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Don't Try To Prolong The Rut Past Its Natural Time
By Ken Piper
There's a reason so many hunters look forward to the peak of the rut -- bucks get stupid and forget some of their safety habits in favor of chasing does. They are more likely to fall victim to rattling, grunting and scents at that time of year, and hunters often change their habits accordingly -- all of which is good. As we head into many states' late seasons, however, this is a good time to remind hunters that while there is some rut activity still taking place in the woods, it's time to get back to normal hunting tactics -- hunt the food sources, hunt the does, and hunt sheltered deer hangouts. The bucks and does will be getting back together in larger groups, and even bucks looking for love will be doing their looking in the larger doe groups. (Keep in mind that peak rut activity doesn't occur at the same time across the country, so use this tip based on the timing of rut activity where you live).