How do you hunt the rut?

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Divergent
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Divergent » Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:25 pm

I really like hunting terrain features in pine thickets between 10-2.

11a-12p seems to be the golden hour for me. It's almost like there's a second thermal shift...similar to the one around 0830. I can't explain it, but I can hear it in the air. This is when I get into position.


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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Findian » Thu Feb 23, 2017 9:17 pm

I hunt big woods durring the rut. Still hunting s what I mainly did. Then last year I had gotten a mobile set up. I changed my tactics. I would go and still hunt the afternoon with stand on back, hang my stand on hot sign then continued to still hunt on the way out, then I would wake up and hunt my stand in the morning till around noon and repeat. It really paid off due to the calm hot weather we had last season.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby JoeRE » Fri Feb 24, 2017 3:20 am

Good thread.

My strategy seems to change year to year too. Depends a lot on what I want to shoot. If I am after a specific buck, I don't have very high hopes of connecting during peak rut he could be anywhere.

I hunt by what I see happening. Every rut is a little different in terms of daylight rutting activity which is what we hunters care about. Weather plays a role, I think moon does too.

This is how an average rut will play out for me:

What I usually see are the biggest, oldest bucks showing up around doe bedding areas the first few days of November or even the last few days of October. If they smell a doe on the verge of estrus, they will bed nearby - rut bedding - and routinely come past morning and evening. I've killed a lot of bucks doing that. Target that buck's travel route, if the doe bedding is secure enough he will show up in daylight. These rut travel routes stay the same year after year, I often see perennial rubs along them rubbed every year for many years. If I hit the lottery and that first doe is in heat while I am on stand the action can be incredible.

Slowly more does come into heat. Younger bucks are chasing and running all over but most of the older bucks disappear first. That is the thing to remember, unless you are hunting well managed land with really good buck age structure I don't think you see much cruising by older bucks. They don't need to. Around here, 2 and 3 year olds are moving like crazy. Some places it might be only yearlings and 2 year olds moving. Sure all bucks are more visible and more likely to get themselves killed than any other time of the year, but its still not much if there are more hot does than mature bucks, simple math. So I think "lockdown" for mature bucks starts much earlier than many think and for whatever reason it does vary every year. I see minimal mature buck activity (4 year olds or older) for a full week to 10 days every year. I know it has started when I start to see lone fawns and also when scrapes go dead.

I am usually hunting buck cruising routes around the biggest doe groups I can find hoping I get lucky for that time period. This is tough because the does are scattering and going into hiding from constant harassment from younger bucks at this point. There are other things that can be done too such as if it is hot and dry, find the water. I also like mega funnels in thick cover, which is what I call multiple terrain and cover features that neck down movement to a relatively small area. Such as where a transition line goes through a saddle on the middle of a long ridge system with bedding up and down the ridge.

I suspect mid-day hunts can be money but my schedule hasn't allowed me to do many of those. I avoid obvious bottlenecks like classic inside corners because I think old bucks do too. I don't give myself a rut vacation or anything like that, my wife would shoot me if I disappeared for a week, my hunts are still only a few hours long a couple times a week and I know that is a handicap during the rut. Time helps.

This continues on till mid November around here. Somewhere between Nov 15-20th most of the does have been bred, younger bucks are loosing interest, but for about a week after that, it is prime time to kill the big boy on his feet looking for one last doe in my opinion. He is still a little hard to pin down, but there are more things in the hunters favor. For one, does are less harassed and back on normal bed-feed patterns. That is how I know this is starting - I see does showing back up in normal food sources at normal times. The biggest doe groups, just by numbers, are most likely to have a late doe in estrus I think. Another big favorable condition is the weather - usually it is getting colder so the does are stacking up around the prime food sources, the big bucks are lurking around those areas too both for the does and for the food.

Anyway that's how I try to do it. Base my hunts on what I see happening, such as described above. If I see strange behavior I hunt that behavior, not just a certain way because of a calendar day. I am certain a lot of other hunters get hung up on that. For instance, in 2015 I was seeing no daylight buck cruising/seeking basically the whole first half of November. I was sitting around doe bedding and not getting any action. So I went back to targeting buck bedding that I would in the pre-rut and had some good hunts. Than I killed an ancient buck following a doe fawn in heat in a doe bedding area in that late-rut phase on Nov 22nd I believe. That doe bedding area probably didn't have any does in it the first half of November, they were chased out. Hunt what the bucks are doing, not the calendar. Sure the calendar is a general guide, but hunt what you want to kill. I am becoming more convinced of that with every single season.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby stash59 » Fri Feb 24, 2017 4:04 am

JoeRE wrote:Good thread.

My strategy seems to change year to year too. Depends a lot on what I want to shoot. If I am after a specific buck, I don't have very high hopes of connecting during peak rut he could be anywhere.

I hunt by what I see happening. Every rut is a little different in terms of daylight rutting activity which is what we hunters care about. Weather plays a role, I think moon does too.

This is how an average rut will play out for me:

What I usually see are the biggest, oldest bucks showing up around doe bedding areas the first few days of November or even the last few days of October. If they smell a doe on the verge of estrus, they will bed nearby - rut bedding - and routinely come past morning and evening. I've killed a lot of bucks doing that. Target that buck's travel route, if the doe bedding is secure enough he will show up in daylight. These rut travel routes stay the same year after year, I often see perennial rubs along them rubbed every year for many years. If I hit the lottery and that first doe is in heat while I am on stand the action can be incredible.

Slowly more does come into heat. Younger bucks are chasing and running all over but most of the older bucks disappear first. That is the thing to remember, unless you are hunting well managed land with really good buck age structure I don't think you see much cruising by older bucks. They don't need to. Around here, 2 and 3 year olds are moving like crazy. Some places it might be only yearlings and 2 year olds moving. Sure all bucks are more visible and more likely to get themselves killed than any other time of the year, but its still not much if there are more hot does than mature bucks, simple math. So I think "lockdown" for mature bucks starts much earlier than many think and for whatever reason it does vary every year. I see minimal mature buck activity (4 year olds or older) for a full week to 10 days every year. I know it has started when I start to see lone fawns and also when scrapes go dead.

I am usually hunting buck cruising routes around the biggest doe groups I can find hoping I get lucky for that time period. This is tough because the does are scattering and going into hiding from constant harassment from younger bucks at this point. There are other things that can be done too such as if it is hot and dry, find the water. I also like mega funnels in thick cover, which is what I call multiple terrain and cover features that neck down movement to a relatively small area. Such as where a transition line goes through a saddle on the middle of a long ridge system with bedding up and down the ridge.

I suspect mid-day hunts can be money but my schedule hasn't allowed me to do many of those. I avoid obvious bottlenecks like classic inside corners because I think old bucks do too. I don't give myself a rut vacation or anything like that, my wife would shoot me if I disappeared for a week, my hunts are still only a few hours long a couple times a week and I know that is a handicap during the rut. Time helps.

This continues on till mid November around here. Somewhere between Nov 15-20th most of the does have been bred, younger bucks are loosing interest, but for about a week after that, it is prime time to kill the big boy on his feet looking for one last doe in my opinion. He is still a little hard to pin down, but there are more things in the hunters favor. For one, does are less harassed and back on normal bed-feed patterns. That is how I know this is starting - I see does showing back up in normal food sources at normal times. The biggest doe groups, just by numbers, are most likely to have a late doe in estrus I think. Another big favorable condition is the weather - usually it is getting colder so the does are stacking up around the prime food sources, the big bucks are lurking around those areas too both for the does and for the food.

Anyway that's how I try to do it. Base my hunts on what I see happening, such as described above. If I see strange behavior I hunt that behavior, not just a certain way because of a calendar day. I am certain a lot of other hunters get hung up on that. For instance, in 2015 I was seeing no daylight buck cruising/seeking basically the whole first half of November. I was sitting around doe bedding and not getting any action. So I went back to targeting buck bedding that I would in the pre-rut and had some good hunts. Than I killed an ancient buck following a doe fawn in heat in a doe bedding area in that late-rut phase on Nov 22nd I believe. That doe bedding area probably didn't have any does in it the first half of November, they were chased out. Hunt what the bucks are doing, not the calendar. Sure the calendar is a general guide, but hunt what you want to kill. I am becoming more convinced of that with every single season.


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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Feb 24, 2017 4:55 am

Good stuff Joe. Those are some great observations. :clap:
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:19 pm

Good time to bump this thread.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:57 pm

I hunt in tight funnels close to bedding or in between bedding that have proven through previous seasons trail cams receive a lot of mature daylight traffic. I pinch the funnels down even farther so if a buck comes through he has no option but to provide me a chip shot, I place a moc scrape where I want to take the shot to stop him and occupy his mind while I loose an arrow.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby northeast beast » Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:02 pm

G3s wrote:I spend the majority of my rut hunting in 2 places, SE Minnesota and I focus mostly on food sources to find the does as it is a short hunt. I spend my time here at home hunting river bottoms and I look for features that push the deer to cross the rivers in a particular spot, weather that is slower moving water, shallower water, or a host of other features that seem to make the deer cross on spot over another. I would say honestly my single most successful tactic is to never leave the stand during daylight, I hunt from sun up to sundown.



What time of day do you see the most bucks? I am beginning to love the morning and midday sits over the evening
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Jan 16, 2018 7:59 am

Stanley wrote:25-30 years ago or so I did a lot of spot and sneak hunts. Back then you could get permission to hunt most places by just knocking on the door. I would look for bucks sequestered with a doe. If the landscape and wind was right for a sneak I would just knock on the door and ask if I could put the sneak on a buck in their field. I very rarely wasn't granted permission. How things have changed! I don't use this tactic anymore I think 1996 was the last time I asked. I spotted a great 10 point buck (170) off the road with a doe on public ground. I needed to approach from the south and that was private ground. The guy said no, so I had to abort. All I could do was look at that buck and cuss. I wasn't successful very often but always considered it a great hunt if I could get close. Rut hunting doesn't have to be just sit and wait.

That seems like a really exciting and rewarding hunt with a bow! A lot of guys around here use a similar technique without the sneak or anything else that resembles any form of hunting. More of a spot and roll down the window with a rifle tactic. A lot of the local bucks I have had my eye on meet there doom this way every season. I'm not talking poachers this is legal standard hunting practice in my parts. Was curious what was your success rate on such hunts? Meaning averaging like 1 out of3 attempts. Very interesting thanks 4 sharing.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby elk yinzer » Tue Jan 16, 2018 9:32 am

dan wrote:We don't talk a whole lot about rut hunting tactics on here. But its certainly the time frame when most buck go down, and the most tags get filled. There are certainly a lot of rut specific tactics that are used successfully.
What works the best for you? Pray for cold weather. Colder the better but daylight activity seems to really drop off when temps get above 50 or so
which tactics have gotten your oldest bucks? Putting the time in and making split-second opportunities count. I've made some great shots and screwed up some great chances, but I've learned you better be ready at all times during the rut
What areas are you targeting? Does, does, does. I either want to be right on top of where they are bedding, or their travel routes where bucks are following and bumping them around. If I am not seeing does, move on
What types of scouting are you doing? Mostly post-season. In-season scouting I try to keep a light footprint, often with my stand on my back. Post-season, I am looking at the general area, get a lay of the land. Does it have the cover to get bucks through to maturity. Then I move in and start looking for bedding and rut sign and figure out how to hunt it.



Interesting thread. I have no shame in considering myself a rut hunter. Part out of necessity, I don't think there's any arguing in big woods, low deer density but good age structure, it is the best time to kill a mature buck. Part out of love, I just love the anticipation, the cooler weather, the grind, the grunting swoll bucks, everything about it. Even if I ever do get better at killing mature bucks in early season, I'll always love the rut. Want to go back and read this one later, but my responses are above.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jan 16, 2018 2:11 pm

I hunt j hooking buck beds and travel corridors that does use from food sources in morning down wind of doe bedding or scouting mid day and buck rut beds in afternoon I kill most of my mature bucks on j hooks all season long just started beast mode this year I've only killed one good buck in afternoon but that is changing next year.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby OH nontypical » Tue Jan 16, 2018 2:46 pm

I hunt funnels between doe bedding areas. Access is key to keep the Does from freaking out.

The schedule of events JoeRe described above is almost exactly what I observe here in Ohio hunting the rut for many years. I find late October to about Nov 10 to be best. It does seem the best days moves around some base on weather and moon phase.

The biggest bucks we see are always at the beginning of the rut and the end.

I try to hunt funnels between doe beds in the mornings and funnels on the way to food in the evenings. Mornings are almost always high up on ridges and evenings are usually lower down near where the does are on food.

The biggest buck I ever got an arrow in was shot on Nov 25 near food while he was scent checking does. I did not recover the deer due to a broad head malfunction but one side of his sheds scored 73 points. My son shot a 164 inch 5 year old on Nov 20th in a pinch between two fields. Interestingly enough he was bedding right behind our neighborhood before heading to the fields to hassle does. I set him up on the expected travel route and he shot him two days after getting pics of the deer exiting the bedding area.

Rut always seems to be feast or famine for us here. Mostly hunt private.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Fri Jan 19, 2018 5:00 pm

I think this is the phase of the year that if you’re one dimensional you’re at the mercy of the dice. You can simplify the rut down to hunting doe bedding but dialing it down another notch can really up the annie. If you’re willing to try more and be creative, I think you can greatly improve your odds and success.

I’d say i like hunting more in the “now” during the rut than any other time. Bucks are moving the most this time of the year. They’re not staying in any spot long unless that special lady is ready. Actively seeking what doe bedding areas are the hot spots is key. That means finding accumulating hot sign. The bucks will tell you where their interest is. Im learning to spend more time on the ground scouting during the rut than just sitting doe bedding areas because that’s where they “should” be. When the clues surface, act quick. Moving slow and using my senses to interpret what’s going on. There are times I can literally smell bucks. That’s how vulnerable they can be so I feel I can get away with being aggressive on the ground.

Observing where the sub dominant bucks are moving to/from can nail down where a big boy has a doe pinned. Often times big bucks learn to push does into areas with low traffic because of less hassle so don’t write off those “dumb” spots that deer aren’t supposed to be. I missed out on an opportunity this year because I wrote off a bedding area a smaller buck came out of. After he cleared the area, I pressed on thinking it was just him around and ended up bumping a big buck bedded with a doe further upwind. I should have surveyed the area and pressed closer to set up. This was an overlooked spot a couple hundred yards from parking. Pretty much leave no stone unturned during this time of year.

Areas with high scrape density are big beacons for me. I like marking these areas for future seasons because they tend to be high success spots. We all know bucks are moving with a purpose that time of year and with haste. If you can hunt a spot where they’re drawn to and spend some measurable time for shot opportunities, it’s a spot I feel confident in spending time sitting over. I typically like the morning sits in these areas.
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