5 tips for all day rut hunts
Sitting all day during the peak of the rut can be very productive, but very boring. Here are five tips to make it more bearable and improve your odds of being ready when the big one shows up. By Bernie Barringer I’m a pretty high strung person. Sitting still for long periods has always come hard for me. Three hours is a long sit for me and four hours seems like an eternity. But I have forced myself into some long vigils because I know the payoff can be terrific. The axiom that you can’t kill them from the couch seems like a tired old saying but it rings true when it comes to hunting mature whitetails during the rut. There is a window of opportunity for whitetail hunters when mature bucks are on their feet during the day and constantly on the move. If you can park yourself in a high-percentage spot to contact one of these cruising bucks, you will up your odds greatly. In most of whitetail country, where the rut is a frenzy of activity during early November, the window of opportunity we want to take advantage of is the 5-7 days of peak movement before the so-called lockdown phase. These few days have bucks in a tongue-wagging, hoof-pounding fury. They are on the move, following terrain contours, checking doe bedding and feeding areas, interacting with other bucks, working scrapes, and generally carousing. It’s a wonderful time to be in a treestand. If you are in the right spot. Confidence is Key For me, having confidence in my spot is the most important factor in keeping me there. If I feel very strongly that I am in the right spot, and something good could happen at any moment, I can not only stay on stand, but stay focused and alert for much longer. Confidence is gained by knowing your surroundings. You can’t know you are in the right spot unless you know what the other spots are like. If you don’t know what is just over that ridge 200 yards away, how can you know that you are in the right spot? You have to spend the time on foot learning the area, looking at the directions of the tracks, analyzing the terrain contours, finding the bedding areas and the travel corridors. You don’t do that the day of the hunt, you need to do that with time for evidence of your presence to dissipate. Trail cameras can be key to this, but nothing works better than really burning the boot leather and walking it out. Comfort is Critical Some stands are more comfortable that others and my favorites are the mesh-seat ones like the Millennium or Hawk Kickback that you have to fight to stay awake in. If I can’t truly relax it is going to be a really long day. I like a stand that you can fold the seat up and stand for a while with plenty of room on the platform. I tend to stand up and stretch for about ten minutes out of every hour. It goes without saying that dressing properly is important. Dress in layers so you can take things off as the day warms up and put them back on as the day cools down in the evening. Fleece is a perfect under-layer when covered with a windproof outer layer. There are many fabrics and systems available today that make staying warm through varying daily temperatures easier than ever. Another way to keep warm is to move. It is amazing how much an aggressive rattling sequence will warm up your arms and torso. Of course, seeing a buck come in to the rattling will make you instantly forget the cold, so the benefits are two-fold. Don’t Let Boredom Break You Down It took me a long time before I would read on stand. I always feared that I would get caught with a book in my hand instead of a bow when a buck appeared. But I now have a plan. I position my pack in such a way that I can carefully close the book and drop it into the open pack. Same is true for a phone or a tablet. I have a plan about how I will get my bow off the hanger and get it into position for a shot. I have gone through this plan many times in my mind so when a buck appears, I can do it without looking and without thinking about it so I can fully concentrate on the actions and demeanor of the deer. Usually, you will have some warning… you will hear a grunt or some crunching in the leaves. Get ready before you see the deer! It’s far better to be ready to shoot with a 6-pointer in front of you than to not be ready with a big one passing quickly through. Things can happen really fast, and it might be the only chance you have that day, or it might be the chance of a lifetime. Don’t blow it! Have a plan, know your plan, and practice your plan. What’s for Lunch? Having some food along serves several purposes. Food helps you fight off the cold, food helps you stave off boredom and food is fun. It’s nice to look forward to savoring a candy bar at some point during the day. I don’t want to overload with sugar, but it is good to have some high carb foods which produce energy and body heat. Granola bars are a good choice, so is trail mix. Jerky is easy to pack and keep, plus it keeps you occupied for longer. There are meals that heat up with chemical heaters so you can enjoy a hot can of soup or even hot chocolate of coffee. There is nothing like a can of hot tomato soup for lunch on a cold day in the treestand. I am so grateful to the people who came up with
Get in, Get up and Get a Big Buck
By Bernie Barringer Sometimes making a super aggressive move right into the thick of rutting action can put you within range of a buck If you have hunted during the rut for very long, you have probably been in one of those situations where you are right in the middle of the rutting action. Bucks chasing does all around you, grunting, fighting, you know the drill. It is one of the things we hunters all live for; to be right smack in the thick of it when a hot doe is right around your stand and the bucks are going bonkers. You’ve probably been there at one time or another. I’ll bet you didn’t screw it up as bad as I did. The first time it happened to me I learned a very important lesson. Here’s my sad tale: I had been sitting in a tree in what I thought was a great funnel since daylight and it was nearing noon. I was getting hungry and drowsy so I decided to head back home to get something to eat, take a nap for 2-3 hours; then come back out for a couple hours in the evening. Suddenly, the crunching of dry leaves under the hooves of a deer signaled that something was bearing down on me. A big doe came by at a trot, head hanging, tongue lolling about. I knew what that meant. I grabbed my bow off the hanger. Within 60 seconds, there were four bucks chasing that doe all around me. Two of them were yearlings, and two were 2 1/2-year old 8-pointers. I watched with amusement for a few minutes as they dogged the doe all over and then I sat back down as they headed over the hill and out of sight. Within 15 minutes, my growling stomach got the best of me and I began to climb down. I left everything in the tree so I didn’t have to carry it out and then back in with me a couple hours later. About halfway down the tree, I heard the familiar hoof-beats again. But this time I was shocked to see a 160-class 10-pointer make a few circles through the area with his nose to the ground before disappearing over the hill in the direction the doe left. I clung to the climbing sticks with the most horrible sinking feeling in my gut you can imagine. I’d had a terrific buck 10 yards from my tree no less than three times and there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing of course, other than resolve to never to let that happen again. They say lessons learned the hard way are lessons learned well. I learned some painful lessons from that experience; lessons that I have used to create some strategies that you too can use to bag a big buck during the peak of the rut. You probably think I am going to say, “Stay in your treestand.” And in fact if you happen to find yourself in the middle of some chasing activity like I described, then staying in your treestand is good advice. But why wait to get lucky and hope to get in the middle of chasing action? Can you go to the chasing location and get a piece of the action? I say yes, and here’s how. Pinpoint Rutting Areas If you pay attention, you will find that these rutting areas become somewhat predictable. They are usually near bedding areas and occur often in more open timber or the edges of fields. I theorize that cruising bucks tend to travel downwind of known bedding areas to check for does that are coming into heat. If they get a sniff of something that gives them a tingle, they move into the bedding area and get the does on their feet. Any doe that seems close to breeding is going to be chased relentlessly from that point until the actual breeding occurs. Bucks tend to push these does toward more open areas where they can keep an eye on them and defend them from subordinate bucks. This makes them more visible than at any other time of the year. This window of opportunity usually lasts only a week to at most 10 days each year, but we all know how exciting hunting at this time can be. Get to know the bedding areas well before the rut starts. Keep a log of them and also look for observation points where these areas can be viewed from a distance. Use aerial photography such as Google Earth to identify good rutting areas. Go check them out ahead of time and make note of each of the areas that look good. Plan Your Strategy When the rut kicks into high gear, go park yourself in one of these observation areas and with some good glass, carefully pick it apart. Good binoculars are important, and if you can watch the areas from your vehicle, nothing beats a good spotting scope with a window mount. The key is to be ready for action when you see chasing. You want to be able to grab your stuff and go within seconds. Once you find the deer, you are going to grab a minimum of equipment. A treestand, your weapon, a haul rope, and a grunt call in your pocket are the only things you need. You will see the deer chasing and you must carefully watch their behavior and their exact routes through the area. The hot doe’s scent is going to linger for a few hours and you want to take advantage of her travel patterns so focus on her route. If she runs along a creek bank or fencerow, take note of it. Where does she circle and dodge. Pay attention to specific features that help you remember the key areas. Count fenceposts or note a fallen log. Things can look different from a distance, especially through binoculars so use at least two points
Four Weeks of the Rut: Be in the Right Place at the Right time
From the final week of October to the third week in November, the rut offers some of the best whitetail action of the year. Here’s how to put yourself in the right spot and make the most of it. By Bernie Barringer The month of October has always been a test of endurance for this bowhunter. It really wouldn’t be that bad if it weren’t for the thought of what’s coming always lurking in the back of my mind. Oh, I’ve killed a couple bucks in October, and I know some tricks that help beat the infamous October Lull, but it just ain’t November. This frustration abates quickly once the final few days of October roll around. Every year in the Midwest, no matter which state I am hunting at the moment, the few days leading up to Halloween see a marked increase in buck activity and I love being in the woods to watch the action unfold. The action explodes and the next four weeks are a race against the calendar as I try to place myself in the right place at the right time to take advantage of each week’s unique opportunities. End of October About three days on either side of Halloween can be the best days of the year to hunt rubs and scrapes. Scouting cameras place on active scrapes and rubs will tell the story. Find an area that’s all torn up with fresh sign and you will start go get photos of bucks on it during daylight. It’s time to make your move because this window of opportunity is short. Using a good quality deer lure in association with these scapes can be golden. Scrape drippers have high value at this time because they are constantly dripping fresh scent into the scrapes. Additionally, they have some calling value that helps bring bucks in from downwind. Scrapes which have not been enhanced have been studied with scouting cameras in several scientific surveys and have revealed that the cameras show that bucks approach the scrapes and get their picture taken mostly under the cover of darkness. I’ve observed bucks circling downwind of these scrapes to “scent-check” them in daylight. Setting up 20-30 yards downwind of these scrapes can put you within range of a cautious buck during legal shooting hours. I’ve found that enhancing the scrapes with some fresh scent will often pull the buck right into the scrape. The end of October is a great time to call a buck with a grunt tube. When you see a buck out of range, the odds of turning him towards you with a deer call are better than at any other time of the year. Don’t call too often and only call when the deer stops coming. When calling deer, always position yourself so the deer has to walk over to you in order to see what’s there. Calling in open-canopy forest, for example, reduces the effectiveness since the buck can see nothing that attracts him. If he has to walk towards you to come looking for the source of the sound, your odds of getting a shot are much higher. First Week in November The value in hunting scrapes and rubs begins to taper off during the first week in November and by about November 10th, I am no longer hunting sign at all. The chasing is going strong by then, so the bucks are actively looking for does by sight rather than sniffing around where they used to be. Beginning in early November, the effectiveness of rattling is at its peak. Seems like every buck in the woods is interested in what the does are doing and how much success the other bucks are having. Rattling at this time offers them something they have a hard time refusing; the idea that he might be missing out on some action. Does are still feeding in somewhat predictable areas, and the bucks know where to look for them. Whenever rattling on the edge of a field, which I do often during the first week in November, I like to use a decoy for the visual appeal. A decoy also gives you a little buffer against having a deer come right in on you and catching you in the middle of a lot of movement. The decoy attracts the eyes of the incoming buck and takes them off you. This can be the difference between having a stare down and having time to put the antlers down and get a bow ready for the shot. I rarely use doe decoys alone these days. Seems like I’ve had more bad experiences with a lone doe decoy than good. These bad experiences normally come in the form of other does which just can’t settle down and have to get a reaction out of the newcomer. When they can’t get a reaction, they normally resort to snorting and stomping, actions that will make laying your eyes on a buck much harder. Better to use a buck and doe in combination or a buck decoy with one antler missing so he looks vulnerable. The one-antlered young buck setup has more success than any other for bringing a buck across a large field, especially when associated with calling and rattling. I use a lot of stands overlooking fields and open areas during this time. I like to call them observation stands because they allow me to take in the view of larger area, which can lead to clues about where the deer are feeding, bedding and rutting. This is particularly true in the mornings. Seeing a lot of deer activity in one corner of the field, say, might induce me to use the middle hours of the day to locate a stand in that area for the evening hunt. Second Week of November By the tenth of November, the rut is in full swing and breeding is taking place. Bucks are paired up with does or actively searching for does to pair
How to Beat the “October Lull”
Too many bowhunters stay home during October because the reputation of the “October Lull” has them discouraged. Here’s how to improve your success during each week of this maligned month. By Bernie Barringer In the past, I never really got serious about my deer hunting until the rut. I’m definitely not alone in that regard, many bowhunters ignore the opportunities the month has to offer. Certainly, it’s not like September when the bucks are visible and on predictable daily routines, or November, when the bucks are running around in a testosterone-induced stupor. But October has some advantages, although each week brings new challenges and opportunities. Week 1 The thing I like most about the first week in October is the opportunity to hunt in pleasant conditions without mosquitoes. The early frosts have eliminated the pests and turned the woods colorful and it’s a great time to be outdoors. The deer hunting locations for me mainly revolves around food in the evening and bedding in the morning. The movements have some regularity to them and with the help of scouting cameras and observation; you can find a buck to target. Another advantage to this time is the solitude. Since most bowhunters are waiting for the rut, you can have the woods to yourself. It’s a great time to hunt the public land that will be full of hunters in November but will have few fresh boot prints in October. Week 2 These advantages carry over into the second week, as well, but you can add food into the mix. Crops are being harvested and cut cornfields become magnets for the first week or so after they are harvested. Deer move into these fields because the acorns are getting cleaned up and the readily-available missed corn is easy pickings. Ears of high-carbohydrate lie on the ground in plain sight and deer migrate to these areas en-masse. As the weather gets colder, bedding areas become more predictable. Overcast, windy or rainy weather sends the bucks into the thickets where they have some protection from the elements. Savvy hunters who know where these areas of thermal bedding cover are found can take advantage of the deer as they move out of the cover in the evening to feed, or back to the cover in the morning. Week 3 By the third week in October, the effectiveness of calling and rattling is rising. Scrapes and rubs are everywhere, but not being checked often just yet; still, they are excellent places to make some noise. Setting up over early rut sign and rattling can be very effective at this time. The last two weeks of October and the first week of November are the only times when I feel that blind calling is effective enough to be worth trying. By blind calling, I mean making attracting noises without actually seeing a deer to call to. Blind calling with a grunt call and rattling must be done from the right location, however. Avoid areas of open timber where the deer can see long distances. If they can see the area where the sound is coming from but don’t see a deer, they probably won’t come. A decoy can help, but better yet, put a barrier of some sort between you and where you expect the deer to be. Even a small rise in terrain that they can’t see over can be enough to make them walk over there to investigate the source of the calling or rattling. Week 4 The success of calling and rattling continues to grow through the last week in October, but the real area of focus is the sign. Those scrapes that were mostly undisturbed during most of the moth are suddenly getting a lot of activity. Areas all torn up with scrapes and rubs can be excellent places to park yourself in a treestand for long hours during the end of the month. Here’s a key tip, get downwind of the area, particularly if those scrapes are found along the edge of a field. Bucks avoid exposing themselves to open areas during the daylight and they are unlikely to walk right up to a scrape along the edge of a field unless something really attractive hits their nose. They will often work those scrapes from 30-40 yards downwind, from the cover whenever possible for them to do so. Keep this in mind when you choose the right tree for your stand. The final week of October offers the best chance of the entire month to attract a buck with a good deer lure. I have had excellent success using a scrape dripper with some Special Golden Estrus or Active Scrape to keep fresh scent going into the scrape during daylight hours. Warm daytime weather causes the dripper to expand, making it drip scent into the scrape. Cool weather at night causes the scent to contract, pulling air back into the container where it stays until it warms up. The advantages of having fresh scent applied only during daylight are obvious. So don’t give up on the maligned month of October. Sure this time period has some challenges, but if you focus on the advantages, you can be wrapping a tag around a buck before most hunters are getting serious about their hunting.