2011 Rut Report

[HICKMAN]

Where do you guys hunt during the rut?

I know some folks to sit on field edges and others who are down in the bottoms.

I don't have a clue where I should be when they are chasing.

 

[42769vette]

Where do you guys hunt during the rut?

I know some folks to sit on field edges and others who are down in the bottoms.

I don't have a clue where I should be when they are chasing.

i dont hunt any diffrently durring the rut. i play the wind, how long its been since ive been in the stand, if the stand is a better morning or evening producer, etc the only thing i really do diffrent is somtimes i do a drag line

 

[ISP 5353]

Where do you guys hunt during the rut?

I know some folks to sit on field edges and others who are down in the bottoms.

I don't have a clue where I should be when they are chasing.

I look for funnels and stands that will allow me to see more area. Play the wind and be ready to move if your area is cold and you see more activity somewhere else. Try to stay on stand longer. The rut really makes things very unpredictable. Bucks may move at any time during the day, so the more hours you can spend out hunting the better your odds! Good luck!

 

[1911Shooter]

Hickman, If I were you I would find a heavily traveled route, preferably some type of pinch point and hunt it hard. Remember to not hunt the bucks just hunt the does and the bucks will come. Hunting the bucks this time of year is a great way to spend a buck tag on a lesser deer. The mature bucks will be where the others arent and thats with the does. If you have a spot that you see a lot of mature does at, then hunt it as much as possible, but make sure you play the wind on your way in, while you are there, and also as you leave. I dont know how many times I have seen guys totally screw up a stand by leaving with thier back to the wind. If you spook a deer on your way out, they may not come back. Good luck this weekend and everyone be safe and have fun.

 

[redneckmedic]

Hickman, If I were you I would find a heavily traveled route, preferably some type of pinch point and hunt it hard. Remember to not hunt the bucks just hunt the does and the bucks will come. Hunting the bucks this time of year is a great way to spend a buck tag on a lesser deer. The mature bucks will be where the others arent and thats with the does. If you have a spot that you see a lot of mature does at, then hunt it as much as possible, but make sure you play the wind on your way in, while you are there, and also as you leave. I dont know how many times I have seen guys totally screw up a stand by leaving with thier back to the wind. If you spook a deer on your way out, they may not come back. Good luck this weekend and everyone be safe and have fun.

Although I agree with most of what I see here and above, be careful. Hunting an area hard might not be wise. With that said hunting it hard is subjective, but too much presence in the same stand or tree isn't wise. No matter how much cover up you use you will always leave human scent behind and too many times in a single area will pollute it. There is a great article in Oct Bow Hunter about burned out stands in high traffic areas. It suggest having up to six stands (or trees for climbers) in a given funnel or traffic zone and not hunting any one more than back to back with several days before returning.

With the above posted, I am far from a "knowledgeable hunter" in Indiana. I grew up doing a completely different style of hunting in the pasture land of Texas with high power. However the article did make sense to me, and I tend to think it applies here.

HTH RNM

 

[selinoid44]

I hunt pretty much out of the same tree with a climber all the time. I have been in it every day this week and will be in it again tomorrow. Why? Because I see big bucks. The rut is definetly here. The bucks were chasing hard today. I saw a dandy 8pt tonite. He was probably 145" deer. I was able to grunt him off a doe. I had him at 40 yds and he winded me. And just like that he split like a hair. lol

 

[redneckmedic]

I hunt pretty much out of the same tree with a climber all the time. I have been in it every day this week and will be in it again tomorrow. Why? Because I see big bucks. The rut is definetly here. The bucks were chasing hard today. I saw a dandy 8pt tonite. He was probably 145" deer. I was able to grunt him off a doe. I had him at 40 yds and he winded me. And just like that he split like a hair. lol

It appears there might be something to that article huh?

 

[selinoid44]

He winded me because he stepped into my wind path. The wind was west- southwest and I was facing into the wind. He walked into my wind. He didnt snort or stomp or anything he just knew something wasn't right. I have hunted that tree for days on end and will continue to do so. I know I'm in a great tree because I have hunted it for 15 years and it works. I dunno about the story.

 

[HICKMAN]

I'm still a noob, so finding those "well traveled" paths are something I have accomplished yet. I thought one path on my family farm was good, because it was getting them on trailcam... then they were gone.

 

[JDubb]

Also they are changing their patterns hickman, those summer paths are probably very little used. On saturday I'll be hunting a cattle lot with fences around it, no deer on my camera there all summer, but last 3 days I had 93 pics. I don't understand it but hang in there you'll come across paths at the right time!!!

 

[HICKMAN]

hunting my cousin's stand down in a thicket in the morning. He's taken lots of great ones, so we'll see how it goes.