What to know about hunting deer during rutting season and how long it lasts
A doe crashes through the timber near your treestand.A big buck trots down the same lane, hot on the doe's trail.The gnarliest grunt you've ever heard is stopped by it.
The pre-rut is when people refer to the period from opening day until mid October.I don't.October 10 is the opening day of the early season.The pre-rut is in the middle of October.
Deer transition from their early season patterns to their fall ranges during this time.This shift can happen anytime between September and October, but it usually happens by October 10, which is when I begin implementing pre-rut hunting tactics.
Buck are laying down a bit of sign during this phase.Deer activity is increasing as there are rubs and scratches popping up across the landscape.Forget about the October lull.It isn't real.It is the biggest misinterpretation in deer hunting.Open areas and ag fields are still being hunted by most hunters.Deer are not hitting those spots like they used to.Many deer have moved to their fall range.Deer have been moved to areas they feel safer in.Food sources are changing.Deer are hitting mast crops.There is no shortage of oaks this year, which has resulted in fewer spottings for those who aren't hunting close to the oaks.
My plan of action for this period is to find where the bucks are bedding and get between their beds the best acorn crop available.That is the best way to kill one.
Allow the rut sign to serve as confirmation that there are bucks in the area by not putting too much stock into it.During this phase, avoid morning hunts.The evening sits are where it is.
Buck's act a little rutty during this phase.Depending on the location, it can last into early November.testosterone levels are getting deer up on their feet a little earlier in the day, as rut sign is ramping up.The mature bucks are walking in daylight.Don't expect the big boys to chase the young bucks.That is still more than a week away.
During this phase, I am still keying on buck bedding areas.rut sign is becoming more important.If you find a few rubs and a rub line close to the buck's bedroom, you may be able to kill him on a morning hunt.For afternoon sits, continue to focus on bed-to-feed patterns.
From now through the post-rut, begin hunting mornings and evenings.I would hold out until the last half of this phase to really get loud with them, because calling and rattling tactics can work.
The bucks are feeling oats.We all love this phase.Even though actual breeding probably won't occur for a few more days, we deer hunters call it the rut.There are even mature ones who are chasing does now.
The trails are 20 to 30 yards from the field edges and run parallel to open areas and food sources.As they scent check for estrus, bucks will travel along these.In hill country, you can setup along leeward ridges.The first estrus doe will be found on the top of them, just down from the crest.Continuing to focus on quality food sources is a good idea.It is not a bad idea to focus on doe bedding areas.
When I get aggressive with calling and rattling, this is the phase.Use a decoy during this phase.Sometimes bucks can't turn down a fight because of their testosterone levels peaking.
The lock-down phase is when the majority of does are being bred and bucks are laid up with them.It can be difficult to hunt during that time.It isn't impossible.In the middle of the lock-down phase, I filmed my father killing a buck.The buck had a doe.Dad took the shot after it stood up.
You have to get in the bedroom for this phase.If you don't go where they are, it's going to be hard to get on bucks.The fringes of doe bedding areas are where I like to set up.
Setting up in a funnel is one of the tactics I use during this phase.As they search for the next estrus doe, bucks travel through these areas of least resistance.During this phase, bucks will travel through these locations as they search for another doe.
Aggressive calling and decoying tactics work well for this phase.The bickes are ready to go.Taking advantage of their testosterone and provoking them offers good odds.
The post-rut is what some people refer to after the peak rut.I don't want to.The post-rut is between November 21 and the end of the month.During the first half of December, there is the second rut window.The late season is everything after that.
By now most of the does are bred.During the last few days of November, there are some does that will enter estrus.Things are changing.
Deer are being pressured hard.Most states have had a crack at the gun hunters.The bucks are reacting to the invasion.
I used more reserved tactics for this phase than I did the previous two.I return to the best security cover I can find and wait for bucks to slip up.You can still hunt the traditional rut stands.Like you were before.Most of the mature bucks will have responded to hunting pressure by now, meaning you have to focus more on thick cover like you did in October.
The hunting is getting more difficult.Most of the does have been bred.They are more worried about filling their guts than they are about chasing women.It is difficult to catch a careless buck on its feet.The second rut means making mistakes again.
The mature does that were not bred during the first rut will cycle through 28 days after their first one.Doe deer that reach the weight requirement to become sexually mature will also enter estrus.If adequate food sources are available, that could happen at any time during the late season.
Buck will most likely find these does near food sources.Things could get interesting if you have an estrus doe.Wherever they go, the bickes will follow those does.Doe deer without much experience stay out in the open.You have a better chance of seeing that mature buck in daylight.
For the most part, focus on bed-to-feed buck patterns.Don't be afraid to focus on bed-to-feed doe patterns.It is possible to catch a buck dogging one of those estrus does.