Is "rut functional hunting" just another scam?

[Bman409]

I recently became intrigued by "rut functional hunting" as described on the Rut Ambush podcast. Apparently this technique was developed by Jerry Everhart formerly of the Hunt Fish Journal podcast.

The technique involved creating false licking branches and scrapes around your stand, keeping pressure and scent to a minimum and only hunting the spot on certain specific days (so far, so good).

It all seems to revolve around figuring out the "key date" for your area.. Here is where my "spidey senses" start to become alarmed. The only way to get the "key date" for your area is to pay $30 for Jerry to email it to you.

https://www.huntersblendcoffee.com/pages/rut-functional




He's also selling something he calls "Trail and scrape scent" for $50 a bottle.

I've never seen this technique mentioned on these boards. Has anyone ever had any experience with this? What say the beasts??

[PK_]

stop it

[Bman409]

stop it

I don't get what you're saying.

[PK_]

If he is charging $30-$50 for some info on how to kill deer then it should cost $100k to sign on and view the tactical threads on this forum.

Not saying there isn’t other good info and tactics out there but for sure everything you could ever need to know in order to kill mature bucks, in any environment is here for free.

[Racks&Beards]

I would like to know how he knows the specific dates for my area

[Bman409]

I would like to know how he knows the specific dates for my area

That's what I thought too...

I was just curious to see if anyone would say , "yeah, I tried that... blah blah blah"..

Just another BS artist

[Bman409]

If he is charging $30-$50 for some info on how to kill deer then it should cost $100k to sign on and view the tactical threads on this forum.

Not saying there isn’t other good info and tactics out there but for sure everything you could ever need to know in order to kill mature bucks, in any environment is here for free.

I agree

[mipubbucks24]

I have a bottle of pixy dust for sale for $75. Will do all the same things he is selling, I’ll even throw in free shipping!

[Boogieman1]

There’s no shortcuts, big secret, genie in a bottle, whitetail Nostradamus, or magic potions. If u want a real world big buck success you gotta put in the time an work for it just like everybody else. Knowledge comes from time and experience. Real world success and the accomplishment that comes with it can’t be bought.

[greenhorndave]

Might that method bring some more bucks in? Maybe. But for how long and what time of day? Could it work? I suppose. There was a guest video from THP where a relatively well-known hunter (I forget his name now...) made a man-made horizontal rub and he drilled a big one that was working it over in daylight.

To me, it feels like the "if you sit in a stand long enough, something will walk by" approach, just throwing in a few other gadgets.

I'm all for it if guys think that's what they need and it works for them. Just seems like a wing and a prayer to me.

[Racks&Beards]

Might that method bring some more bucks in? Maybe. But for how long and what time of day? Could it work? I suppose. There was a guest video from THP where a relatively well-known hunter (I forget his name now...) made a man-made horizontal rub and he drilled a big one that was working it over in daylight.

To me, it feels like the "if you sit in a stand long enough, something will walk by" approach, just throwing in a few other gadgets.

I'm all for it if guys think that's what they need and it works for them. Just seems like a wing and a prayer to me.

Ted Miller is his name I believe.

Also, I've heard from more than one hunter on various podcasts that bucks have a fairly predictable movement cycle (I would assume WAAAYYY more predictable on low pressured private land). Basically if you catch a buck on camera in a certain area one year, odds are he will most likely be making his way through that same area the next year around the exact same time frame. Making some mock scrapes and using attractants could just be useful in getting him to stop in your lane long enough for a shot.

I don't think I'd personally put to much stock in that approach on public.

[raisins]

I recently became intrigued by "rut functional hunting" as described on the Rut Ambush podcast. Apparently this technique was developed by Jerry Everhart formerly of the Hunt Fish Journal podcast.

The technique involved creating false licking branches and scrapes around your stand, keeping pressure and scent to a minimum and only hunting the spot on certain specific days (so far, so good).

It all seems to revolve around figuring out the "key date" for your area.. Here is where my "spidey senses" start to become alarmed. The only way to get the "key date" for your area is to pay $30 for Jerry to email it to you.

https://www.huntersblendcoffee.com/pages/rut-functional




He's also selling something he calls "Trail and scrape scent" for $50 a bottle.

I've never seen this technique mentioned on these boards. Has anyone ever had any experience with this? What say the beasts??

I can tell you all about it for $49.....

[austin1990]

I would like to know how he knows the specific dates for my area

That's my thought too. I live in what I'd called a very odd area as far as the rut goes. About 40 miles northwest from my house in the mountain public land I hunt you best be hunting anytime between October 20-31 for the absolute best rut hunting all year there, especially on a cold front. About 15 miles north of the house oct 31-November 6 is real good, in the rolling pine hills. At my house in a river bottom with cattle pastures the best rut hunting is November 17-24 hands down. Go east about 50 miles to the public land swamp/big woods river bottom I hunt and dec 1-14 is awesome! Within a 100 mile radius the rut varies by 2 months, so how can he determine which is the right one for me?

[jjc1974us]

I can say that I have been a listener of that podcast for about 5 years now and I employed their rut functional hunting tactics for about 3 of those 5 years. I can tell you that if you follow their program you will see an increase in buck activity at your stand locations 2-3 times what you would see otherwise. I did my own experiments to prove this to be true on my properties that I hunt. As far as their scent goes, they do not push it, and say that you do not need to use their scent, but that it works for them and have made it available.

In my experience their prediction of the days is very accurate in predicting the 3-4 days of the most daylight activity for seeking bucks before the does become receptive. I could not tell you how they calculate it other than it is based on the rate of change in daylight for your location. The other thing that I should mention is that in my case the increased buck activity was mostly in 1-3 year old bucks. I have yet to successfully take a 4+ year old buck using these tactics. Not saying that you can or can't just giving my experience.

Their tactics have been able to bring a predictable pattern to a time of the season that for me was previously just chaos. Just take it for what it's worth, only my own experience.

[Jonny]

I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona to sell real cheap to whoever buys this