Cashing in on the early rut
- northeast beast
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Cashing in on the early rut
According to my local DNR our state rut bell curve reaches its peak around Nov 15. I have always waited to really rut hunt till November 1st. Going back and looking at old journals and observations it seems like our big boys get locked down with does starting Nov 1ish....I've been thinking about cashing in this year and taking a few days off to hunt the last week in October in Hope's of catching the best bucks starting to seek... we have a heavy hunting pressure state and I see most of the rut action is at night. anyone have similar experience?
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
Different deer get squirrely at different times of the fall. The early stages of rut for one are may start in late Oct, while another area my really ramp up in mid-Nov. So many variables to consider. I'd consider early rut/seeking/chasing to begin anytime after Oct 20, IMO. This also ties back into in-season scouting. If the sign is there, hunt it!
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
I will throw some random thoughts at you but keep in mind this is just my personal opinion and I am far from a expert.
First and foremost being that we are from Pa archery season ends well before the rut is over. So being that we have such a short window I try to hunt as mush as possible the last three weeks of the season.
I also don’t take too much stock in rut phases . To me the rut is much like spring turkey. The area you are hunting in could be dead quiet and a mile down the road birds can be gobbling their heads off all morning. Kind of like how a guy may not see a deer all day and convinces himself that he picked a bad deer movement day. In my opinion it was probably just a bad movement day in his specific area not the entire state. It’s all area specific to me. Also when a buck tends a doe he is only on “lockdown “ with her for a few days then he is off to find another one. There is no way to predict when that will happen so it’s just a matter of patience and putting your time in.
I think the last week of October is an excellent time to go after a buck for a couple of reasons. One is that too many times I have been out there in the early part of the last week of October telling myself it’s too early yet and then laying eyes on a Pope and Young caliber deer. I know guys say the big ones I know when the peak of the rut is and won’t be out in daylight until then but what I have witnessed over the years contradicts that.
Another important factor is pressure. There is less pressure the last week of October compared to the first two weeks of November. It’s surprising how few vehicles I see at parking spots during the last week of October compared to after Halloween. I think the time to strike is before guys start really pounding the woods because in my opinion that has the biggest effect on deer movement compared to rut phases, moon phases, or weather patterns.
So in my opinion if you have extra days to take off I would definitely be hitting the woods the last week of October.
Almost forgot to mention the last week has also been the most productive for me when it comes to calling.
Don’t know why I assumed you’re from Pa. Sorry about that.
First and foremost being that we are from Pa archery season ends well before the rut is over. So being that we have such a short window I try to hunt as mush as possible the last three weeks of the season.
I also don’t take too much stock in rut phases . To me the rut is much like spring turkey. The area you are hunting in could be dead quiet and a mile down the road birds can be gobbling their heads off all morning. Kind of like how a guy may not see a deer all day and convinces himself that he picked a bad deer movement day. In my opinion it was probably just a bad movement day in his specific area not the entire state. It’s all area specific to me. Also when a buck tends a doe he is only on “lockdown “ with her for a few days then he is off to find another one. There is no way to predict when that will happen so it’s just a matter of patience and putting your time in.
I think the last week of October is an excellent time to go after a buck for a couple of reasons. One is that too many times I have been out there in the early part of the last week of October telling myself it’s too early yet and then laying eyes on a Pope and Young caliber deer. I know guys say the big ones I know when the peak of the rut is and won’t be out in daylight until then but what I have witnessed over the years contradicts that.
Another important factor is pressure. There is less pressure the last week of October compared to the first two weeks of November. It’s surprising how few vehicles I see at parking spots during the last week of October compared to after Halloween. I think the time to strike is before guys start really pounding the woods because in my opinion that has the biggest effect on deer movement compared to rut phases, moon phases, or weather patterns.
So in my opinion if you have extra days to take off I would definitely be hitting the woods the last week of October.
Almost forgot to mention the last week has also been the most productive for me when it comes to calling.
Don’t know why I assumed you’re from Pa. Sorry about that.
Public Land Hunter
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
Steelhead I agree with you on cashing in on the early rut. For the past couple years I've taken my vacation the week leading up to Halloween or the next couple days of November depending how it falls. I've taken my biggest buck Oct 26 and have seen the most daylight movement during this window from bucks cruising and checking doe bedding areas. I believe that when you get close to the bell curve of peak estrous the more mature buck lockdown quicker and your window has in fact gotten smaller, especially in areas with high doe populations. In areas with thinner deer herds you might find those more mature deer cruising for does longer because resources are lower. I'm also from pa so it could just be an effect I've noticed hunting here.
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
Blackmagic33 wrote:Steelhead I agree with you on cashing in on the early rut. For the past couple years I've taken my vacation the week leading up to Halloween or the next couple days of November depending how it falls. I've taken my biggest buck Oct 26 and have seen the most daylight movement during this window from bucks cruising and checking doe bedding areas. I believe that when you get close to the bell curve of peak estrous the more mature buck lockdown quicker and your window has in fact gotten smaller, especially in areas with high doe populations. In areas with thinner deer herds you might find those more mature deer cruising for does longer because resources are lower. I'm also from pa so it could just be an effect I've noticed hunting here.
Three years ago I was hunting high up on a mountain ridge along a bench. About 150 yards to my right was a bedding area . Basically a hillside covered thick in mountain laurel. Around 9 :00 am I did a few grunts and rattled. Five minutes later I had a 120 class buck come in looking for a fight. 120 is exceptional for up there. Anyhow I ended up shooting under him and my arrow buried into a red oak.
The entire morning I kept thinking it was too early and I was fantasizing about November.
It was October 26th when I missed him.
Public Land Hunter
- northeast beast
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
Thanks for the feedback guys...steelhead I'm not a PA guy but close neighbor here in western NY. You guys are right the rut is a interesting situation and it has its peaks and valleys...im going to gamble a little and get out there a little earlier then normal I think. My next favorite day to hunt is veterans day... I see a lot of bucks out cruising...I've seen some of the best bucks this day which is why I always hunt hard the 2nd week in November leading into veterans day and for the most part it is a bust(lots of other sloppy hunting factors in there I'm sure) but im going to gamble and hit it hard that week going into halloween....( I keep telling myself...insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting dofferernt results) so as long as weather permits I'll post back on this thread and tell you guys what I observed
- Bowhuntercoop
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
I’ve seen and shot more mature bucks in Pa the last week of October then compared to the first 2 weeks of November. That week leading up to Halloween is always a great time to be in the woods.
- Dewey
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
The last 10 days of October are very overlooked by many. By mid-October bucks are really ramping up daylight activity and laying down a lot of new sign with rubs and scrapes. This is the best time to pattern them because they are still mostly on the bed to feed pattern and haven’t gone crazy seeking does yet. Once you get into November 1st the chase begins it gets a whole lot less predictable and much harder to hunt a single buck. They could be here today and 5 miles away tomorrow.
- stash59
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
It may just relate to the possibility that this pre-rut behavior may get them out of their bed 5, 10, 15 minutes earlier. So when hunting near beds. They get to your kill spot in legal shooting time. Not after.
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- greenhorndave
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
stash59 wrote:It may just relate to the possibility that this pre-rut behavior may get them out of their bed 5, 10, 15 minutes earlier. So when hunting near beds. They get to your kill spot in legal shooting time. Not after.
Good point. That is the difference between seeing one or not. All we need. Exciting times!
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
- Boogieman1
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
My opinion, which is based on hunting down south. Is weather makes or breaks that last week in October. A cold snap during that time frame can make for some of the best hunting of the year. On flip side lows in the high 60s or 70s pretty much throws a monkey wrench into the plans and cheats me out of a lot of hunting hours. Still have a chance at first/last light, but all day movement is at a hault. For a strange reason I always get a pic of a daylight monster on Halloween, unpredictable and always random but interesting none the less.
I have killed more bucks between 10-1 on cold days than all other time frames combined. And I've also hunted that time slot way less than any other time. Hence, why my opinion is I need cool temps to get them moving in my area and phase of the rut really doesn't matter as much as the forecast.
I actually tend to do better the 2nd rut which takes place here in Dec. I attribute this to we always have better hunting weather than we do in Nov when it tends to stay hot. From last week of October through last week of Dec if the highs are below 55 I'm in a quality stand and I'm sitting all day!
I have killed more bucks between 10-1 on cold days than all other time frames combined. And I've also hunted that time slot way less than any other time. Hence, why my opinion is I need cool temps to get them moving in my area and phase of the rut really doesn't matter as much as the forecast.
I actually tend to do better the 2nd rut which takes place here in Dec. I attribute this to we always have better hunting weather than we do in Nov when it tends to stay hot. From last week of October through last week of Dec if the highs are below 55 I'm in a quality stand and I'm sitting all day!
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
From my experiences I also believe bucks are most vulnerable the last week of October. For the reasons others have posted above.
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
Fwiw,
West central Wisconsin -- got a text from the wife that a huge 10 pt. was bedding down in our backyard with 6 does, 3 were yearlings.
I'd say it has begun here...
West central Wisconsin -- got a text from the wife that a huge 10 pt. was bedding down in our backyard with 6 does, 3 were yearlings.
I'd say it has begun here...
I welcome constructive criticism to any of my comments, because Knowledge is Power!
- headgear
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
I compare it to pan handling for gold, a lucky few find a nugget and the rest of us are poor and broke.
- pewpewpew
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Re: Cashing in on the early rut
Boogieman1 wrote:My opinion, which is based on hunting down south. Is weather makes or breaks that last week in October. A cold snap during that time frame can make for some of the best hunting of the year. On flip side lows in the high 60s or 70s pretty much throws a monkey wrench into the plans and cheats me out of a lot of hunting hours. Still have a chance at first/last light, but all day movement is at a hault. For a strange reason I always get a pic of a daylight monster on Halloween, unpredictable and always random but interesting none the less.
I have killed more bucks between 10-1 on cold days than all other time frames combined. And I've also hunted that time slot way less than any other time. Hence, why my opinion is I need cool temps to get them moving in my area and phase of the rut really doesn't matter as much as the forecast.
I actually tend to do better the 2nd rut which takes place here in Dec. I attribute this to we always have better hunting weather than we do in Nov when it tends to stay hot. From last week of October through last week of Dec if the highs are below 55 I'm in a quality stand and I'm sitting all day!
Why do you think deer are on their feet more in this 10-1 timeframe? Natural movement or being pushed by exiting hunters? Do you find 10-1 productive just during the rut, or all season?
I went through two years of trail camera photos and found most movement around 10am.
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