“Tag: hunting the rut”

During the rut, the bucks themselves may not always know where they will be next, so how can you expect to know? Luck will always play a role in your success, but when you play the odds and focus on those things that are predictable, luck will find you a whole lot sooner.

Not all of the hottest whitetail action takes place in November. In several places across the whitetail's southern range, the best rut hunts fall in January.

Deer hunters know the rut produces unpredictable behavior in bucks. Acknowledge that, and you’ll understand why November is not the month to remain conservative. Instead “open the throttle” and hunt hard.

Here’s a week-by-week guide to staying in step with the rut this month to up your odds of tagging the buck you want.

How can you tell the difference between a 2½-year-old buck and a mature 5½-year-old deer in those few tense seconds before you shoot or don’t shoot? Start by familiarizing yourself with the ever-changing features of the whitetail buck.

The rut is here, so perhaps it’s time to throw caution to the wind. Deer don’t act normal, and neither should you.

The rut calls for a series of adjustments. As the bucks change their behavior patterns, you need to be there waiting for them.

It may be the easiest time of the year to take a big buck, but let’s face it, you can still screw it up. Here’s how Michael Waddell approaches the rut.