To grunt, rattle, or bleat

The calling and rattling game is some­thing many Ontario whitetail-deer hunt­ers struggle with. Most hunters know that both techniques have merit, but the how and when of each remains something of a mystery to many. Over the years, I’ve been asked hundreds of questions about rattling and calling at deer-hunting seminars, so I know there’s interest across all parts of this province. Along with my thoughts on the sub­ject of rattling and calling, this article will share the insights of OOD Big Game Editor Drew Myers, who knows his way around the deer woods, and OOD Field Editor Jeff Gustafson, a Kenora-based guide and trophy buck specialist. Rattling First time rattlers often ask how long the rat­tling sequence should be as well as the wait in between. These are legitimate questions, and there are some guidelines, but there really is no wrong way to rattle a buck. That said, anytime you are calling or rattling, less is more. My average rattling sequence is a couple of minutes, followed by 15 or 20 min­utes of silence. During this time I’m listen­ing for animals approaching and watching for movement. Occasionally, a buck will run right in. More often than not, however, he will approach with caution. You might only catch the movement of a leg in the trees, or an ear flick. Bucks will usually approach downwind, but not always. I’ve had some big boys come to a rattle sequence directly in my wind. As for the mechanics of rattling, you are just creating the illusion of two bucks fight­ing. The easiest way to do this is to take two real deer antlers and slam them together. There’s a lot to be said for the sound of natu­ral antlers making noise. Yet there are other options. During the past 10 years, a wide array of artificial rattling tools has come on the market. They vary from mesh rattle bags — usually filled with plastic or wood sticks — to full-size antler replicas made of a variety of artificial, but natural-sounding plastics. One company even makes artificial rattling antlers with two racks per side, to create a real­istic illusion of two bucks fighting. The variety of sounds you can get from these tools is extraordinary, but our experts still choose organic bones for their hunt. Real vs. rattle bag “I prefer real antlers because I also use them to rake branches and pound