Long before I ever started hunting, I can remember watching Richard walk to his truck with his gun and backpack in tow and tied to his backpack were a pair of shed antlers. I wasn’t a hunter, but being a hunter’s wife meant that I was affected in every way with hunting: from the hunting shows, visits to the sporting goods stores, the endless hunting stories and seemingly never-ending conversations I had to stand around politely and listen to and even an occasional trip to the hunting land that was “only going to take a little bit,” which turned out to be just about the entire day — because “work at a hunting camp is NEVER done.”
Knowing exactly what those horns were for from the many stories I torturously withstood hearing, I never questioned him why in the world he wanted to lug into the woods such a cumbersome set of horns tied to his backpack — but it sure crossed my mind many times.
It is funny how life evolved and I found myself questioning if I would dare carry my own rattling horns into the woods tied off to my backpack. The day indeed came when I felt the need for it and I remember that day as if it were yesterday. It was so quiet in the woods that particular morning that if I stood still for a second I could hear the air I was breathing as it raced through my lungs or even my blood pulsing in my veins – stealth quiet. That is until I had the idea of pulling the rattling horns off my backpack and tying them to my tow line with my gun. As I pulled the gun and horns up, halfway the gun swung slightly in the air and the rattling horns clanged the ladder of my stand and caught on one of the ladder rungs. As if that was not enough to wake every breathing creature within earshot, I clanged the horns against the rail of my stand as I was trying to find a place to hang them in the stand. The clanging sound was so loud and out of place that surely every deer in the woods close by were on full alert and on their way in another direction.
That was the first and last time I ever took a cumbersome pair of rattling horns into the woods with me. Knowing the importance of a good set of rattling horns during the rut phase, I had to find an easier way to pack in a pair for the hunt. I tried assorted rattling bags but was not pleased with the sound and found that the bags were somewhat awkward and not so easy to use.
I found that Knight & Hale has the perfect solution, more than perfect, ingenious. The Pack Rack Rattling System is a compact, lightweight system that is easy to use and carry in or attached to your back pack. The sound is remarkably lifelike when imitating the fighting sounds of bucks. The system is small enough that it takes a minimal amount of movement to use. It can be used easily by youth or women with smaller hands, but still comfortable for larger hands. Using the system with alternating cadence by applying minimal pressure and then adding extra pressure, the user can control how aggressive the fight sounds.
The top and bottom pieces are hooked together with a rubber cord that also serves as a hanging loop. Both pieces nest together by inserting the grooved hand holds into each other securely and will not come apart in your backpack or when handling it while on stand prior to actual use. The two pieces pull apart easily and the sound is produced by rubbing the two outer portions together, one with raised bumps and the other with straight bars, imitating the sound of horns clashing together.
The Pack Rack Rattling System has a MSRP of $24.99 and would make an awesome addition to any hunter’s arsenal for the hunt. To read more about the Knight & Hale Pack Rack Rattling System or to order online visit the Knight & Hale website at www.knightandhale.com. With the rut about to take place in Alabama, you can bet that my Pack Rack will be with me on my next trip to the woods.
~Nancy Jo Adams
http://njadams1.wordpress.com/
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
