Guest MN hunter Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 I was wondering around what time of the year do you start to grunt and rattle? Last year was my first year and I just sat and let things happen. I got a four pointer and a doe but I'm looking to get a bigger one this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zambo Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 I will start to call and rattle and use a can call blind in late October through the first week in November. After that I will always call to a buck that is not coming my way untill the end of November. I fell I have nothing to lose calling to a buck that is going away away from me. You never know you just may turn him. I have had great sucess rattling in central Minnesota. Sometimes they run right in and sometimes it takes them 30 minutes to show up at 60 yards out. They are remarkable at knowing the exact spot you called from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sniperhunter22 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 I will start to call and rattle and use a can call blind in late October through the first week in November. After that I will always call to a buck that is not coming my way untill the end of November. I fell I have nothing to lose calling to a buck that is going away away from me. You never know you just may turn him. I have had great sucess rattling in central Minnesota. Sometimes they run right in and sometimes it takes them 30 minutes to show up at 60 yards out. They are remarkable at knowing the exact spot you called from. I agree, but one thing that can hurt your chances of landing that nice buck mn hunter is the fact during rifle season you could call that buck and on its way to you could come in the cross hairs of another hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 In areas where the doe to buck ratio is really high there isn't alot of competition between bucks for mates. Rattling and most calling is about competition. If competition doesn't exist where you are hunting, when you are hunting these tactics don't work so good in a doe dominated population. When is extremely important. Right before the does start coming into esterous and after most of them have been bred is when competition between bucks is highest in doe dominated populations. The bucks are ready to breed before the does are ready and remain ready after they are done. You need to know the deer in your area. Rattle and call before and after the peak rut. During the peak I think you're better off quietly sitting a stand all day watching a major travel funnel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Towards the end of October, but I'll start light stuff in mid October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Towards the end of October, but I'll start light stuff in mid October. Yup. I save the rattle bag for the last few days in October, I'll start grunting in mid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Usually the first weekend of November thru Thanksgiving. I try to start the weekend after our Muzzleloader season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOYTnMUZZYboy Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Mid Oct. then til the end of Nov. Sometimes a lil earlyer just gotta watch the deer and how there acting. If you see a doe that keeps lookin over her back odds are pretty good shes got a bonehead behind her. Main thing is to watch how the deer are acting when out feeding and watch for postureing in bucks. If the big boys are postureing calling can be really affective. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Yeah you gotta pay attention to the action you are seeing. Like last year the rut hit almost two weeks earlier that the previous years where I was at. I had a bucks running does in the 3rd week in Oct and by the end of the first week in Nov the "peak" was past.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MN hunter Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maryland_Bowhunter Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 I start the week of halloween Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorden Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Last year I rattled in a little 4-pointer on opening day of bow season(mid sept). He was chasing littler bucks around the field and when I rattled to him he came across the field to investigate. I dont think there is anything wrong with calling and rattling early on. Early in the year I will use doe bleats and have had some success with small bucks and does coming into the call. As for rattling early in the season I will just tickle the horns together to simulate two bucks sparring in hopes that a bigger buck will come to check out what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest madabouthuntin Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 I have head many different takes on this just as shown above. I have also heard the pro's speak about this as well. Here is my take on it..... As soon as a bucks antlers harden they will start to test each other and their new antlers. Are they as agressive as they will be right before the Peak of Rut? No, I don't think they will, but will they respond to some light tinkling of the anters early in the seaon? I think they will. We must remember that deer are curious animals. They will check things out at times even when we don't see them. Just because we didn't see them doesn't mean they didn't come to take a look. I know it doesn't mean they were there as well. I can't remember who it was, but it was a pro that is known for his rattling in of Big Bucks. He said that he rattles from opening day to the end of the season with success. He does it differently during the different phases of the rut / season. You just have to be carefull on just how aggressive you are early in the season. Just give it a little lite tinkling of the antlers or rattle bag. As the season comes in you begin to be more and more aggressive. Remember you want to make the deer think you are a deer. As for calling deer with grunts or calls.... I have read many posts here on this site about people calling deer back to them prior to the start of the bow season with "The Can". If they will answer it before the season starts why wouldn't they answer it at the very beginning of the season? Deer just don't grunt during the rut. They may do it more agressively than other times of the year, but that doesn't mean the have nothing to say to each other. Leo made a good point as well when it comes to buck to doe ratio. The closer they are to one another the more agressive you will see the bucks be towards another buck. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest titleist_03 Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 I generally don't get aggressive until Halloween. The only thing that will make me try a bit earlier is if we have a cold snap and I see some chasing going on. I still do rattle lightly earlier in the season, but nothing aggressive. Just some tickling of the antlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 I grunt and bleat all season long, not really aggressive, just like a deer is in the area feeding. While deer aren't extremely vocal, they still grunt and bleat. I will begin to get aggressive throwing rattling and aggressive grunting in about the 1st weekend of November. The best time to get aggressive is during the pre-rut, which falls here about the 1st or 2nd weekend of November, sometimes as late as the third. 2 years ago, I rattled in 3 bucks, 2 that would gross over 150, one that may have gone 160, in a span of about 1 hr, during the 3rd weekend of November. They both came in looking for a fight, but they both stayed in the brush or just out of range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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