Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Post-Rut Deer Hunting Tips


The rut is over in most parts of the country and many hunters are hanging up the gun or bow, but this isn't the time to sit around. Post-rut can be the best times to kill a monster buck, you just have to know how to do it.

Food Source:
Bucks are tired after chasing does during the rut, and they need to rest and eat for the winter that is coming up ahead. Bucks will still be elusive until the hunting pressure calms down a little and you will need to locate food sources close to their bedding area. Later once the pressure has calmed down, the deer will move to a bedding area close to a prime food source (acorns, honeysuckle, corn, soybeans, winter crops, etc.). You can either set up over the food source or you can be more successful by setting up over a deer path that leads from the food source to the bedding area.

Young Does:
Young does usually don't go in heat at the same time as older ones. They go in heat later in the year. If you want to do well with this strategy you have to know where the young does travel and eat. You then set up near that area with a feeding doe decoy, "in heat" scent, and some bleat calls or you can set up in the buck's area (as previously mentioned in the food source) with the same set up. Both ways will work if properly executed.

The Drive:

I don't usually like doing drives (I feel it's for people who don't have the skill or don't put in the effort to be able to pick a spot and be successful with it.), but drives can be an engaging activity for late season hunting. One drive technique that is usually successful if you have about four or five people (it can be done with as many as twenty though) is just a normal drive through the bedding or feeding area of a buck. For this, have two people set up downwind from the chosen area. Then have the remaining people walk in a zigzag pattern though the bedding area with wind coming from their backs. Another technique is for a smaller group. If you know of a ravine or other funnel that deer frequently travel through this is the way to go for you. Have one hunter set up on the top of the ravine with his face to the wind. The other one or two people walk in a zigzag pattern towards the ravine. Both will be excellent ways to put deer in the freezer.

Deer hunting in the post-rut is usually not done as frequently as during the rut, but post-rut is easier to pattern deer and to kill them with your skill and not your luck.

For late season deer hunting tips check out: Post-Rut Deer Hunting Tips II

For other deer hunting tips check out:
How to Track Deer in the Snow



For more tips check out: How to Kill Big Bucks

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This was a good article. Why did you move it?