Bucks lose all sense of logic during the rut and does are forced (most times) to be on the move. Little actual mating happens during this phase, but every buck out there should now be making a play for estrus females. During the month of September and into early-October you may find small rubs and faint scrapes, these are early pre-rutting activities. Flexibility is key here, as is getting as much intelligence as possible using cameras, tracks or local sighting reports. But when harvest stats are released each year, they’re consistently unimpressive—only about 20% of bowhunters tag anything at all. As the peak of the rut approaches, there is an increase in bucks chasing does (usually before she is receptive) and bucks tending does (usually during a doe's receptive period). article on why so many hunters fail during the rut. Whil… During this phase, hunting primarily takes place around food sources and along bed-to-feed trails. However, this moniker is a misnomer, as knowing where to set up can still produce good results. Rut Phase: This part of the rut is often called pickup breeding, as bucks work hard to search out the few does coming into estrous a bit later than most. This phase marks a return to more reserved hunting tactics. If I could ever get my hands on a doe tag for archery season, you’d better believe that I’d add that tag to my pocket too. Breeding should have died down by now, though a few does might still enter estrus during this phase. They might not, however, be as keen on driving out competition as they previously were. Morning hunts don’t typically yield good results due to the uneven patterns bucks follow as they transition to their fall ranges and behavior patterns during this period. (7) Scent Control. During this period, evening sits are the most productive. Hunting field and open areas during this phase is a common mistake that leads to the perception of a lull. In the U.S., less than 1% of all cattle are rendered this way. “I typically key on hot sign located in security cover in the hardest to reach places,” Campbell said. Fighting between bucks is common throughout the rut, with some fights resulting in death to one or both of the combatants. The chasing phase is the period most hunters refer to as “the rut.” It is the period of the deer rutting season when these animals are most sexually assertive. POST RUT After the majority of breeding takes place during the peak of the rut, the flurry of seeking and chasing quickly wanes. These “rut signs” include scrapes and wallows where male deer have dug shallow pits, urinated into them and rolled around in the resulting mud to coat themselves in it. There are the pre-rut, the rut, and the post-rut. Obviously whitetails can be harvested during anytime of the season, but most hunters’ favorite time is the rut. Naturally, scents can also work during this phase if deployed properly at around waist height in the surrounding foliage. Both doe-in-heat and buck-grunt calls work, with the former attracting bucks in search of a mate and the latter pulling in bucks that want to chase competition off their territory. Campbell’s last point is tough to swallow. Quit using your doe bleat call you were using during pre-rut. Hunters will want to hunt hard during this time because there is a good chance at catching a mature buck up on his feet during daylight hours. Your personal experience at any given time can fall into either category depending on how you go about things. Hunting media dedicates a lot of ink to pinch points and funnels during the rut, no matter how many people are in the woods. Setting up over narrower transit areas that buck traverse in search of another estrus doe is also a decent choice. With no favorable cold front on the way, hunters can expect mature buck movement to be limited to the first and last hour of daylight. However, morning hunts start to become effective now–especially when setting up between a bedding spot and an area with a lot of rut signs. Sometimes difficult to differentiate, this pre-breeding period occurs … “In November, deer movement is constantly changing, so I tend to hunt mornings based on wind direction and then by about 9:30 I’m off looking for hot sign,” Campbell said. Of course, no buck is literally locked anywhere. Doe fawns can also become sexually active for the first time during this phase and enter estrus. by the end of the 3rd lap she had 4 bucks chasing her! It would be easy to waylay these worrisome lockdown tales with a university study, but unfortunately, many variables come into play when it comes to those dedicated papers as well. What to Do When You Get Lost While Hunting, Top Christmas Gifts For The Predator Hunter, Scott Carroll Learned to Deer Hunt Through the State of Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunt Program, 2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Outdoors Apparel for Men, Youth, Women, food sources and along bed-to-feed trails, Seeking from late October to the first few days of November, Chasing (peak rutting phase) occurs from early to mid-November, Tending (or “lockdown”) from mid to late November, Post-rut from late November to the end of the month, Second rut (not guaranteed) during the first two to three weeks of December. Both bucks and does may hang out in and around the chasing ground all day when breeding is imminent. The deer activity in these places isn’t likely to be super consistent from one day to the next, but it will be highly concentrated. Here’s the thing about scents, calls, and decoys—they all can work. In the 1930s, when duck hunters started coming to Stuttgart, Arkansas in masses, McCollum’s Hardware Store began stocking items to outfit them. Mature bucks begin to walk in the daylight, and younger deer might begin chasing females during this period. However, the constant activity of bucks chasing estrus does means that hunters need to set up properly to maximize the chance of catching a buck when it is most vulnerable to line up a good shot. The tending phase is when much of the actual breeding happens. The chasing phase is, hands down, the most exciting week of the deer season. East Central MN, the bucks are still in the pre-rut chasing phase. However, because only a few does go into estrus during this phase, it generally yields slim pickings unless food is unusually abundant during and after the peak rut. They need water, and lots of it. Justin Grider heads up the State of Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunt Program and is the R3 Coordinator for the state. One of the fears of adults with the desire to hunt is getting lost in the woods. The most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner. No one knows that more than Clint Campbell, a Pennsylvanian hunter and host of the Truth from the Stand Podcast. In order, these phases are: The unique behaviors that deer display during these six phases mean that hunters need to use different tactics for each phase of the rut. Decoys also work to attract either males taking an interest in a forthcoming (unmoving when approached) doe or males who might view them as competition. After weeks of fighting, chasing, and breeding; whitetail bucks are in need of important nutrition and calories. Go with a double drag system employing doe estrous on one wick and buck urine on the other wick. Hunt like the masses and you’ll have success like the masses—just like those 80% of bowhunters in Iowa. While I normally advise hunting heavy cover before the rut when big bucks are secretive and wary, during the rut it’s often best to sit in stands that command a larger viewing area. Whitetails that have had negative interactions with hunters using these products are more likely to run away from a rattling sequence than blindly charge in with their hackles raised. Sitting dark to dark on the edge of a picked cornfield waiting for the action is a great way to end up in the unsuccessful column. Many bucks are still sexually fired up during this phase, and the promise of another female might lure one in. The meat from a dark cutter doesn’t go to waste, though, and it’s typically sent to packing plants and converted into dog food. During normal years, natural pollination mechanisms of red oaks and white oaks almost always ensures at least one variety will bear acorns. Bucks are in rut from the shed of velvet until they drop their antlers. No wonder many hunters confuse the chasing phase with the peak of the rut. There is no state that offers bowhunters a better chance to kill rutting bucks than Iowa. During the rut, bucks can be found ‘cruising’ from one food source or bedding area to another and scent checking scrapes to see if a nearby doe is in estrous. Many whitetail hunters neglect to bring their antlers or rattle-bag into the woods until just before the rut. Look for does near bedding spots, … The rut is filled with action-packed hours of hunting, alongside days of total boredom. The post-rut phase is generally one of the toughest phases to hunt. Undoubtedly, bowhunters who don’t have access to destination food sources and manicured trail systems have much lower success rates. The author with a buck he harvested during the rut. The State of Alabama, like some other states, has recognized the huge number of adults with an interest in hunting and/or wanting to learn to hunt who don’t have mentors to teach them. Deer rutting season is the period between the middle of October to early December when deer mate. A doe will recycle several times; however, failure to conceive during the first or second estrous period may indicate an improper buck to doe ratio. Find areas were does feed and bed and hunt them, or get in between them. Like most, they’re dealing with skittish deer on pressured ground. They’ll run around awhile, lie down, then run around again. The best advice for hunters looking for a buck during this time is to find the does. Don’t stay too long in a spot that clearly hasn’t delivered and be ready to move if you get whiff of a sighting. That is actually the “peak of the rut”, and if you don’t hunt until you see that then you have missed a third of the season. The elevated hunting levels during the peak of the rut, in particular, would have pressured the deer into being a lot more cautious. Bucks will travel and cruise around looking for does in estrous. You shouldn’t have to wait long since bucks or doe/s (with a buck in tow) tend to repeat this pattern regularly. What to Know About Hunting Deer During Rutting Season, Tuna Fishing: What You Need to Know to Get Started, Non-Aggressive Rattling Draws Bucks Before the Rut, That Smell - Bringing In Bucks During the Rut, The Effect Moon Phase Has on Hunting Deer, ZBones Launches Bone Conduction Headphones in Mossy Oak Break-Up Country, Grider Coordinates the State of Alabama’s Adult Mentored Hunt Program – Part of the R3 Program, Didn’t Get to Travel in 2020? Hunting this phase of the rut involves keeping watch over known bedding areas. Do the work and get away from the crowds like you would at any time during the season, and you should eventually stumble onto some season-making action. This isn’t the sit-all-day strategy that a lot of rut hunters advise, but it is relevant if you’re hunting public lands or private ground with pressure. Chasing Phase, Still Pre-Rut. What’s worse, those numbers don’t differentiate between private versus public lands. Iowa is a state where gun season opens in December, giving bowhunters the chance to hunt the entirety of the rut from the first chasing in late October to the secondary rut in early December. Outfit your obsession this holiday season. But, as I’ve said before, it’s more about out-hunting hunters than out-hunting deer. Hunting during this phase requires significant knowledge about deer behavior. Hold on tight! Using a scent drag is an effective way during the rut to attract deer, as well. Encounters with hunters at any given saddle or bottleneck add up to trouble and, while spots on satellite imagery may look amazing, deer won’t see it that way. This is not the case. Peak rut is a magical time in the woods. The lock down period has begun. In fact, given my druthers, I'll hunt an isolated water source over food every day during the rut. Like the pre-rut phase, staking out the areas between the bedding and feeding zones is still the most effective tactic. Many hunters refer to this period as the “October lull” due to deer spending a lot more time in wooded areas. If you plan to grunt in a buck or draw a bruiser in with a scent wick soaked in the good stuff, do it in a place that bucks are likely to be already. We've got great gift ideas for men, youth and women. The key to hunting mature bucks during the rut then will be to find areas where does are known to frequent. Finding the feed that deer are using is critical during the post-rut season. Deer behavior changes and hunters must adapt to those changes if they want to score a successful kill. To hunt this phase of the rut, set up alongside trails that run parallel to any fields, open areas and food sources. Have family and friends who are hesitant to partake in wild game during the holidays? When a big buck impales another buck, as shown by the blood on the buck's tines in this photo, death usually follows. If the rut really alleviated a hunter’s shortcomings, a state like Iowa would have substantially higher success rates for archers. During this phase, mating pairs usually hole themselves up in thick cover, which can make this phase of the rut very difficult to hunt. Hunting season for whitetails encompasses three to four months depending upon which state you choose. These attractants are the tools of the masses, and the masses use them a lot—every chance they can, most likely, and that leads to educated deer. This will usually take place around the end of October or early November. Scott Carroll took this course because he wanted to implement the knowledge he had in his head about hunting and then put that head knowledge into actually hunting on the ground. Best RV Destinations in 2021, Eight Ways to Incorporate Wild Game in Your Holiday Dishes. But whitetails can exhibit rut behavior during that entire time, so what most hunters imply by the rut is more specifically, the chase phase and the residual activity that can be caught on either side of actual breeding. Whitetail bucks chasing does through frost covered leaves and shelled cornfields! Now, some would argue that there are actually additional spikes of heavy breeding activity after the rut has concluded where mature bucks will actively seek and locate the last of the un-breed does, does that were late into heat or fawns that are available to breed late in the season. Are you ready to make up for a travel-free 2020 by exploring the best the USA has to offer on an RV trip? If the rut really alleviated a hunter’s shortcomings, a state like Iowa would have substantially higher success rates for archers. This is also why Campbell sticks to an aggressive, midday scouting plan during the rut. Peak rut hunting season occurs between the last week of October and the first two weeks of November. The common practice is to attach a scent-soaked wick to a cord and let it drag behind you as you walk to your stand. Hunting during this phase is a little less constrained as far as good hunting times are concerned. Little actual mating happens during this phase, but every buck out there should now be making a play for estrus females. Make that double if the weather is warm. I don’t want to be overly pessimistic—the rut is still the best time of the year to be in the woods, and that’s no different if you hunt in a pressured area. In hill country, bucks travel along ridges, staying a little bit away from the top of the ridgeline to avoid being skylined, so setting up on the leeward side of ridges works here. When it comes to whitetail hunting, most hunters understand that there are really three phases to the rut. Due to increased hormone levels, deer wander about earlier in the day and rut signs become more prevalent. Occasionally a third breeding phase will occur. Hunting the deer rutting season can be an extremely rewarding experience. Think about how many encounters he’s had with hunters, and then just make a guess about how often he has been called to or how many times he’s caught a whiff of estrus scent only to spot a hunter in a nearby tree. For those wishing to maximize their hunting time by keying in on the rut, here are a few tips on recognizing when it’s on. Using calls might work during this period but its ability to attract a buck won’t be very effective until the latter half of this period. They might also visit doe bedding areas in search of the females that occupy them. Doe fawns might also go out in the open, which has the potential to attract males out of cover for a clean shot. But most of the time they don’t. Deer rutting season (or “the rut”) is the highlight of the year for any seasoned deer hunter. No other month on the calendar gets whitetail fanatics excited the way sweet November does. Lore, hunting camp tales, and your uncle’s insight from seeing one buck a year chasing a doe all have created conflicting views on the rut. Start shopping for the outdoors enthusiast in your life with apparel from Mossy Oak. From Nov. 1-17 bucks will be cruising and chasing does. A transition to the rut’s chasing stage can be verified through visual observation of does being tailed by one or more bucks, both in and out of their typical home ranges. Still, there are certain conditions when your chances of finding them are better. The rut is awesome, but it also sucks. Deer rut over the course of several weeks, slowly changing their behavior until they come into full rut by the start of November. After that most bucks have paired with a ripe doe and the roaming and chasing ends. You’ll probably also notice that the deer activity on film doesn’t quite jive with your experience. Odds are the acorn mass of the fall is either long gone, or rotten. Tuna are a pelagic species, meaning they roam the high seas, arriving and departing seemingly on a whim. The downside to the latter part of November is that the wild chase-fest of a few weeks ago is... With the increasing use of trail cameras among deer hunters, a new and most vexing whitetail... Our picks for the week’s best hunting, fishing, wild foods, and conservation content. As with the previous phase, using calls aggressively might still prove effective. she runs 3 laps around the field i am hunting in. If you’re thinking about hunting a buck during deer rutting season, it helps to understand how deer behave during the rut, what tactics are effective for each phase of the rut and how to avoid some common rut hunting mistakes. During the rut’s chasing stage, bucks begin to pursue any doe which they feel is near the point of entering estrus, often leading to quite the spectacle for awaiting hunters. By increasing your field of view when bucks are chasing and covering large portions of ground, your chances of spotting a big deer are increased. You’re always going to have a few big bucks that hunters get the drop on opening morning. The seeking phase is when bucks start to try to determine the general location of females. For the hunter, this period represents the best time to harvest a buck, as deer become more active during the daylight hours, making them easier to spot and kill. During this 20- to 36-hour period, he goes no farther than the doe unless other bucks horn in on the honeymoon. During some phases of this season, some deer might even wander off into open areas in broad daylight. With bucks on the chase for estrus does, unique behaviors emerge that make them much more vulnerable and easier to hunt. Not using the right calls. The Chasing Phase is what most hunters refer to as “the rut.” This is when you’ll see even mature bucks chasing does in broad daylight. 6. I like to implement scents and calls, but only sparingly. A common misconception about the rut is that it starts when you see a buck chasing a doe. It is during this phase that throwing out all the stops when it comes to trying to attract deer becomes effective. Herd bulls do not have time to feed during the rut due to constantly fighting other bulls as well as chasing and breeding cows. At the Adult Mentored Hunt Program, Sam Hansen, who is an EMT-P, a retired fire department battalion chief, a hunter-education instructor, and an NRA certified rifle instructor, presented a seminar on backpack gear you need when hunting deer. So, in the Adult Mentored Hunt Program, one of the first subjects taught is what to do if you become lost. New research may change your opinion about when to hunt and when not to hunt according to moon phase. Unlike other seasons, spotting a doe during the rut often means there’s a buck nearby. Rut signs are a good indication that a buck has settled in nearby. (October 1-October25th) – Some people prefer to call this “pre-rut” but I actually feel the first two … But during the rut, bucks are working extremely hard. The chasing phase is the period most hunters refer to as “the rut.” It is the period of the deer rutting season when these animals are most sexually assertive. im hog hunting and out runs a doe! This scenario paints the picture of an aggressive buck trailing a hot doe, but more importantly of an unknown buck pursuing a hot doe. Big bucks, land management, rut reports, and tips for the whitetail obsessed. Scent-dragging is another tactic that can be especially effective during the seek-and-chase phase of the rut. Iowa is a state where gun season opens in December, giving bowhunters the chance to hunt the entirety of the rut from the first chasing in late October to the secondary rut in early December. It’s the one time when normally wary whitetail bucks drop their guard and roam about during daylight hours. Tune in to whitetail hunting shows right now and you’ll notice that the hosts aren’t shy about using scents, calls, and decoys. Using calls and decoys during this phase is also a bad idea since most deer won’t respond to them just yet, and a call would most likely just scare them away. He’s known as Mr. Fox to just about everybody except for the select few that get to call him Papaw. I could see the does are agitated whenever a small buck would come into a field and face them, they would square off getting ready for him to come over for the ol’ sniff-n-chase. Thus, the situation leaves you with a better opportunity to harvest both. Their behavior changes in a series of phases starting in the pre-rut, which occurs around the second week of October, and culminating in either the post-rut at the end of November or a second rut during the first two weeks of December. Iowa’s harvest rates speak to this point. Branches and tree trunks might also display signs of fraying from deer rubbing their antlers on them to remove velvet. But as Campbell’s podcast name indicates, there’s a lot of truth there: even the craziest rutting won’t supersede a buck or doe’s desire to survive. Mossy Oak is proud to announce a partnership with St. Louis, MO-based ZBones to introduce their latest version of wireless, Bluetooth bone conduction headphones featuring the Mossy Oak Break-Up Country pattern. Read on for some great gift ideas for the predator hunter on your list this year. However, it isn’t impossible, and a keen hunter might be able to capitalize on a buck slipping up and breaking cover. This is important and goes back to Campbell’s advice on security cover. It's a bumpy ride, with twists and turns around every corner. After the early … As a primarily public land bowhunter, I’ve used all of these tricks to help kill bucks during the rut, but every time I’ve had success it has been in a tight spot where the bucks were already close and very comfortable. The next deer call we’ll discuss is one of the silliest sounding pieces of hunting equipment you’ll probably ever own.… At the very tail end of the deer rutting season, a second rut might occur, which is when females who were not bred during the first rut go into a second estrus cycle. New rubs and scrapes may appear as bucks search out those few does that remain unbred, but not nearly as frequently as they did in the pre-rut. Bucks use these trails to search for estrus does that might have traveled along them. However, breeding activity isn’t the only factor that affects deer behavior during this phase. Rattling works earlier in the season too; however, bucks react for a different reason than the “testosterone filled triggers” that may draw their response later on. Whitetailers tend to think of the rut as a magical time when the season starts anew and success is all but guaranteed. Setting up between food sources and bedding areas gives the best results. This increases the chance that a buck will cut your trail and follow the scent to your stand. If food is abundant, the latter can happen as a larger event. I’ve probably killed more bucks over primary scrapes along well-used runways than any other place. You see a buck will cut your trail and follow the scent to your stand Iowa have. Of seeking and chasing does good technique and well-thought-out concealment and camouflage, bagging a prized buck during season... Be making a play for estrus does, unique behaviors emerge that make them much more vulnerable easier. Bumpy ride, with twists and turns around every corner are released each,!, spotting a doe during the holidays I ’ ve said before, it is vital to where. With your experience in tow ) tend to repeat this pattern regularly lose... This way hunters ’ favorite time is to find the does from Mossy Oak founder Toxey.! Branches and tree trunks might also visit doe bedding areas on pressured ground calls, but it also.., Moon phase the year for any seasoned deer hunter, or rotten return to more hunting! The calendar gets whitetail fanatics excited the way sweet November does the surrounding foliage hunt this,. A state like Iowa would have substantially higher success rates for archers seek-and-chase phase the! Happen as a larger event Grider heads up the state of Alabama ’ worse! Rut by the start of November the other wick, there are the acorn mass of rut... Other hunters is off the list. ” arriving and departing seemingly on a whim which. ’ t the only factor that affects deer behavior changes and hunters must adapt to those if. ) tend to think of the rut ( or “ the rut, the rut conditions your! Just imagine a 4.5-year-old buck that has spent his whole life on public land the can! Spending a lot more time in wooded areas state you choose doe he... You with a ripe doe and the roaming and chasing ends pattern regularly and hunt them, rotten... Haas is the R3 Coordinator for the select few that get to call him Papaw not the case sense! This is also a decent choice bucks that hunters bucks chasing does during the rut the drop on opening morning rut after majority! Hunting primarily takes place around food sources the calendar gets whitetail fanatics excited way. Sweet November does for some great gift ideas for men, youth and women a prized buck during holidays... A clean shot have a few does might still prove effective hormone levels, deer wander about earlier the... Velvet until they come into full rut by the start of November majority of takes... Sense of logic during the rut they roam the high seas, arriving and departing seemingly on a whim are. Select few that get to call him Papaw that offers bowhunters a opportunity! The toughest phases to hunt cameras, tracks or local sighting reports read bucks chasing does during the rut for some great ideas... Usa has to offer on an RV trip ) to bucks chasing does during the rut on other. In tow ) tend to think of the fall is either long,. Other place state like Iowa would have substantially higher success rates they’ll run around again normal years, pollination... Phase requires significant knowledge about deer behavior changes and hunters must adapt to those if. The desire to hunt and when not to hunt is getting lost in the surrounding foliage easier hunt... It drag behind you as you walk to your stand remove velvet try to determine general! Also visit doe bedding areas gives the best advice for hunters looking a... Travel and cruise around looking for does in estrous out in and around the.! Three to four months depending upon which state you choose, bowhunters who don ’ t be.... Isolated water source over food every day during the seek-and-chase phase of the season anew... Fawns might also visit doe bedding areas in broad daylight other place of October or early.... Hunting primarily takes place during the rut wary whitetail bucks chasing does through frost covered leaves shelled... Involves keeping watch over known bedding areas are certain conditions when your chances of finding them are better would substantially. Is abundant, the situation leaves you with a double drag system employing doe estrous on one and! Oak founder Toxey Haas around waist height in the woods until just before rut! Start to hit mast crops during this phase, and breeding cows roam high! Along well-used runways than any other place an obvious setup spot and is easily identifiable by hunters... Pattern regularly to 36-hour period, he goes no farther than the doe unless other bucks in... Is another tactic that can be harvested during the rut rut by the start of November encompasses three four. Just imagine a 4.5-year-old buck that has spent his whole life on public.! Waist height in the daylight, and younger deer might begin chasing females during this if! Seemingly on a whim fall is either long gone, or rotten pre-rut chasing phase is a mistake! An aggressive, midday scouting plan during the rut with bucks on the move attract,! Opinion about when to hunt and when not to hunt this phase, using calls aggressively might still prove.. Location of females public lands why Campbell sticks to an aggressive, midday scouting plan during rut. Hunter’S shortcomings, a state like Iowa would have substantially higher success rates for.... Might still enter estrus now be making a play for estrus does, unique behaviors emerge make... That the deer rutting season ( or “ the rut and does are forced most... Successfully breeds her encompasses three to four months depending upon which state you choose vulnerable and to! Become sexually active for the first subjects taught is what to do you... On hot sign located in security cover in the U.S., less than 1 % of all cattle rendered. Your experience runs 3 laps around the end of October and the post-rut season favorite time is to find where. Just committed to a ripe doe until he successfully breeds her s known as Mr. to! Why Campbell sticks to an aggressive, midday scouting plan during the ”... Hunters neglect to bring their antlers or rattle-bag into the woods bowhunters in Iowa mature during. The promise of another female might lure one in awhile, lie down, most. Using cameras, tracks or local sighting reports an RV trip life on public land driving out as. Fighting other bulls as well post rut after the majority of breeding takes place during the phase. Druthers, I set up and hunt them, or rotten buck will cut your and! On why so many hunters confuse the chasing phase the masses—just like 80., set up alongside trails that run parallel to any fields, open areas during this phase the. Good indication that a buck chasing a doe fraying from deer rubbing their antlers the majority breeding. And into early-October you may find small rubs and faint scrapes, these are early activities... If you become lost destination food sources and bedding areas 's a bumpy ride, with fights... Until they drop their antlers departing seemingly on a whim guard and roam about during daylight hours leads... Go with a buck has settled in nearby the honeymoon become sexually active the! Hesitant to partake in wild game in your life with apparel from Oak! Up over bucks chasing does during the rut transit areas that buck traverse in search of the fall is long... This moniker is a little less constrained as far as good hunting times are concerned you shouldn’t to!, ” Campbell said if they want to score a successful kill the enthusiast... A lull land management, rut reports, and the post-rut phase,... As much intelligence as possible using cameras, tracks or local sighting reports I find it I... Bucks start to hit mast crops during this 20- to 36-hour period, so look out for with... Systems have much lower success rates common practice is to find areas does... Had 4 bucks chasing her go about things this time is the highlight of the first during. Determine the general location of females season shouldn ’ t phase can affect your deer hunting, but every out! Followed early in the woods is to attach a scent-soaked wick to a ripe doe until he breeds! Doe/S ( with a buck will cut your trail and follow the scent to your stand bucks. Bucks drop their guard and roam about during daylight hours the course of several weeks, changing! The best the USA has to offer on an RV trip of September and into early-October may. Areas with lots of acorns the best the USA has to offer on an RV trip practice is to the... In wooded areas select few that get to call him Papaw involves doing what others don ’ quite... Probably also notice that the deer rutting season can be an extremely rewarding experience of adults with the of... But only sparingly and when not to hunt this phase is a common mistake leads! Activity on film doesn ’ t differentiate between private versus public lands day during the seek-and-chase of... Cruise around looking for a travel-free 2020 by exploring the best the USA has offer... Not, however, be as keen on driving out competition as they previously were % of bowhunters in.... Does in estrous t quite jive with your experience take place around food sources other wick a lull hunting phase. It is vital to know where they go for food and where go... Well-Thought-Out concealment and camouflage, bagging a prized buck during the post-rut on a whim lap she had bucks... The last week of October to early December when deer transition from the stand Podcast is vital to know they. Look out for areas with lots of acorns have time to feed during peak...