Tips From MDR Outdoor group
Better Hunting from the makers of 24Seven products
See October's Tip Of The Month
November- The Rut -- When Big Bucks Make Mistakes
We deer hunters wait for this period all year long and then it’s
gone in a flash - The Whitetail Rut. In reality, it occurs a few
times, but the main rut is when the deer activity just seems insane
for about 10-12 days as the bucks search feverishly for does entering
estrus. A lot has been written about calculating how, why, and
when this happens, much of which is absolutely true. By percentages,
we know when the best chance a certain doe in the woods we hunt
will cycle and come into heat, but on an individual basis, there
are no absolutes. We always here about the one hunter who seen
a buck breed a doe in mid-October or someone who seen a buck chasing
a doe in January or even February, but in the northern states
and Canada, a hunter after big bucks wants to be in the woods
as much as possible between the last few days of October and mid
November. This is when better than 80% of the does on the property
he or she hunts will cycle and the bucks will be there in hot
pursuit. In the southeast, this period is usually a month or two
behind the north. This occurs for several reasons including cooler
weather, genetic selection, and the longer seasons available for
fawn growth.
There are several lethal strategies to use at this time to harvest
the buck of a lifetime or maybe just a buck of any class depending
on ones goals and time available. There’s more pressure on the
hunter of today to let that 1 ½ year old buck pass and grow to
reach maturity than ever before. This is great and I operate that
way myself, but we should not look down on those ethical hunters
who are not game hogs and harvest that forkhorn and are proud
of it. We all have different amounts of time and lands available.
We also have the young new hunters which are essential to the
sports future as well as many senior hunters who are limited and
all have the right to enjoy our sport equally. A trophy is in
the eye of the beholder. In some parts of the country a 120 class
buck is the buck of a lifetime while in another state it’s oftentimes
passed on. There are just no absolutes…
At this point in the season, I tend to focus on what many of
us call “funnels”. These can be composed of many types of cover.
The classic funnel is a where two wood lots are joined by a narrow
neck of brush or timber. Setting up in this funnel is an A #1
way to get a lot of opportunities during the seek and chase period
of the rut. The rut, which many of you already know, is composed
of 3 stages which overlap each other. The “seeking phase” is where
bucks are constantly on the move working and checking scrapes
and bothering does, but not engaging in the long distance pursuit.
Watch for this a few days prior to the Hunter’s moon to a few
days after it. Then the “chase phase” begins”. This is the time
when stories are really made. It is not uncommon to see 3-6 bucks
all chasing the same doe with furious effort. For those who have
been lucky enough to have been in the middle of this, it’s the
closest thing to Deer Hunter’s Heaven as it gets. This is followed
by the actual breeding period. Some hunters believe this is the
peak activity period, but in actuality the woods can quiet down
a lot at this time. Mature bucks will travel in tandem with a
doe they have won over and spend up to 2 days with her before
moving on. These bucks will even bed during the entire daylight
period if that’s what their mate chooses to do. We will certainly
still see those inferior yearling bucks roaming like a kid in
the toy aisle at Wal-Mart, but the insanity of only a few days
ago seems to have disappeared. Oftentimes the classic funnel doesn’t
exist, but we have to look deeper at the landscape. Maybe it is
a slashing separating two fields and we have to resort to a ground
blind or a tree where that slashing meets a woodlot. One cannot
go wrong by hunting edges at this time. Every property contains
them in some form. Evergreen – hardwoods, field – woods, water
– land, or possibly where a steep grade levels off nicely. Deer
are opportunist and often prefer the path of least resistance.
This is why a bench on a steep grade or a saddle between two peaks
can very often be hotspots for generations of hunters.
This rut period is also the time when the Doe-in-Heat products
that are so popular in the hunting industry really shine. I’ve
always said the purpose of a scent is to accomplish three things:
to attract deer, to get a deer to stop in a specific spot, and
to increase the confidence of the user. If a hunter purchases
a quality product and is careful about their own scent in the
application, the odds of getting a quality shot at an animal are
going to go way up. Outside of being where the animals are traveling,
one of the most difficult things to accomplish during this period
is getting these animals that are exploding with hormones to stand
still for a quality shot. Placing a doe-in-heat scent on trails
passing your stand sight is a highly successful way of doing just
that. In addition the ability of a scent to attract animals from
downwind is another desired feature. The myriad of liquid scents
available to today’s hunter are great for one hunt, but it is
necessary to re-apply them when one returns to their stand as
they either evaporate or absorb into the ground. 24Seven
Doe Estrus overcomes that problem and offers several
advantages. We use our patented, timed-release inorganic porous
mineral technology to deliver doe estrus urine, collected from
our captive whitetail herd, for at least 7 days and longer in
wet weather. 24Seven Doe Estrus delivers enough scent to get a positive
reaction upon application and continues to release this lethal
scent so when the hunter returns to their stand possibly that
evening or even 3-7 days later, they get right in without having
to risk accidentally exposing undesired human scent about their
hunting area. The bottom line is this: you want to walk around
your stand site as little as possible and still be able to enjoy
the benefits of a good scent. The user can spot apply 24Seven Doe
Estrus on trails passing their stand where an open shot will present
itself or lay a scent trail by lightly sprinkling for 100 yards
or more. Remember to never lay a trail right to your tree, but
on the upwind side of your stand at a distance you are comfortable
with your weapon. Apply a heavier amount where you’d like the
deer to stop. When using a scent, understand that a little goes
a long way. Just a few 24Seven granules every foot is a good enough
rate to succeed with this technique. If it rains in the course
of the 7 day timed-release, the granule takes on water to its
maximum absorption, the scent gets diluted, and upon drier weather
moving in, begins releasing scent once again. It’s not as concentrated,
but remember what you are dealing with, a bloodhound with hooves.
24Seven granules keep the scent right on the surface where you want
it and the deer expect it. These products are great for late-season
hunters that operate in snow as they also will rest on the surface
of the snow and not melt their way down in like a liquid. One
of our best endorsements comes from Brent Mitchell and his staff
at Mitchell’s Outfitting in Saskatchewan Province. They annually
harvest more Boone and Crockett whitetails than any other outfitter
in North America. Brent relies on 24Seven Doe Estrus during the rut
as he can only get around to treat his stands once a week at stand
sights that are up to 80 miles from their base lodge. Like all
24Seven granular products the hunter is able to enjoy a product that
will not leak in his or her pocket nor will it spill on their
hands when applying.
Remember, the best time to go hunting is whenever you can. It
only takes 1 deer to make a great hunt
Good hunting!
Ron Boyce
Field Research Scientist
MDR Outdoor Group
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