The Rut and All That Comes From It
November 14. 2018
The Rut and All That Comes from It
INTRO
There is no doubt that even the most avid hunter knows what the rut is. This is the time that gets all the hunters giddy and jumping for joy. Finally, those bright and intelligent bucks become vulnerable for a couple weeks out of the year. Is hunting the rut an awesome time to be hunting? YES IT IS.
The rut, to some hunters, is better than Christmas or anything you really look forward to doing each year. In most areas, the rut comes around each year at almost the same time. Some years may vary and be off by a few days, but more times than not you can mark down the same two weeks on your calendar. For those who aren’t sure what the rut is, you will learn to love this time of the year. The rut is when the Buck and DOE are actively searching to settle down and mate. This is when these BUCKS we chase can slip up and make the mistakes of coming into our calls or scents. Their instincts to breed take over and give us the opportunity to take a Buck of a life time. I will be working on posting videos and creating a YouTube channel to post videos of deer I have seen on some of my hunts. I will also try to post some actual hunting footage. All of this is new to me, so it will all get better with time.
RUT ACTION THIS SEASON
I have been hunting the rut hard this year going out each day for at least a few hours. I have seen some amazing action this year. I hunt primarily in the beautiful state of Connecticut, but also get to go back to my hometown in Pennsylvania to do some hunting as well. Both states have shown great rutting action. As of late, the buck is really chasing the doe. Where I see doe, the buck tends to follow suit. During one hunt, I witnessed a large 8-point buck chasing doe and knocking everything over in its way. Small trees and logs stood no chance for this monster. He wasn’t stopping until he got what he was there for…… the DOE at the end of the trail. He created so much noise and racket I wasn’t sure of what was coming through the woods. Unfortunately, there was no getting him to come into me no matter what I tried. Still, it was amazing to see this happen in person and not on a tv show. Same day I saw that big guy, I happened to be blessed with the opportunity to take down an older 8 pointer who was on our game cam. I was dealing with the chasing phase all day and couldn’t get these bucks to respond to me. Finally, this old buck wanted a piece of me. He came 15 feet from me. It was surreal. This buck walked right up to me on the ground and was staring me in the eyes. I lifted the crossbow and put a good shot on him. The rut season blessed me with that old 8-point buck.
Tactics used during the rut
First and foremost, I am firm believer on scent being the most important thing you need to worry about when going into the woods. I take the time washing and spraying my clothes before each hunt and haven’t been busted yet this year due to scent. I was busted drawing the bow back, but that was my fault and got too impatient. Mistakes are made and learning from them are the best way to become more successful. Back to the scent talk. Before I arrive to the field, my clothes are washed with non-scent detergent and separated from everything else I own. Keep these clothes in a bin or container all by themselves. This seems to work for me and should help keep your scent away. Right before I go into the woods, I make sure I spray everything down with the non-scent field spray. I focus on my boots, hat, backpack, and jackets. I also wear gear underneath that is supposed to have the scent lock technology. This is how I prepare to enter the woods each time I hunt, and it seems to work for me especially being that I hunt from the ground. How many guys or girls do you know that call in buck 15 feet from you on the ground? It is a challenge but taking the right precautions can help you. Once into my spot, I use cover scent. I use Tinks #69 during the rut. I use this as a cover scent. Not sure if they come in to it or not, but I don’t think it hurts and I put a lot of it around me. My biggest go to tool in rut is my grunt call. I bring antlers and a doe bleat, but my grunt call never leaves my neck. I have called in multiple buck within 20 yards using the grunt call. It seems they can’t resist knowing who is over there. I tend to start with contact grunts. It also helps to know what deer are in that area you are hunting to know what calls to use. Some react to different calls. A younger buck may tend to shy away from a long deep growl. He may come right in to the contact grunts. Knowing your area and what may be in there plays a key role on what call to make. Contact grunt works and works great. My other favorite call is the snort wheeze. When you have a buck, who is coming in to grunt or may look like he is turning around, hit him with the snort wheeze. This really sets these bucks off. In all my times doing the snort wheeze, the bucks come right in looking for a battle. It can get a little intimidating on the ground when a 200lb buck comes looking for who made that noise.
Just remember, all these things don’t matter if you didn’t do your homework and scout the area you are hunting. These things help but don’t guarantee the deer will come to you. Find where the deer are, and you will increase your chances of bagging the one you are after. This is the reason why hunting the rut make the hunters go wild. Just remember, don’t just watch the hunt, BE IN THE HUNT!!!!!!!!!!!