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Thread: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

  1. #1
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    Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

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    Last edited by Jelvis; 01-02-2014 at 10:18 PM.

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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

    ive rattled in late october and have had mulys come in. i use small three point whitetail racks. i also use a quaker boy doe in heat bleat with it, it also works with the blactails around here, when they are in rut.i also use buck rut scent wafers. i always stay up hill , look for a draw that the deer come up, keep watching for movement in the distance.just rattle and bang the antlers on the ground once in a while to make the sound of hooves hitting the ground and add a few doe bleats. remember it works around the time the deer are rutting. ex cache creek, mid oct to dec. have fun. Mark

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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

    I've had incredible action some years and none others.

    Like Ruger said, late Oct and early Nov. After that I don't even carry them with me.

    I find most times instead of the buck coming in, they generally come out in the open for a good look and then hang around posturing and beating on bushes etc. A lot of the times the does walk out in the open first. Scan around the timber for movement. Most likely there will be bucks with them getting ornery somewhere. One year we had 5 bucks come to the edge of a hill where we knew they bedded after a quick rattle. One by one they appeared. One of them was a monster.

    They biggest rack I have seen with my own eyes was a mid 190ish typical who came out after I rattled out 2 dinks. I was so occupied with the young bucks that I didn't even see him march out into the wide open. I fired 6 shots @80 yards at this guy and all were very low(rifle was shooting 18" low i find out later). Had no more ammo in my pocket and forgot my day pack in the truck. I almost walked right up to him after that. He continued with his antics trying to intimidate me as I tickled and grunted.

    I walked away first.

    This is how stupid they can get after a rattling session.

    I've rattled in/out countless younger to mid aged bucks.

  5. #4
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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jelvis
    Is there someone who is experienced with antler rattling, for muley bucks. Either by experience or from reading about it, in hunting mags or videos, who could shine a light on this subject. I have seen guys in the southern interior of B.C. that, say it works. Also if you have heard the word " sounding " which mule bucks do to locate another dominant buck. I need to know cause the muley season is very close (1) How to do it (2) Where to do it eg. On a hill etc. (3) How often to do it (4) Against trees or shrubs (5) What time of day (6) What time of the season is best (7) The size of antlers used. Can you think of things to help in this interesting way to locate Mule deer bucks? Antler rattling for Mule Deer does it really work?
    I have not much experience with mule deer, but have been told by experienced muley hunters that the calling tactics for whitetail deer also work on muley’s.

    1.)I have never heard of “sounding”, perhaps that is something unique to mule deer, whitetail bucks make different grunting sounds to greet another buck, a doe, or to challenge another buck. The greeting grunt is one to three soft grunts. The challenging grunt is a deep guttural aggressive sounding snort. All the sounds you need, can be produced easily with a quality grunt tube, such as on offer from Primos Game Calls or Knight & Hale Game Calls. Most of these calls come with an instructional video or sound tape. Listen to the sounds on the tape and then try to copy them on your calls. Good deer calls can be adjusted with a rubber “O” ring to produce the different sounds of bucks, does and even fawns.
    2.)Game calling only works on trails where deer travel, near feeding and bedding areas. Unlike turkey and elk, deer will not go out of their traveled way to investigate a call.

    Antler Rattling:

    1.)Antler rattling can work if it is done right. The mistake some hunters make is to rattle to loud, to often, to aggressive and for to long.
    2.)Same as above (under #2) with the addition that, at least by whitetail deer, transition areas (edges) are preferred places too.
    3.)A rattling session should last not much longer than about 3 to 4 minutes and no more than ones every hour.
    4.)Start your rattling antler session with a buck grunt or two. Then rake the antlers on tree trunks, a bush or on the ground. Grunt again hit the antlers on the ground or stamp with your feed. Click gently the antlers together then grind them against each other. Stop for a second or two and make one grunt call, stamp the ground again, now click the antlers a little harder and keep clicking louder, building up to a crescendo. As you do this move the antlers around in front of you and keep rustling the leaves on the ground with your feet.

    Note:
    What you try to achieve is to make the buck fight sound as natural as possible. When bucks fight they do not stay motionless and just bang the antlers together. They move around, circle each other, stomp the ground and snort. Antler rattling and calling works best from the ground. There is nothing natural about a deer calling or two bucks fighting 20 feet high up in a tree. Deer have very directional hearing they can pinpoint exactly where a sound comes from.
    Try not to sound like two monster bucks fighting with each other. Sound like two inferior bucks. The reason for this is that if there are no big dominant bucks in the area you are liable to scare every single deer out of the area. Bucks are scared when they hear big dominant bucks fighting and won’t come to look and risk getting their butts kicked. However, all bucks even the dominant ones, will investigate a fight of two smaller bucks.

    Watch out:
    Bucks that come in to antler rattling do one of two things. Either they come rushing in like runaway trains (I got once almost run over by a buck). Or, and that is more often the case, they hang up well back and observe the area with their eyes, or they come sneaking in ever so quietly and always from downwind. Many bucks that come in to rattling are never seen by hunters, because the buck has either seen them from far away or has smelled the hunters from downwind.

    While you rattle keep your eyes peeled and carefully look around you for the slightest movement. Don’t be afraid that a buck will detect your movement for as long he does not identify you as a human. Bucks that come to rattling expect to see movement.

    After your rattling session pick your gun/bow up fast and be ready to shoot. Pick your shooting lanes before you start rattling. A buck that come to rattling will not stick around for long, as soon he realized that he has been fooled – that takes him only a second or two – he will be out of there faster than you can align your scope or settle the pin on him.

    Trick the Buck out:
    Over the years I have come up with several ways to prevent a buck from hanging up on me or sneaking in a big circle down wind of me. Set your rattling station up in such a way that any approaching buck has to come within shooting range to see what is going on. Such set ups can be just around a corner or below a ridge forcing the buck to come around the corner or over the ridge top to see what’s going on. If you are on the ridge top or in the wide open the buck will see you from a long way. Deadfall trees are perfect to bring a buck close, because the buck has to walk around the tree to see you.

    I also like to set up with my back to a cliff or open field. Bucks that approach to rattling try to circle in the cover downwind from you to get behind you. Setting up in a way that prevents the buck from breaking cover and come into the open to get downwind from you leaves him no other choice but to come directly to you.

    5.)Depending at the time of the season. In the early season, as soon they shed the velvet, bucks don’t fight but they wrestle with each other. Gentle rattling imitating a friendly match will work in the morning and in the evening when deer travel most. In the Pre-Rut the fighting gets a bit more serious but still somewhat friendly. Gentle rattling and lots of brush and bark raking will attract bucks all day long. Where the fighting can get very aggressive all day and night long is during the rutting season. I say, “can” because it depends at the buck to doe ratio. In areas where there are plenty does bucks have no need to fight. As soon the first doe comes in season the buck will stay with her until the next comes in season. In such areas leave the rattling antlers at home and hunt the does and the bucks will be there too. In areas where the buck to doe ratio is the same or almost even bucks will fight often and very fierce for the right to breed a doe, it is common to see two and more bucks trailing a doe or fighting. But such places are very rare in North America other than on trophy managed hunting land.
    6.)Early season to pre-rut season and then again during the rut – conditions apply, see answer #5. - Some gentle rattling also can work in the late season in areas where there are many does and only a few bucks, as all the does which have not been breed during the rut will come in heat again (late rut).
    7.)I use a normal commercial sized set of antlers and a rattling bag. Depending at the situation I use the rattling bag or the antlers. Real antlers work well too but have the tendency to splinter like glass ones the temps fall way below zero, not likely in BC. Size does not matter much however, what you do with them and how you do it will make all the difference.

    Long answer to a lot of questions. Hope they are helpful to you.

    Good Luck!
    Last edited by huntwriter; 08-07-2006 at 01:46 PM.
    "Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"

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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

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    Last edited by Jelvis; 01-02-2014 at 08:18 PM.

  7. #6
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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

    Personally, i dont rattle. I carry a shed around with me that i use to rake on trees/brush. This has always worked for me and over the past 3 years i have called in 4 bucks over 170", 2 of which i shot and both netted BC book. I normally use this method of calling from late october until the end of the hunting season. Usually anywhere between November 5th-20th is the best. Along with raking i burp (Learned this from Dana) to mimick a buck grunting, this works really well too! When the bucks come in they are very quiet but i usually know theyre coming because i can either hear them beating brush or i hear twigs snapping as they walk in. My buck last year i could hear coming in within 30 seconds after i finished raking. It still took the buck a few minutes to make it down to me but if you are patient and quiet you will have great success with this method of calling!

  8. #7
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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

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    Last edited by Jelvis; 01-02-2014 at 08:18 PM.

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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

    The areas I hunt are thicker timber with lots of ridges and valleys. I usually set up on the ridges where bucks are usually bedded during the day and try raking in those locations. I like to set up where i have a bit of a vantage point so i can see the deer coming in, but when the weather in November isnt in your favour i usually burp/rake as I walk along; that way the deer will think im another deer and not a human. If there is a lot of sign in the area i will sit and wait 30 minutes to an hour, if there isnt a lot of sign i may wait only 5 minutes and just listen as I walk to see if i can hear anything. Both of the bucks i shot had come in to the calling within 5 minutes time so waiting a lot of time doesnt really matter! Although some bucks do take their time coming in and Im sure there have been times i have walked away from a calling location and missed out on bucks.

    For burping I just force air down my throat and let it out, doesnt matter much what I eat.

  10. #9
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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

    Jelvis – Do I hear scent! Deer scent in combination with rattling and grunting can add more realism to the “show”. During the rut, and only during the rut, a doe-in-estrus scent can work very well also use a doe-in-heat-bleat call. As you rattle and buck grunt mix a doe bleat or two in. This gives other bucks the impression that two bucks fight for a hot doe and that he has a chance to steal her from the others.

    However, be careful that you do not use too much deer scent. If the label on the bottle states that you should use a few drops then do not empty the content of the bottle in one spot. Does do not grow to be the size of a Holstein and bucks know that! Personally I do not make a scent station when I rattle. I use a spray bottle, give it a squeeze and the fine mist will permeate the air and is carried off by the air current. This is much better then if I put the scent on to a rag or vegetation.


    “Now I got to see if I can sit in one place long enough…”
    If you rattle it is best to move around and rattle from several pre-scouted places. Especially during the rut where bucks constantly move around you have a better chance of calling in a buck. When I rattle I keep on the move and cover a lot of ground in one day. Usually I wait for up to ¾ of an hour after I rattled and then move on. No need to rattle twice in an area. If the bucks do not come the first time they either have heard you but don’t care or there are no bucks around. Get up and move to another location. Besides, bucks never fight on the same spot twice, they settle their difference and then move on too.

    Last edited by huntwriter; 08-07-2006 at 05:16 PM.
    "Wouldn’t it be wise for us to be more tolerant of each other and pick our battles with the ones that really threaten our way of life?"

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    Re: Do Big Mule Deer Bucks Respond to Antler Rattling, When, Where + How?

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    Last edited by Jelvis; 01-02-2014 at 08:19 PM.

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