Hunters Make Mistakes During the Rut (2 of 8)

Mistake: Giving Up After Peak Rut Subsides

In Wisconsin, peak rut occurs well into gun season. With gun season, there are more hunters out in the woods than during the early and late bow seasons. After gun season many hunters hang up there hunting equipment until next season, but there is reasons to keep on hunting even though the rut activity has quieted down. Just hold on, it’s not over yet.

In fact, hunting the post rut period can be just as good of a time to hunt big bucks because this is when bucks go back to focusing on feeding and getting their rest. Exactly 28-30 days after the peak rut period there will be a second coming of the rut. Not as intense as the peak rut, but there is enough significant activity to warrant sticking it out. Use your calls but not as intensely as you did for peak rut. I stick to just using the tending grunt and doe bleat calls during this time of year.

With December moving in, so comes the colder weather. When temperatures drop deer become active to stay warm and feed. It’s important for the whitetails survival to build up there fat storage for the long cold winter ahead. When temperatures get
really cold, like in the single-digits cold, deer will feed more often both during night and day. Watch the weather closely. If there is a storm moving in, be out there just before and right after it comes through, because the deer are sure to
come out to feed.

Hunters Make Mistakes During the Rut (1 of 8)

Mistake: Not Hunting the Entire Day

This is where real hunters are separated from the wannabe hunters. It’s the rut and bucks have only one thing on their minds – finding does to breed with. Once the does in a certain bucks presence have all been bred, he will move outside of his boundries to look for other does that haven’t been bred. In fact, it’s been well
documented that bucks have traveled up to an eleven square mile area to try and find a doe to mate with.

This is why you should really consider hunting for the entire day during the rut. I know it’s not always possible especially if you have a wife and kids, but do this whenever you can.

I’ve taken some of my biggest bucks during the midday hours of the peak rut period. I usually watch them travel in straight lines like they almost know where they’re headed. One time I took a half day of vacation from work just to go out hunting. I got out in my stand at about 2:10 p.m. in the afternoon. At 2:25 p.m., I had a huge buck travel right under my stand. I made a subtle grunt sound to stop him and then I dropped him right in his tracks. It took me more time to gut and drag the deer to my truck than I actually got to hunt.

I’m fortunate that it worked out in my favor, but things could’ve been much different if I had showed up just minutes later than I originally did. I didn’t even have time to set everything up like I normally do before he came up on me. Ever since that day I make it my first priority to prepare for a full days hunt and get out
hunting whenever I can.