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.