01What the research found
RECEIPT
The study
Texas: rattling watched from towers
WhereWelder Wildlife Refuge, San Patricio County, TexasSample171 rattling sessions, 111 buck responsesWhen1992-1995
What they did
One person rattled from brush on the ground near one of 17 observation towers, 10 meters tall, while an observer watched from the tower. Each 30-minute session started with either 1 or 3 minutes of rattling, loud or quiet.
What they found
- Loud rattling pulled in nearly three times as many bucks as quiet rattling.
- Rattling 1 minute or 3 minutes at a time made no difference.
- Most bucks came during the first 10-minute segment.
- 67 of 111 bucks (60%) were first seen downwind of the observer.
- The rattler on the ground spotted only 48 of them (43%).
Limits
- One Texas refuge with a high-density, balanced herd.
- Only 1-minute and 3-minute bursts inside 30-minute sessions were tested. Nothing longer.
- The bucks weren't individually marked, so one buck could be counted twice.
Source. Hellickson, Miller, Marchinton, DeYoung and Hall. 2009. "Behavioral Responses of Male White-tailed Deer to Antler Rattling." Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 63: 7-10. seafwa.org →
02My read
MY READMy tactic, not a study result
That's Texas, so your woods may differ. Rattle loud, keep it short, and watch downwind.
That's how I hunt it, not something the study tested outside Texas.
03Field notes
- Rattle loud. In Texas, loud pulled in nearly three times as many bucks as quiet.
- Be ready right away. Most bucks came in the first 10 minutes.
- Watch downwind. 60% of bucks were first seen there, and the rattler on the ground spotted only 43%.
- Check your own state's season dates and legal hours with your state wildlife agency.