Be One With Nature

Everyone should know hunting’s not always about harvesting an animal, but being a part of nature. My favorite thing to do is rattle. Nothing describes an angry buck bolting in to the sound of a fight, only it’s me, camouflaged out with horns and a grunt tube, luring him in, closer until he’s almost on top of me. It’s the increasing heartbeat, sweaty palms, and excitement rushing through my veins as he comes so close I can see his nostrils flare, smelling for the deer fighting, or the doe they’re after. It’s the bristling of the hair on his back as I grunt again, and the rare sound heard as he snort-wheezes to show how immensely angry he is. It’s the excitement felt ducking even further into brush and thrashing the horns into the bush as if making a rub, still drawing him in. Then, too close for comfort, it’s the accomplishment I feel ripping the mask off to reveal to him that I, a woman, lured him in beyond limits.

That’s an excerpt from my paper that I wrote for my Extreme Huntress Contest, and the Prois Award contests last year. That describes how I truly feel about rattling! I LOVE IT! There’s nothing more real to me in the outdoors. When you are rattling, you are truly one with nature. That love-crazed deer has no idea you are a person, not another love-stricken buck! He comes looking for a fight, and the doe to fight over! His passions are flaring; ready to demolish anything around that even resembles another buck, especially in his territory. He lip curls, he stomps, he bristles up, he grunts, he wheezes, all because of you and your intense horn rattling sounds. It’s so exciting that you feel the accomplishment, and you never even had to shoot at an animal. Heck, you didn’t even have to bring a rifle!

Many people rattle many ways. I rattle all the time, in all seasons. Not all deer are the same, and nobody knows when each one comes into season, so therefore I don’t know that there is a better or worse time. It doesn’t always work, but if there’s a buck in the area, they are usually a little curious. Peak of the rut is usually better, but not always the same per deer either. It’s taken me 45 minutes to rattle in a buck that had already found a doe one time. I didn’t give up, and my niece got a nice buck that WE rattled in together. That’s the adrenaline rush of a lifetime you are looking for!

You don’t have to have real horns nowadays, but I will say that they sound more “real.” They also have rattle bags that are pretty convenient, and easy to carry around. I plead with you, PLEASE, if you never try anything outdoors, pick up some horns in the rut, find a bush to crawl in or by, and go to town! Wait until that first buck turns the corner around your little bush and you’re nose to nose with nature!