack with You and probably work just as well as regular Antlers as long as the sound fairly real.I just cut a pair of racks off a 8-Point Buck that was too small to have mounted so I tied some heavy boot shoe laces around each one and I pack them with me during Bow and Rifle Season...to me it feels more realistic when your rattling with "Real Horns" than using the rattle bags or the plastic fake horns!

I put my real horns in a camo duffle bag or simply hang them over my shoulder when going out to hunt then I hang them on my bow hanger or rubber coated hooks up in my ladder stand.This past Nov. during Rifle Season I had a Deer walk behind my stand before daylight and walk up towards a Ridge top...I lightly rattled my real Deer Horns together that were still hanging fron one of those Turkey Toe shaped hangers and I blew into my grunt call....a few seconds later the 4-Point Buck came back to my stand and sniffed the Tinks Doe in Estrous scent I had hanging on a limb and walked away only to return about 20 minutes later and check it again.If I hadn't done the rattling he may never had come back closer to where I could tell if he was a "Shooter" or not?

i would say they both work but real antlers are better sounding in my opinion. If you dont have any you can get some on ebay....or shed hunt