Posted on 09/04/2019 5:29:16 AM PDT by w1n1
When they were first introduced to the national hunting community, these novel methods for bringing in bucks were considered unconventional at best, and harebrained schemes by most. Now deer hunters everywhere use these tried-and-true tactics. We take a look back to when these trusty standbys were still considered downright bizarre.
RATTLING - The brush-country hunters of Texas and New Mexico were crashing antlers together for decades before the trend caught fire in the rest of whitetail country. Although native hunters likely developed the technique, legend has it that an old market hunter accidentally discovered the phenomenon:
"He was coming to town one day, his wagon loaded with deer carcasses, when a buck came barging out of the mesquite. The hunter, so the story goes, added him to the load. A short time later, another buck pranced up—and was soon in the wagon. The puzzled hunter stopped to figure things out and discovered that two carcasses were lying so their antlers clashed as the wagon jounced along the rough country road." -Hart Stilwell, "Why Not Try to Rattle Up a Buck," May 1951
Calling - The concept of calling for deer was less established even than rattling in the middle of the 20th century. In August 1949, an experienced deer hunter traveled to Alaska for a Sitka blacktail hunt. “He was sure it was just a gag,” reads the story. "Who ever heard of calling a buck?"
"Now I’ve used crow calls, duck calls, and turkey calls, and I’d read that down in Texas they lure bucks by rattling a couple of antlers together. But a real deer call I’d never heard of. Probably my voice expressed my skepticism. ‘O.K. I'll bite. What’s a deer call?'" Read the rest of 3 deer tactics.
Couldn't even get past the headline without atrocious grammar.
>> If you’re going to call in a deer, don’t you have to know its name? <<
If you’re going to call collect.
I think the mods keep him around just for entertainment.
BlackbirdSST wrote:
Animals in the wild are curious creatures. They hear an odd sound and they tend to want to investigate.
Investigate, or run the heck away.
Not only that, but he didn’t bother to correct the mis-use of “was” in the
title.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.