Deer Hunting Basics

The deer rut brings with it many opportunities. This is the time when a bucks attention turn to....ER..um..uhh..love. :-D

Yes, the rut is mating season, and the bucks senses are at their weakest. Bucks tend to be more active and venture out more often looking for does, and competing with other bucks for the doe's attention. Similar to human males, bucks seem to forget about anything else when the rut is on. The buck has love in it's heart, and bootie on his mind. This makes for prime hunting time, as the prize deer is more likely to be seen by hunters and huntresses. And this is the part of the hunting season when stalking your deer is more productive.

Find areas where there are a lot of does, these areas are great for hunting prize bucks. Make sure you place yourself where you have good viability. The more hunting ground you see, the more likely you are to see a trophy buck. If he's out of range, work your way to him.

The use of grunt calls (which is discussed in part IV), is less effective during the rut, it just doesn't get the bucks attention. You know how it is, when you're trying to hook up with a pretty girl, your own mama could call you all day long and you'll never hear a word. Try to put yourself in a position to intercept a rutting buck as he travels to his "blueberry hill". Find the rub and scruff lines and put yourself there along them.

Find out the areas where the doe hang out, feeding areas in open terrain where you would normally not find a buck during daylight hours. Pay attention to well traveled deer trails relentlessly during the rut.

Key in on areas that the does use, one sexy doe can attract more than one buck. During this part of the hunting season, start early and stay in the forest for awhile. Again this is the time of the season that you are most likely to spot a buck in places you normally won't before and after the rut.