Break Away Rattling Antlers

The present invention relates generally to devices for attracting antlered animals, such as deer or elk, and particularly to devices that generate a rattling sound similar to rattling antlers.

Hunters use a variety of techniques to attract antler bearing animals, such as deer or elk. Typical methods of attracting animals are attractive scents or calls to which the animals respond. Another method to attract antler bearing animals, such as deer or elk is to simulate the sounds of two male deer sparring. Male deer, referred to as bucks, fight with their antlers to determine which will head the herd. The sound of bucks sparring is distinctive, can be heard for a considerable distance, and is attractive to other deer or elk. For this reason hunters have attempted to simulate the sound of bucks sparring, by clashing or raking two antlers together. Such antlers can be either artificial or real antlers.

There are several disadvantages to the use of antlers to create rattling sounds. Antlers tend to be large and unwieldy, and typically have a number of pointed tines, which makes them difficult and dangerous to carry through the forest. Typically, hunters hide in blinds, which may be elevated, or may be created by placing a platform in a tree. Carrying large, unwieldy, artificial antlers having sharp pointed tines up into a blind can be particularly hazardous.

For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for antlers which can be stored or transported in a disassembled break down mode, and which can then be reassembled by the hunter just prior to use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which can be manually used by hunters to attract deer or elk through the creation of sounds resembling the clashing of antlers which is not unwieldy, and can be disassembled for easy transport in the break down mode.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rattling antler device which is less dangerous when hunters are traveling with such devices in the forest, or are climbing with such devices into a blind.

It is another object of this invention to provide a rattling antler device which can be reassembled from a break down mode easily and quickly.

These and other objects of this invention are provided in one embodiment of the invention by a unique device for attracting deer and elk made from synthetic injection molded plastic having a pair of main beams, wherein each of the main beams is receptive of one or more tines. The main beams each have one or more threaded holes which mates with a threaded end of each tine. Alternately, the threaded hole, and tine may be of a bayonet socket configuration for ease of quick assembly and disassembly.

Various embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which like items are identified by the same reference designation, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of one embodiment of a pair of rattling antlers that can be disassembled.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of a break down rattling antler device, showing a plurality of holes for receiving the tines, for another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of one of the holes in the main beam of a rattling antler device having a bayonet socket configuration, and a corresponding tine having a bayonet base type of configuration, for another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed view of a bayonet hole in the main beam, illustrating a locking point past which the bayonet base pin cannot traverse, for yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the rattling antlers 10, comprised of a pair of main beams 12, and a plurality of tines 16 and 18. Each of the main beams 12 has a generally elongated tapered body, which may be curved or straight, and each body has a single circumferential ridge 14 at the end. In use, each of the main beams 12 are grasped at the region adjacent to the circumferential ridge 14, and rubbed or clashed together to make the desired sounds. The circumferential ridge 14 serves to prevent the main beams 12 from slipping out of the users hands. Each of the main beams 12 has a series of threaded holes, 20a and 20b located along the body of each beam. The holes 20a and 20b are receptive of tines 16 and 18. The threaded end of each tine is screwed into and retained within threaded holes 20a and 20b, respectively.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of a rattling antler for an embodiment of the invention including a main beam 12 having a plurality of holes 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d along the body of the beam 12, in this example. The body of the beam 12 may have thickened sidewalls 30, or may be reinforced by other means, to strengthen the region near the tines holes 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d. Although four holes 20a through 20d are shown, the number of holes included is dependant upon the application for the rattling antlers 10, particularly with dependence upon the number of tines 16, 18, that are required for each main beam 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed view of an embodiment of the invention, wherein tine 16 has a bayonet base 22, with one of more radially projecting bayonet pins 24. Bayonet base 22 is received by bayonet configured hole 20b having inwardly diverging side walls, and a bayonet pin receiving slot 26, for example.

In FIG. 4 a detailed view of the bayonet configured hole 20b of FIG. 3. As shown, hole 20b includes a spiral shaped bayonet pin receiving slot 26 in main beam 12, with the bayonet pin receiving slot locking point 28 at the end of slot 26, past which bayonet base pin 24 cannot traverse for this embodiment of the invention.

Although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, they are not meant to be limiting. Those of skill in the art may recognize certain modifications to these embodiments, which modifications are meant to be covered by the scope and breadth of the appended claims. For example, the rattling antlers can be made from any suitable material, such as synthetic injection molded plastic.