How are you hunting this weekend?

[Bigb]

With this cold air coming in and November showing it's beautiful face on Saturday I was just curious how everyone is going to be hunting. Are you going to start and hit your rut funnels? Downwind of doe bedding? Stick to the top 1/3 of the leeward side? I have some spots that I really like to sit when the cruising starts.

What is everyone's plan of attack this weekend. Let me know the areas you plan on hitting and spots you are going to abandon or save for later in the rut.

[Crazinamatese]

Iron Maiden says to 'run to the hills' So thats where I will be. Im gonna focus on an area that brought some good rut action last year.

[JoeRE]

Bucks are really starting to nose around the does, I would focus on the biggest doe groups in the area, the buck travel routes to them and the closest buck bedding areas to them. The little bucks will be chasing like mad and the big boys will probably be in the background. Not spots for cruising bucks yet, just targeting the bucks that are keeping an ever closer eye on the does in their area. This is just the first good flurry of rutting movement so I wouldn't start burning the best cruising funnels yet, the main show is still a week or two out. If I was hunting

[wmihunter]

Bucks are really starting to nose around the does, I would focus on the biggest doe groups in the area, the buck travel routes to them and the closest buck bedding areas to them. The little bucks will be chasing like mad and the big boys will probably be in the background. Not spots for cruising bucks yet, just targeting the bucks that are keeping an ever closer eye on the does in their area. This is just the first good flurry of rutting movement so I wouldn't start burning the best cruising funnels yet, the main show is still a week or two out. If I was hunting

Why would you start sitting a thick rut funnel?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Mibowhunter91]

I'm gonna be sittin on the down wind side of a very thick young pine planting scouted it this spring and it had big buck rubs goin right in and out all from this one corner these but right up to a large section on red oaks and the does flock to them I kno a large group of does bed in and around this area I'll be sittin in the corner of the pines just waiting for him to come down the corridor between the pines and the rest if the woods to the east

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[phishy]

got an oak island on the edge of a sizeable wetland (bedding) , not the easiest to get to, hit it once this year and plan on going back based on sign in close proximity to it....gobs of scrapes on the predominate downwind side, bucks are checking the trails leading to it. this spot is also the narrowest spot of the wetland (~ 700'), i can see a multitude trails leading to it on air photos..... this spot has had some pressure, but i plan to be that guy there most of the weekend....it has chase written all over it

hopefully i have the right wind and i'm not sure how thermals are going to affect me.... go in slow

[headgear]

Still on the beds, rut hunting in the bigwoods doesn't provide much action mature buck action until a week into Nov.

[Southern Man]

Still on the beds, rut hunting in the bigwoods doesn't provide much action mature buck action until a week into Nov.

Same here only mine are blind hunts, public ground, in ridge country close to suspected bedding. I see more movement of the better bucks a couple weeks from now. The little guys are ragin tho. Gonna be a good weekend with low temps. It will be fun none the less regardless what happens.

[JoeRE]

Why would you start sitting a thick rut funnel?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I don't think I was very clear with my earlier post sorry.

The difference to me between this time of year and prime rut in a couple weeks is a buck still beds consistently but when he gets up he first cuts through or scent checks doe bedding and feeding (not very aggressively yet but he is there), so that is the travel route I would target. Its common right about now to get a bunch of big bucks (even if at night) on a trail cam that up till now had only does, that's what is happening. Sometimes those travel routes are good rut funnels too sometimes not but thats not why they should be hunted.

Bucks are not loosing weight yet, meaning they still are on bed to feed patterns just keeping closer tabs on the does in their area. In peak rut he is just going from doe group to doe group - to me those travel routes are often different.