where to hunt during the rut?

[chadk7]

I have several stands in the woods I hunt. I saw a big buck last week in the stand that I have been sitting in. I didn't get to go out this weekend but my friend told me that the bucks have started chasing the does.

The stand I have been using is at the end of a row of trees. It is about 10 feet wide and there are fields on both sides of it. Directly in front of my stand there is field that is just wide enough for the tractors to get through, and then a small woods were the trees aren't too thick. I have noticed that they lay down in the thick weeds in this area.

My question is would it be better to go back further into the woods or still hunt the edge during the rut. I know that it is mostly luck but i want to give myself the best chance to at least aee some deer.

Basically I want to know where the deer are more likely to do it. Haha

[longranger]

Are we bow hunting,shotgun or rifle hunting ? That would ceratinly narrow down my choices.I like being at the edge of the trees where I can watch openings wind direction ? not knowing the terrain I would just get downwind of where I thought my shots were most likely to occur and consider my weapon of choice.

[603Country]

I generally hunt where I know the does will be. Where the girls are, you'll find the boys. In my case, I hunt these days on a Texas powerline right of way that gets good doe traffic. That works for the small to medium bucks. The big guy, that I got a look at last week, is an elusive 10 point. He rarely leaves cover, and I think he's the big 8 point that I saw last year the day before the season opened. The older and bigger the buck, the smarter and more nocturnal he has become. But maybe he'll have a stupid moment this season while chasing women.

Over the many years I've hunted, I've gotten the really big ones between daylight and 8 am and between 5:15 (Louisiana, non-daylight time) and dark. I call the last 10 minutes of light "magic time", and my ears and eyes go on full alert.

[Rembrandt]

When the rut is on, the optimum area is a rub/scrape line that bucks are using.....this is a path or trail a particular buck will use denoting his territory. This is where the doe's will hang out waiting for "Mr Right" to show up.

That's just a starting point.....when the rut is going wild and crazy trails mean nothing. You could be laying in a sleeping bag in the middle of a field snoozing and the deer would probably trample you over. :D

[chadk7]

It bowhunting here in indiana. I am in a good spot I think but didn't know if the deer would go deeper into the woods or not during the rut.

[shortwave]

Depends on the stage of the rut but...

....Probably the biggest thing I remember when hunting the late pre-rut(In Ohio,that's usually the last week of Oct through the 1st two weeks of Nov.) is:

Hunt where the does are at and the bucks will show up.

Find where does feed, water,bed and their travel routes to and from.

The bucks will find the does.

[jimbob86]

Hunt where the does are

This.

[chadk7]

Thanks for the advice. I just always seem to be where the big bucks aren't. Haha

[highvel]

Any natural funnel between the feeding area and the bedding area!;)

[mrawesome22]

The rut sucks lol. The bucks are running in any which way trying to mate.

But "where the does are" is sound advise.

The problem is that the bucks are driving the does crazy and pushing them out of their normal areas.

Basically hunting during the rut boils down to luck. Be in the right place at the right time.

[BIG P]

Hunt the scraps as soon as u see they're getting wet stay there as much as u can He'll be back.Good luck

[chadk7]

Well i went with my gut today and went back to the stand I have been sitting in.

Long story short I shot a buck and had a lot of blood, but then the trail went cold. Never did find him. I posted the story in the live from the stand thread, but didn't feel like typing it all out again here. It makes me sick thinking about it.

Thanks again for the advice. I might get out again later this week. I'm sure if I get a shot on another deer I will be kind of reluctant after losing this deer. I hate that it happened and I feel bad that he probably suffered. The only thing I can hope for is that it didn't hurt him as bad as i think it did and he makes it.