opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

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ozzz
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby ozzz » Sat Oct 15, 2011 11:52 am

I really want to try sitting all day this year. Have never done it before. I think it would be worth while. Probably take some water and PBJ sandwiches.

Do you guys go back to take a dump?


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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sat Oct 15, 2011 12:02 pm

9 a.m. until noon is a dynamic time period in many hunting environments during the rut, not just hill country. On heavily pressured Michigan public land it is "THE" time frame to hunt in certain environments. An immediate family member of mine shot a buck thirteen years in a row between 9 and noon on November 16th. November 15th is the Michigan gun opener... the bucks seemingly dove into the nearest available cover on the opener. As soon as it got dark they began pouring into the huge northern Michigan swamps all night long on the 15th. The buck population in the swamps rose dramatically literally overnight. The night of the fifteenth you could drive your truck around the outside edges of the swamps and spot all types of deer heading into them, almost like a migration. Remember my relative never shot a buck during that time period on opening day despite sitting on stand faithfully every year. His stand was placed deep in a swamp in between two major doe bedding areas. A number of his bucks on the second day of gun season dressed over two hundred pounds, despite his shooting the first buck that came along. If he had held out for larger bucks I am confident that percentage would have gone up. He finally abandoned that stand for a number of reasons, but I'm sure it would have continued to produce.

It really was laughable, we all used to joke around and tell him we'd listen for his shot on the second day between 9 and noon, and without fail... the belted magnum roared.
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Sat Oct 15, 2011 12:07 pm

On the land that I hunted during the rut last year, my buddy and his dad both shot P&Y bucks a little before dark, maybe an hour or so before. That's typically prime time for that land no matter what time of year it is. They've also shot nice deer at noon, and I missed a 120 hot on the trail of two does about 20 minutes after shooting light in the morning. The deer I ended up shooting was at 1:00pm. It's enough of a spread for me to want to sit all day, no matter how draining it is. Play some cell phone games and food to help pass the time.
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby GRUD » Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:19 am

I've seen some of my biggest bucks between noon and 1pm. I like to sit from morning until 1 or 2pm. It depends where I am hunting though. Sometimes if I get worn out I'll go out late and try to be on stand by 9am and sit till 1 or 2. Then mabey go out for a short evening hunt of a couple hours.

My theory on the late morning activity it the bucks bed down early downwind of doe travel areas. They will lay there and rest while they scent check all of the does that file by. If they scent a hot doe they will follow or run her off by herself, if not they get up late morning and begin searching for a hot doe. I've seen it time and time again in fence rows or just inside the edge of the woods, a buck will be bedded till late morning. Might not happen this way in every terrain but in the broken up farm country where I hunt I think it is common.

I also see that durning this time that the bucks run the hot doe off into areas that are not frequented by deer normally. A lot of times a place you would never suspect. A couple years ago in Wisconsin a very large 8pt buck had a doe corralled in a cow pasture right in the middle of the cows. They were bedded next to a deadfall right in the middle of the cows. I couldnt believe it, I thought the deer normally avoided the cows. Anyway, everytime the doe would get up and try and walk away, the buck would get up and head her off, then force her back toward the deadfall to bed down again. It was cool to watch, the buck would bed down right next to the deadfall trunk and all you could see was the tips of his antlers. The cows paid no attention to them.
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby dan » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:35 am

My theory on the late morning activity it the bucks bed down early downwind of doe travel areas. They will lay there and rest while they scent check all of the does that file by. If they scent a hot doe they will follow or run her off by herself, if not they get up late morning and begin searching for a hot doe. I've seen it time and time again in fence rows or just inside the edge of the woods, a buck will be bedded till late morning. Might not happen this way in every terrain but in the broken up farm country where I hunt I think it is common.


Thats pretty much right on to my observations... I think even in the rut the majority bed around daylight for a little rest where they can observe / smell doe travel then seek out doe bedding areas after they think all the does are bedded... Thats why it picks up around 9am...
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby Czabs » Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:02 am

2 of the biggest bucks I've seen during the rut were before 8am. However I've seen deer movement mid morning also. The period where it starts to get rough to sit all day is when it hits noon-2pm. I like to pack a lot of food and make sure my phone is charged for when the rear end starts to hurt and you get sick of staring at nothing.
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby ozzz » Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:39 am

I know a lot of you guys arent huge fans of the ambush saddle here but one reason I like it is beacuse you can safely and easily sleep in it.

The other weekend I went out to sit quite a bit before sunrise like I normally do, well it turned out to be A LOT before sunrise. It was pretty easy for me to lean against the tree and doze.

Im thinking some naps at noon or so in the saddle during all day sits this year might be in order. That and PBJ.
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby ozzz » Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:40 am

bowhunter15 wrote:On the land that I hunted during the rut last year, my buddy and his dad both shot P&Y bucks a little before dark, maybe an hour or so before. That's typically prime time for that land no matter what time of year it is. They've also shot nice deer at noon, and I missed a 120 hot on the trail of two does about 20 minutes after shooting light in the morning. The deer I ended up shooting was at 1:00pm. It's enough of a spread for me to want to sit all day, no matter how draining it is. Play some cell phone games and food to help pass the time.



I pretty much agree with this.
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby dan » Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:28 am

One of the main reasons hunting all day don't work for most people is cause there stand position is not set up for a position where deer move all day... Early morning and late evening I set up on doe bedding areas or feeding areas. Mid day its the funnels and ridges for the crusers...
I guess there are some positions that cover all of that though..
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby ozzz » Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:40 am

dan wrote:One of the main reasons hunting all day don't work for most people is cause there stand position is not set up for a position where deer move all day... Early morning and late evening I set up on doe bedding areas or feeding areas. Mid day its the funnels and ridges for the crusers...
I guess there are some positions that cover all of that though..



So maybe you dont sit in one spot all day but just move a couple times during the day, still hunting all day?
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby rochester coops » Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:46 pm

Won't those cruisers still check downwind of the doe bedding areas?
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby GRFox » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:49 pm

I sat all day sits for 10 days straight in 2007. I didn't find it to be as exaughsting as others are mentioning. But I would agree with some in 9 till dark sounds like a good sit.

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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby ozzz » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:50 pm

GRFox wrote:I sat all day sits for 10 days straight in 2007. I didn't find it to be as exaughsting as others are mentioning. But I would agree with some in 9 till dark sounds like a good sit.

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10 days straigh is HARDCORE, would you say it was worth it as far as seeing deer you otherwise would not have?
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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby GRFox » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:58 pm

Wasn't worth it at all. It was the worst year for deer sightings I have ever had.

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Re: opinions on "when" to sit, during the rut ?

Unread postby RaisedByWolves » Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:21 pm

rochester coops wrote:Won't those cruisers still check downwind of the doe bedding areas?


i would have to think so
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