Contributors to this thread:
I love to rattle late season black tail deer. However, each year is real hit or miss for me.. it is not uncommon for me to not have any come in a season (five or so days trying.). This year has been real good, four nice bucks so far. Passed on the one pictured. Any rattling experts have some tips or advice on improving the predictability of getting the deer to respond.
Not sure about blacktails but whitetails seem to respond best mid_late Oct in Mn.
After lots of years hunting the norther cascades in Oregon it’s been pretty hot of miss during late archery season.
Not sure what part of the state you I , but where I’m at I think the season opens after the peak of the main buck activity most years.
The only advice I have is still try it, but you never know when it will or won’t work.
Bowhunt, I’m a good ways south of you. I believe you are right on the timing here. Seems like I do best at the beginning of the late season. When I talk to people about rattling I always get answers like “oh, I’ve tried that” or “yea it works sometimes’”.. it’s not like bugling elk, where everyone thinks there an elk whisperer. I’ve never even met someone who says they regularly kill deer using rattling..
The banjo player in the band I was in asked me if I hade any antlers he could use to try rattling. I gave him a nice set of antlers. He went in the woods about noon. He made a hole in a brush pile way back in the woods and started rattling. First time he had ever tried it. A really nice buck came in and he double lunged it. It was a beautiful buck. I have had good luck and then days of nothing.
i am not an expert by any means, of anything. :) i think the buck to doe ratio is a factor of rattling success.
i have had some success with mulies but this has been during the rut in areas with high buck to doe ratios. i use the rattling bag with the ceramic sticks.
i've rattled during elk bow season and have rattled in two satellite bulls as well.
i like trying different techniques if i am not having any action and things are slow. you never know. one year i rattled in and killed a decent 4x4 mulie during montana rifle season.
breaking sticks, making natural noises such as ruffling leaves, and a few grunts or squeals should be part of the rattling strategy.
