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For months, I stared at November’s calendar and those six perfect days marked with thick black X’s. I was determined to kill a big buck, and those dates bracketed the peak of the rut—or so I thought.
I hunted every minute of my time off, but the Milk River cottonwoods in Montana sounded like an empty cathedral—strangely, eerily quiet. I never saw a shooter.
The rut is a great equalizer, making bucks easier to find and less wary than they are the rest of the year. But does are nobody’s fools and will bust hunters whose woodcraft isn’t up to snuff.
That was a dozen years ago, and ever since, I’ve wondered why my peak-of-the-rut hunt was such a bust. It was unusually warm, but that shouldn’t have shut the rut down like a curfew. There was significant hunting pressure, but I still should have seen some deer. The moon was waning, but the deer weren’t entirely nocturnal.
My conclusion? For every piece of can’t-miss information and statistically significant data you collect, there is an equal and opposite force at work. Sometimes, all those carefully laid plans and miscues add up to a giant whiff.
Our understanding of the rut is riddled with old wives’ tales. Here are some common myths, busted by what years of hunting has taught me.
Myth: The Rut Is Constant
Reality: I based my hunting vacation on the presumption that I would be in the woods when the rut switched on. I had understood, largely from experience, that in northeast Montana, the rut begins about November 13, peaks on November 17, and is pretty much over by Thanksgiving.
Most years that holds true, but it’s not that simple. Rut activity can start slow, build up gradually and trickle to an imprecise ending. It’s rarely as narrowly defined as I thought.
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Comments (8)
The only gamy whitetail deer that I've ever eaten in Arkansas that were gamy were run by dogs for 30 minutes to a few hours, I couldn't do anything with the meat except get rid of it. I do likle hearing the sound of dogs running a deer in the woods, makes one feel close to God!, a great feeling to have while hunting!
I have taken alot of Good Bucks watching hot scrapes, between the afternoon hours of 3:15 -4:30, siting on the ground in a thicket, no more than 20 feet from the scrape with the metta tarsal gland of another buck rubbed all over my clothes, that's how I hunted them before all this spray and clothes wash stuff became available, and I was/am most successfull throughout my years of hunting like this. I like to get up close and personal , and hunt just ONE Big Buck, that I find in the woods!
Take what you can out of this , and good luck hunting your Buck!
David Harcrow
Well all I can say about deer hunting after 44 yrs. of hunting them in the south is that the Rut starts sooner and last longer than a hunter expects! Older bucks and does have their cycles, and you can expect them to cycle between the 2nd and 3rd weeks of every month between October and February,
David H.
Good article. Very true about the rut not being like clockwork.
South Texas this year, at least where I've been hunting south of San Antonio, has had some unseasonal or different rut patterns.
Thing about nature it has no set schedules no pattern,sure things with the rut are generally in the ball park, I know i'll be hunting november hard. I saw a number of shooter deers at the beginning of the season to now...holding out for a 190 class bruise who came in yesterday but not in bow range. Look at deers like teenagers, they'll sneek around to get some tail but sooner or later they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar per say. Once the heat gets going they all turn into fools. I've had young bucks come in and see me with out a doubt but still spend time smelling the scent lure and just walk away. the best way i can put it bucks are smart but their still male i know how i get when i'm "chasing" so i bank on bucks being the same and it hasnt failed me yet. Good luck everyone and have a safe and exciting season
Good tips. The rut happens regardless of the weather but snow on the ground makes hunting a lot better and a foot or more makes the deer congregate at food sources. After a few decades of whitetail hunting I usually only shoot a large buck if its bigger them my biggest. The younger ones taste better plain and simple. Also the first time I see a buck in the open in late November is the day I drop everything to hunt hard because the next few days are going to be the best hunting you can get. We then drive around after supper spotting in moonlight to see the bucks that are around for the next days hunting. Just sitting in the field all day grunting occasionally can pay off big if you are patient. I dont follow any advice of so called experts, I dont wear camo, I take coffee, I clean fencelines and answer my phone if necessary and shoot every coyote I see. Farmland bucks must be dumb because I usually fill my 3 tags in a couple days. Cant wait for November. Good luck all.
It's all about putting the time in and once in a while getting lucky with a buck walking in on you.
i agree the lunar cycle and that stuff is always something to go by but not no one in the world can 100% percent tell you where yu will or when you will shoot a deer. you simply never know. as long as you put your time in you will eventualy get deer
Yep you get it. Hunt when you can is very good advise. All that other stuff like lunar rut cycles is just background noise.
Good woodsmanship is most imporant plus the time to hunt.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)
Good tips. The rut happens regardless of the weather but snow on the ground makes hunting a lot better and a foot or more makes the deer congregate at food sources. After a few decades of whitetail hunting I usually only shoot a large buck if its bigger them my biggest. The younger ones taste better plain and simple. Also the first time I see a buck in the open in late November is the day I drop everything to hunt hard because the next few days are going to be the best hunting you can get. We then drive around after supper spotting in moonlight to see the bucks that are around for the next days hunting. Just sitting in the field all day grunting occasionally can pay off big if you are patient. I dont follow any advice of so called experts, I dont wear camo, I take coffee, I clean fencelines and answer my phone if necessary and shoot every coyote I see. Farmland bucks must be dumb because I usually fill my 3 tags in a couple days. Cant wait for November. Good luck all.
Yep you get it. Hunt when you can is very good advise. All that other stuff like lunar rut cycles is just background noise.
Good woodsmanship is most imporant plus the time to hunt.
i agree the lunar cycle and that stuff is always something to go by but not no one in the world can 100% percent tell you where yu will or when you will shoot a deer. you simply never know. as long as you put your time in you will eventualy get deer
Thing about nature it has no set schedules no pattern,sure things with the rut are generally in the ball park, I know i'll be hunting november hard. I saw a number of shooter deers at the beginning of the season to now...holding out for a 190 class bruise who came in yesterday but not in bow range. Look at deers like teenagers, they'll sneek around to get some tail but sooner or later they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar per say. Once the heat gets going they all turn into fools. I've had young bucks come in and see me with out a doubt but still spend time smelling the scent lure and just walk away. the best way i can put it bucks are smart but their still male i know how i get when i'm "chasing" so i bank on bucks being the same and it hasnt failed me yet. Good luck everyone and have a safe and exciting season
It's all about putting the time in and once in a while getting lucky with a buck walking in on you.
Good article. Very true about the rut not being like clockwork.
South Texas this year, at least where I've been hunting south of San Antonio, has had some unseasonal or different rut patterns.
Well all I can say about deer hunting after 44 yrs. of hunting them in the south is that the Rut starts sooner and last longer than a hunter expects! Older bucks and does have their cycles, and you can expect them to cycle between the 2nd and 3rd weeks of every month between October and February,
David H.
The only gamy whitetail deer that I've ever eaten in Arkansas that were gamy were run by dogs for 30 minutes to a few hours, I couldn't do anything with the meat except get rid of it. I do likle hearing the sound of dogs running a deer in the woods, makes one feel close to God!, a great feeling to have while hunting!
I have taken alot of Good Bucks watching hot scrapes, between the afternoon hours of 3:15 -4:30, siting on the ground in a thicket, no more than 20 feet from the scrape with the metta tarsal gland of another buck rubbed all over my clothes, that's how I hunted them before all this spray and clothes wash stuff became available, and I was/am most successfull throughout my years of hunting like this. I like to get up close and personal , and hunt just ONE Big Buck, that I find in the woods!
Take what you can out of this , and good luck hunting your Buck!
David Harcrow
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)