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Hunting Tips | Antler Rattling

Gain the advantage with these great deer hunting tips.

Beating around the bush

If hunting on the ground, when rattling, try to hit and rake your antlers against bushes and tree limbs and you can break tree limbs. You can use the base of your antler to simulate stomping and pawing the ground. This will give off a natural sound of two deer fighting.

Collecting shed antlers

Set up your own shed antler collection site. Go to your favorite deer feeding area and drive heavy wooden stakes into the ground in the form of a "V". Cover the wooden stakes with chicken wire. Pour corn or other deer feed in the corner of the "V". Chances are a shedding bucks antlers will get tangled in the chicken wire and stay there for you to collect.

Don't rattle too much

Deer only push each other around for short periods of time, so don't rattle too long or you could spook the deer. When a deer approaches, begin tapping the antlers lighter almost teasing the deer.

Fixing those rattling antlers

Have a set of deer antlers and you want to try antler ratting? First, remove the antlers from the scull or scull cap. Cut off the brow tines, if it has them. Then drill a small hole near the base of the antlers. Take a small rope, run it through the holes and tie at both ends to make a neck loop. If you don't want to drill holes, leave the flare at the base of the antlers and use a slip type note around the antler bases. Be sure to sand any sharp points or edges. Before your go into the field, spray your antlers and rope with a scent neutralizer. To avoid self-inflicted hand damage always wear gloves while rattling antlers.

Late season rattling

After the post rut is over and January sets in deer, especially bucks begin to become less territorial. Trying to rattle is out of the question right? I think not. Next time your stumped in your late hunting season, get one of your buddies to go out with you and place him or her 30 to 40 yards down wind of you. Once you are both in position have your buddy blow a few times on their grunt tube and begin to rattle in a 2 minute rattle session then wait 15 to 20 minutes and repeat the process again. Have your buddy blow a few times on their grunt tube before every rattling session. Be patient and soon deer will come to see what is going on out of curiosity they are likely to circle downwind of your calling buddy and you'll be right there for the shot.

Rattling in many deer

When you try to rattle in deer you shouldn't grind you antlers together. The way that I rattle the antlers is I just tickle them together. Instead of not seeing any bucks, you'll see many young bucks and older bucks.