Deer Hooves Rattle

Deer Hooves Rattles

In a previous post, we removed the hooves from deer legs. In this post, we'll use those hooves to make two kinds of rattles, just for fun. One rattle will use a deer antler as a handle and will have hooves with the underneath pad removed (here I'll call them hollow hooves). Another one will use a cannon bone and hooves with the underneath pad intact (here I'll call them full hooves). 

There is a very distinct difference between the two kinds of hooves. The hollow hooves make a much softer sound, something like clink-clink-clink. The full hooves are much louder, with a much deeper sound, like CLONK-CLONK-CLONK.

Antler Rattle

A traditional way to make a rattle is to use a small antler as a handle. A buckskin string is then tied between the two prongs and the hooves are attached to it in close proximity. The antler is then wrapped in buckskin for a more comfortable feel. We'll cover each of these steps in detail below.

Bucks shed their antlers over the winter and it's not uncommon to find them as you hike around the hills. For this project, an antler from a young deer, with only two prongs, is ideal.

Antler from a Young Buck

Drill a hole toward the tip of each prong. You can use a small hand drill to do so. I use a thin but strong metal blade with a twisting motion (don't use your best knife as you may very well damage its tip). I drill through one side first, then drill from the other side until the two holes meet as one.

Drill a Hole Toward the Tip of the Antler

Then take a thick buckskin thong twice the length of the distance between the two prongs of the antler. Using an awl, punch holes in the thong every half-inch or so between the two prongs. Thread shorter buckskin thongs in each of these holes and then attach a hoof at each end with a simple knot (remember that when we harvested the hooves off the animal, we immediately drilled holes at their tip for this very purpose).

You can then thread the longer thong through the holes in the antler prongs and secure each end with a square knot. In my case, the gap between the prongs is 3 inches long and I used 8 hooves.

Hooves Strung to the Antler Prongs with a Buckskin Thong

To make the handle more comfortable to the touch, I decided to wrap it in a thin strip of buckskin, about 3/4 of an inch wide. Starting from the top of the handle, simply wrap the buckskin tightly around the antler, with a very slight overlap.

Antler Handle Wrapped in Buckskin

Antler Hoof Rattle

When you reach the bottom of the handle, simply slide your last wrap underneath the previous one tightly and that should be enough to hold it in place. 

If desired, you can then cut the remaining length of the strip into thin fringes.

This deer hooves rattle works great with a rapid shake of the wrist, rattlesnake style.

Cannon Bone Rattle

Using a cannon bone as a handle is another traditional way to make a rattle. The hooves are strung around the head of the bone and, just for the sake of fun and variety, I used a buckskin checkerboard weave to wrap the handle. Let's cover each of these steps in detail.

From a previous post, we already know how to obtain a cannon bone from a deer leg. To clean it well, put the bone in simmering (not boiling) water for a few minutes. You can then scrub the remaining membranes off and use a knife to remove as much of the ligament and tendon attachment points as possible.

Deer Cannon Bone

When the bone is dry, take a length of thick buckskin thong and punch holes through it every inch or so, as was done with the previous rattle. Similarly attach the hooves to the main thong with shorter strings threaded through. Then, wrap the longer thong around the head of the bone, going through the slit in the middle as a strong anchor. Eight hooves were used.

Hooves are Attached to the Cannon Bone Head

I decided to get fancy with the handle so I cut thin strips of buckskin, about half an inch wide and the length of the whole bone. Put a rubber band about halfway up the bone (this makes it a lot easier to hold the strips and then you can lift it to add more strips). Take two buckskin strips and overlap their top end at slightly less than a 90 degree angle. Repeat the process around the whole circumference of the bone, each overlapping pair right next to the next one. To go around the whole bone I used 10 strips. Secure all these ends by wrapping a piece of buckskin thong around them with a knot.

As you add more and more strips around the bone it will become more and more clear how they will all interweave. Just make sure that, when they intersect, you follow the over-then-under pattern to get the basic checkerboard pattern.

Buckskin Checkerboard Weave

Cannon Bone Deer Hooves Rattle

When you reach the bottom of the bone, tie another buckskin thong around all the strips with a knot. Then, you can choose to cut the remaining length of the strips into thin fringes.

With the full hooves, this rattle makes an incredibly loud, though pleasant, sound and is great when you give it a strong jerk of the wrist.

Enjoy your new primitive, handmade, beautiful, 100% local, lifetime-guaranteed, sustainably-made musical instruments!

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