Rattling Blacktail.
team_predator_6
12/8/05 3:38pm
I've tried to rattle but havent had any luck. little bucks havent responded . whats the best time and best ways to go about doing it. any info would help. team_predator_6
2,869
Good 4c
First off, welcome to Muley Madness. I've bowhunted blacktails for almost 30 years now. Although I generally spot/stalk them in my neck of the woods, I have at times, rattled for them. The best time seemed to be the pre-rut stage when bucks were looking for does. I had limited success on larger bucks, but the small to mid-size bucks were fairly easy to rattle in.
I would check when the pre-rut stage is in your area and give it a try. You might be rewarded with a fine animal. Good luck.
I agree with BOHNTR. In Washington it seems that the pre-rut is the time to rattle. Although the WA buck season keeps modern firearms out of the woods during the rut (I need to pick up bowhunting and let my rifle rest a while!), my buddy and I used to head out and see what we could call in for photo opportunities (It's been a couple years since I had the opportunity).
Light rattling, about every 30 minutes or so, coupled with a bit more frequent doe bleat calls seemed to work pretty well. Although we didn't call in anything that Boone and Crockett or Pope and Young would be interested in, we did manage to get some pretty decent bucks to respond.
Keep in mind, the rattling we did was light....more along the lines of a couple bucks just feeling eachother out more than throwing down over some receptive female (After all it was pre-rut). Not sure how agressive BOHNTR gets with the rattles while hunting the Blacktail in California but the light rattles, coupled with the doe bleats, seems to work pretty well in Washington during the pre-rut stages.
Not sure why but during the hieght of the rut it got much harder to get anything to respond. Although we still saw bucks now and again, most seemed to pay us no mind. I always thought it would be the opposite but in my experience it wasn't so. Of course I am by no means as seasoned a hunter as BOHNTR is and it may be a function of my ineptitude more than the bucks willingness to show themselves.
Good luck my friend. I've been lucky enough to get orders back in my home state of Washington (report in Feb) so I'll be out there trying my hand at some Blacktail again next season.