How do you hunt the rut?

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KLEMZ
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby KLEMZ » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:22 am

headgear wrote:
Just after this prime time I throw my hands up in the air and pray for a mature buck to show up, usually around the 14-15th they are in lock down and we rarely see a deer let alone a mature buck. We have bagged a couple bucks after lock down but it has been very rare. In the future I might use this time to do a little scouting or see if we can't make a few small pushes to get them moving. I also wonder if there might be some safe remote locations that the deer use during lock down that might be worth hunting. More boot leather is needed.


Dr. Ken Nordberg, also from northern Minnesota, says he loves the lock down phase because the mature buck is once again predictable...back in his primary bedding area. He agrees on your dates (starts Nov 14th ish--lasts for about three weeks).

Have you tried hunting them back in the bedding areas at this time? I don't have any experience bowhunting the northwoods after lock down starts.


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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby blackwolf » Sun Apr 01, 2012 2:50 am

Klemz, interesting about Dr. Nordberg saying mature bucks back in their home bedding area during lock down. In my observations in that Nov 12-16th, some of the biggest bucks I have seen were with a doe or cruising between doe bedding areas. If they were with a doe it was usually in or close to very thick bedding cover. Always wondered if it was the does bedding area or bucks, or both. One particular area was remote tamarack, cedar thicket in bend of creek, about 6-7 acres with opener ridge areas around it with marsh grass area following creek bottom with thickets along it. About Nov 13, I saw a doe "sticking" close to a scrape "run" thru this thicket as I was cruising midday for a hot spot. I put up a stand and was back in it the next AM. About 8-8:30 2 smaller bucks cam cruising thru the thicket but not on or near the beaten scrape trail (the only visual trail in the thicket). At 9am, all kinds of grunting started about 40 yards thru the thicket just down the scrape trail from me. Shortly a doe busted out and ran right under my tree and across the scrape trail. A 140 class 10 pt followed and stopped 6 yards from base of my tree. My shot was in vain as he bolted toward doe just as I released. Before I could knock another arrow. a 200 class nontypical giant walked the scrape trail infront of me toward the doe. Never knew he was there! Stayed in tree all day. At 11am, the huge buck walked toward my stand from creek bottom but stopped 10 yards short of shooting area,turned and went back towards creek. Just before dark, doe came busting towards me with Mr.Big on her tail. Again, no shot offered despite 20 yard distance. Spot turned "cold" after that. Observations later showed entire 6 acre area loaded with 1-2" rubs. So, it obviously was at least one bucks core area. But did he bed there or did the doe bed there, and he just cruised it,bedding ridge sides near the thicket? This was about 7 years ago,and spot has never even had a rub in it since, but the wolves have made it a great killing grounds with dens about 1/4 mile away.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby KLEMZ » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:54 pm

blackwolf, that's a very cool story. I went back and read some of Dr. Nordbergs chapters on mature buck hunting just after the last does go out of heat. He says that for the first week, the mature buck basically just rests. He moves around his bedroom area in no hurry at all. He almost always has a younger buck or two with him (acting as sentinals while he rests) and he is completely tolerant of them. Sounds a bit like your story.

Nordberg says that the vast majority of his mature buck kills (over his hunting carrer) have been within 100 yards of the bucks bed. He says that from November 10th on he hunts buck beds almost exclusively.
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GRUD
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby GRUD » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:41 pm

I have never done really well during the "rut" per say. Before lockdown and the fawn rut in December are my preference to hunt. During the rest of the "rut" it seems to me that there is a lot of unpredictable activity and I usually sit in a funnel or downwind of a doe bedding area. A lot of times we just do deer drives in certain areas that are not easy to hunt otherwise. I dont like to stick out like a sore thumb wearing the orange and the woods have opened up etc., so it makes it hard to sit for me when deer are on lockdown. Our gun season here in Indiana starts the second weekend in November and runs 16 days so I don't get as much bowhunting the pre rut / rut as other states.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby blackwolf » Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:26 am

Grud, I find that very close to what I have observed several times, the older, mature buck tolerating lesser bucks around him, even to the point of watching as a small buck bred the doe they were both with. The part I was not keying on is that this was likely the mature bucks private bedding sanctuary if going by Nordberg.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Bucky » Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:42 am

I have two super funnels that most bucks in the section will travel through eventually (one a bend in creek, from the creek the bank rises and then ag field - the access is bullet proof too)... it is just a matter of time.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Casper » Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:29 am

I would have to say my favorite place to hunt during the rut is the downwind side of thick doe bedding areas. I'll get in there at least an hour before daylight to make sure I beat them back to the bedding area. Otherwise I hunt funnels, transitions, pinch points, and the occasional evening sit over food where the does are feeding.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:34 am

I pretty much hunt the same way all year. But what I focus on chages...early on, water/food...rut, social hubs/does...late in the season, food/cover.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:10 am

I posted this map in thread not long ago...I'm much better at showing things in a map than explaining them.

So here it goes again, LOL!!! This is the type of things I look for, how I read it and where I would set-up...This would be a typical rut hunt for me. Here I would be hunting a hub, scrapes, does, edge and buck bed all at the same time.

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I often do all day hunts during the rut also...which may go something like this, wind permitting.

Image
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headgear
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby headgear » Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:37 pm

KLEMZ wrote:
Dr. Ken Nordberg, also from northern Minnesota, says he loves the lock down phase because the mature buck is once again predictable...back in his primary bedding area. He agrees on your dates (starts Nov 14th ish--lasts for about three weeks).

Have you tried hunting them back in the bedding areas at this time? I don't have any experience bowhunting the northwoods after lock down starts.


I will have have to check out his stuff Klemz, sounds interesting. I've hunted buck beds a few times after lock down but not enough to say I gave it a serious try, just kind of trying anything to see what works. I've had plenty of rut success in late Oct with bucks chasing does in buck bedding areas so no reason to think it can't work during lock down.
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Black Squirrel
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:24 am

Nice explanation, Ninja! Thanks.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby KYBowhunter89 » Sat Apr 07, 2012 5:58 pm

Autumn Ninja, I'm gonna start printing out your mapping advice and taping it to my arm before I hit the woods. lol. ;)
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby moondoondude » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:58 pm

I hunt it differently every single year actually. I never have a set plan entering the rut, unless there is a particular deer I am hunting. I can actually have a pretty tough time hunting a target buck during the rut since they aren't as predictable at times. I usually just hunt often, follow the sign, hunt where it's hot. The "rut" is pretty broad and I hunt different "phases" much differently than I do others.
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby PLB » Mon Apr 09, 2012 1:05 pm

Can you explain a little more into detail moondoondude?? Just curious how you hunt each phase and when?? Take us thru a typical rut in your neck of the woods.

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Schultzy
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Re: How do you hunt the rut?

Unread postby Schultzy » Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:15 pm

What works the best for you?
Hunting right outside of doe bedding area's Is where I see more mature bucks during the rut.
which tactics have gotten your oldest bucks?
Hunting near the bucks bedding area.
What areas are you targeting?
For the most part big doe bedding area's during the rut but also hunting close to where I think a buck could be bedding. Depends on the time of the rut.
What types of scouting are you doing?
Mostly In season scouting.


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