| Peak Whitetail Rut Dates | | | | of covering scent. But I have found in late season |
| Hunting whitetail during the rut is quite different than | | | | when bucks are less careless, lures can be quite |
| hunting during the PEAK RUT period of the season. | | | | effective as a they will not automatically dismiss the |
| While the rut is on, most bucks are roaming the | | | | possibility of intimate encounters with does that have |
| woods at all times of the day searching for does in | | | | gone into estrus for a second time or even a |
| estrus. Since this window of opportunity is so brief | | | | younger doe that has blossomed a little later than the |
| (generally 5-10 days), bucks will spare little energy | | | | others. Deer are curious animals and bucks especially |
| and time to seize these opportunities and will do so | | | | are prone to investigate when intimacy is a possibility. |
| with surprising carelessness often times. However, as | | | | So while I am cautious not to overdo it with lures, |
| this window closes, bucks revert back to regular | | | | neither am I shy with using them in the latter season |
| patterns which dramatically reduce their movements | | | | as they can also serve to cover unwanted scents as |
| during daylight hours. The prudent hunter will | | | | well. With this you have established our #2 principle, |
| compensate for this by changing his/her basic | | | | "PROTECTION". |
| strategy. | | | | Lastly, I have had surprising success with using a |
| The following strategy is proven effective when the | | | | bleat or estrus call during the latter season which |
| common strategies used during peak rut have proven | | | | serves to grab the attention of some bucks and |
| only futile. There are three basic tenets of the | | | | proven to be a good compliment to the lure. Again, I |
| strategy which can we will label, | | | | am careful not to overuse my call. I typically will hit |
| 1) position, | | | | the call once every 20 minutes or so and hit one last |
| 2) protection, and | | | | time 20 minutes before dark. On a number of |
| 3) incentive. | | | | occasions I have heard the thickets shaking from a |
| Once bucks have gotten back to "business as usual", | | | | buck in transit as the sun begins to set. On as many |
| they have all but eliminated movement during the | | | | occasions the buck has remained in that thicket until |
| daylight hours and use this time for resting from their | | | | the sun was gone. Using the call is the first part of |
| exploits of the rut. As they do need to restore | | | | the #3 point of the strategy which is "INCENTIVE". |
| expended energy from the previous two weeks, | | | | And I have consistently brought bucks to the edge |
| feeding largely takes place after the sun has set. Big | | | | of thickets and on approximately half of these |
| bucks are known to bed in thickets which are often | | | | occasions I was able to get off a clear shot as the |
| too thick to hunt. But these thickets usually are very | | | | buck moved through the thicket. Peak Whitetail Rut |
| close to feeding areas which are found often in fields, | | | | Dates |
| plots and other open areas. I've found that these are | | | | The second part of point #3 is the use of a decoy. |
| the ideal places to set up as bucks enter these fields | | | | For this I use exclusively the fold-up decoys which |
| come feeding time. I have also found that bucks will | | | | provide a two dimensional perspective, so it needs to |
| make their way to the edge of these fields where | | | | be thoughtfully positioned and depends on the |
| they stay until it is too dark for the human eye to | | | | specific layoff the area your hunting. When the buck |
| see. Or until evolution gets around to developing our | | | | gets close enough to edge of the field or open area, |
| nocturnal vision. And since the theory contradicts the | | | | seeing your decoy may be incentive for him to move |
| Bible on a number of points, I wouldn't hold my | | | | closer in. |
| breathe. This is where I will improvise by locating a | | | | If the action has decreased once the rut has |
| tall pine at the edge and pushing my way up a good | | | | concluded, this strategy will likely increase your odds |
| 20-25 feet so that I have a good view down into | | | | at taking a buck. Additionally, I have tweaked this |
| the thicket. Ideally a thicket with open patches is | | | | strategy as needed while hunting a specific buck that |
| best as you are hoping he will enter. When you have | | | | I know is in the area. A fellow hunter told me once |
| found this tree and verified a good viewpoint, you | | | | that hunting trophy whitetail is much like playing chess |
| have established "POSITION". Peak Whitetail Rut | | | | and I have found that this is true indeed, so don't be |
| Dates | | | | overly mechanical. Much of it is a game of wits. Good |
| Big bucks depend heavily on their sense of smell and | | | | luck. |
| since this is a given I won't expand on the necessity | | | | |