What ends your rut tactics

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Bedbug
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What ends your rut tactics

Unread postby Bedbug » Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:49 am

What signs and behavior do you have to see before you stop hunting in favor of rutting bucks? Or do you go by what you here from others?

I'm starting to see young bucks leading the way to food sources. Followed by doe's. That's a big one for me. Over the last ohhh 8 days or so I've watched the rutting behavior plummet to down to nothing.
Wanting to switch to late season tactics and knowing I probably should I'm still a little torn. There's always that chance of late estrus doe's and doe fawns. We all know how bomb those scenario's can be but the odds of being in the right place at the right time are pretty low.
What are your personal decided factors?


mainebowhunter
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Re: What ends your rut tactics

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:55 am

Bedbug wrote:What signs and behavior do you have to see before you stop hunting in favor of rutting bucks? Or do you go by what you here from others?

I'm starting to see young bucks leading the way to food sources. Followed by doe's. That's a big one for me. Over the last ohhh 8 days or so I've watched the rutting behavior plummet to down to nothing.
Wanting to switch to late season tactics and knowing I probably should I'm still a little torn. There's always that chance of late estrus doe's and doe fawns. We all know how bomb those scenario's can be but the odds of being in the right place at the right time are pretty low.
What are your personal decided factors?


The depression that is setting in knowing my season is over. :D

This is a tough time of year...its kind of a tweener. You can still find some rut activity but many deer seem to lay low for awhile, worn out from the rut. I went and pulled cams yesterday, first time since end of Oct. Most activity was from 10.28 to 11.20. After that, much of the activity has tailed off.

If i had tags, I would be hammering food sources back to early season tactics, food to bed, bed to food.
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Kraftd
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Re: What ends your rut tactics

Unread postby Kraftd » Wed Nov 29, 2017 3:00 am

I agree back to bedding and travel to food or food if scouting says they are getting there in the light. Chances are if there is a late hot doe or fawn, setting up on food is the best chance to be in the right place anyways, and hope for bitter cold!
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DaveT1963
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Re: What ends your rut tactics

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:26 am

The Does will ALWAYS determine when the rut is over. The higher the buck to doe ratio then it usually is for the most part over in Nov. But, on most public land where doe numbers often outweigh Buck numbers 4:1 or higher, there is almost always a Dec and even Jan rut which can be outstanding. There will be far fewer does that come in but man you find a hot doe in Dec or Jan and its game on
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headgear
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Re: What ends your rut tactics

Unread postby headgear » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:28 am

I don't really know, I slipped into a bedding area on Sunday (Nov 26th) with the Muzzy and grunted in a nice 3 year old buck. It took a while to pull him over but he came into 20 yards, was ready to pull the trigger on him but at the last second noticed half his rack was busted off and the freezer was full so I let him go (he will be a top priority next year :D ). You also have that flash in the pan 2nd rut so those kinds of tactics can work then too. I think the harder part, especially on public land is finding the deer. After all bow and rifle seasons the pressure has been intense and many places go cold. It's not entirely hard to drive around and see them grouped up on private land food sources but without those it is not easy.


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