Just beyond arm’s reach stood an enraged whitetail buck, eyes bugged, nostrils flared, silver drool hanging from his lower jaw, ears pulled backwards and pinched close to his rut-swelled neck. I dared not move, not even the rifle, or rattling horns laying at my side. Concerned any move on my part might cause the buck to lunge forward, landing in my lap, I breathed only shallow breaths.

The buck cast an eye left, then right. Not finding two bucks engaged in mortal combat, he lowered his raised chin-tucked to his neck head, ears returned to a more normal position and he turned to walk away. As soon as he did, I picked up my 280 Remington, stoked with 150-grain ELD-X Hornady Precision Hunter, made certain my Trijicon Tenmile scope was turned down to the lowest magnification, insuring a wide field of view, then raised rifle to shoulder. Just as the buck was about to disappear into the brush, I grunted a deep guttural “Aaaakkkkk!”. Immediately he swapped ends and stared menacingly in my direction.

He was mature and impressively antlered. Any other time, any other place, I would have shot, but I was hunting for one particular buck, a massive, wide, long-tined typical 12-point, whose antlers knocked on the door of Boone & Crockett’s record book.

Long moments later the rattled buck walked to where I had placed a Texas Raised Hunting Products “Dominant Buck Urine” re-usable canister. Standing over it, he started hooking bushes. After destroying lower limbs, he opened a scrape, then, stiff-legged walked away.

I waited 30 minutes before standing to move to my next rattling set-up. I learned years ago, often the oldest and biggest bucks respond silently, and stand just beyond sight, and simply watch, listen and smell before putting in an appearance, or turning and walking away.

By the time I headed to my next intended deception I had rattled in seven bucks, from youngsters to geriatrics.

Since rattling up my first buck six decades ago, I have learned a few things. Over the years I have rattled in bucks the lengths and breadths of North America, from just below the Canadian tundra to Mexico’s arid brush and cactus lands; in areas where the buck to doe ratio was one buck to one doe, to a proclaimed ratio of one buck to every 20 does.

There are some constants in horn rattling and I know whitetail deer have antlers and not true horns. Sometimes bucks respond and sometimes they do not! Bucks can essentially be rattled in from the time the first scrapes appear to just before they cast that year’s antlers. There is no perfect time of day to rattle. Sometimes bucks respond early, sometimes in the middle of day and sometimes very late, one never knows what is the perfect time for that individual day, unless one tries.

I prefer using large rattling horns. Mostly I use shed or cast antlers. My favorite set is 25-years old. With them I have rattled in hundreds of bucks. Using large antlers, I can make a lot of noise or a minimum of noise. With small rattling horns I can only make a little noise.

Rattling, I try to duplicate what is going on relative to the stage of the rut. In early pre-rut, I spend a lot of time rubbing trees, and barely “clicking” my rattling horns together. During pre-rut bucks are rubbing trees to strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles. They occasionally spar with each other, meaning light pushing and shoving.

As the breeding season approaches, bucks become more vocal, are easily agitated and are much more aggressive to the same bucks that a couple of weeks earlier were their best buddies. Fighting becomes much more serious and aggressive and the sounds they make are much louder. No longer are they just gingerly pushing and rattling their horns. They are pushing each other over bushes, into trees and rolling rocks as they try to cause harm to their opponent. Then just before the rut seriously kicks off is when more bucks tend to respond to the sound of two bucks fighting than any other time.

As to duration to rattle, I have seen mature bucks fight as briefly as a couple of seconds to over eight hours. Neither buck wants to turn tail and run, knowing the retreater will feel the victor’s sharp tines in their backside.

Quite often right before a fight the challenger will issue a “fit, fit, fit, feeeeeeeee” snort-wheeze. I try to duplicate this most aggressive sound a whitetail buck makes with natural sounds from my mouth, without the aid of a commercially produced call. I do the same making grunting sounds. Remember bucks are individuals, even in their voices. Rattling during this time, I tend to make as much noise as I can with my rattling horns, while also kicking brush, pushing my heals into to the ground, and occasionally grunting loudly. How long and how aggressively I rattle depends upon the deer, if they respond to a particular style, I repeat that style until they no longer respond. Then I change my technique or style and try to again find one that will entice bucks to respond.

Post rut, I rattle, but not as aggressively as right before or during the peak of the rut.

It does no good to rattle in bucks if you cannot see them when they respond! In setting up I will do so where I am essentially facing downwind, often near heavy cover or where I find fresh rubs or scrapes. Most bucks, particularly mature bucks, tend to approach from directly downwind. Knowing this, I set up so I have shooting lanes to the left and right of downwind. I shoot both left and right-handed and I rest my rifle on shooting sticks positioned so I can shoot left or right with a minimum of movement. Some movement is no problem. Remember, the responding buck expects to see movement from the two combatants.

My hunting rifles wear Trijicon scopes exclusively. I love those with a lighted dot because of how quickly that point of light can get me on target for precise shot placement. All my scopes are variables. When rattling I crank the magnification down to the lowest setting to insure a wider field of view and quicker target acquisition. I do not want to have a buck at 10 paces and my scope’s magnification set at 10x or higher where all I can see is hair, and, not where I precisely want to place my Hornady bullet.

Bucks responding to rattling tend to circle and approach from downwind, it is simply what they do. Although, be ready for a buck to approach from all 360 degrees. Remember deer are individuals. To prevent deer from smelling me, I spray my clothes with Texas Raised Hunting Products’ “Scent Guardian”, the only product I have ever used that really does destroy, negate or whatever one wants to call it, human odor. I spray my hunting clothes, boots, leather gloves, brown felt hat, gun and myself with Scent Guardian. To hold bucks a bit longer when they do respond I use Texas Raised Hunting Products’ reusable canisters or cans of “Dominant Buck Urine”, occasionally their “Curiosity Lure”, and “Inflamed Doe Estrus Urine”. These may be urine based, but are infused with deer glands appropriate for the product. These cans can be opened and closed by moving vents in the lid.

Before starting my rattling sequence, I place these TRHP opened scent cans downwind and to the left and right of where I set up to rattle. I usually sit with my back against a shrub or tree to break my outline, and, so I can sit comfortably with something to lean against… comes with age… er, ah, wisdom. These TRHP scents help hold a buck’s attention, giving me precious time to evaluate due to age and antlers. Using these scents too, helps me position bucks for a better shot. Whether the rattling session is successful or not, when I decide to move to another area I simply close the TRHP scent cans, place them in a plastic bag, then move to the next spot. I love using these cans for this purpose, because I can use scents without spraying liquid on things. I do not want bucks coming in to the scent when I am not there, after I have moved to rattle in another area, sometimes only about 300- or 400-yards distance. That said, I know keenly hearing bucks can hear fights well over a mile away.

Now you know some of the secrets that have helped me rattle in bucks even in areas where I was previously told “Rattling does not work here!”

Thankfully it is that time of the year once again when bucks come to rattling horns. See you in the “Deer Woods”!