http://www.elknut.com
Vortex Optics Dealer
Yes, I've tried in many times in the past, it does work like any other method "timing" is important! I killed a 6-point on Oct 28th I rattled him in to 40yds he had 2 cows with him & he came thundering in from several hundred yards away, I couldn't see him coming but sure could hear his approach. I used a big forked horn mule deer rack with the ends blunted, I rattled & clicked & slammed them along with foot stomping & rustling brush with them, I did this for 5-7 minutes with little 15sec breaks. Actual elk antlers may be better but I've had no trouble using these mule deer horns & they're easier to strap onto the back of my pack! The rattler must be hidden enough not to be seen until elk are in range for the silent ones is very important or they can slip in & out without you ever knowing anything showed at all! This is especially so for bowhunters!
A method as this will work great in pre-rut times & post rut times, this is when bulls will spar around lightly pushing one another around sorta like getting the pecking order, it's generally non-challenging at this time but can attract attention from other elk. "Curiosity" more than anything will get other bulls to "show up" or bugle the commotion. Generally it's the raghorns that show first & rarely a dominant quality herd bull. You can get the herd bull & others to scream at a rattling sequence giving away their positions but in many cases you must go to them! In many instances all we need is a location!
As the rut picks up ones rattling can become more intense as to get the attention from bulls far off, so rattling loud & aggressive is important!
When rattling for bulls persistence is of the utmost, at times you'll have to go on & on for a solid 30 minutes or so along with the other natural sounds that would "fit" the desired sequence such as grunting, panting, whining, short screams, at times I like throwing in a few nervous cow & calf whines as well as the rut gets closer say Sept 10th & on. Again, bulls can show very silent when doing this or vocalize on their own from a distance, we've had them bugle the rattling to the point a shooter could keep tabs on the vocal bull who was staying in one spot allowing the shooter to slip in on him. Of course the guy rattling has to keep up the rattling to keep bulls vocal.
What you are basically doing is "creating excitement" with rattling sequences, most bulls show to see what's up with who, they are not showing up to fight as many think!!
So yes it can work but there are other methods as well to get bulls to give away their position without carrying around a set of antlers, but it doesn't hurt to give it a try here & there. Have fun!
ElkNut1
