Whether you've been checking cams & filling feeders all summer or you're just dusting off the seat of that old, reliable tree stand, we've got some wisdom from Ambassador Brent Reaves. He's dropping some hot takes on how to get after those big & wily, one-track minded bucks during the rut & ultimately give yourself a chance to fill the freezer.
TIP #1:
The rut is what all whitetail hunters wait for and talk about. Vacations and family events are scheduled around the rut. My wife, upon our engagement, asked me for a time when I “wasn’t out in the woods killing animals” to set the wedding date. She gets me. But honestly, the full blown rut isn’t my gig. I’d rather hunt the pre-rut, like right before it kicks off, when bucks are still patternable but showing a little interest in the girls nextdoor. They’re callable with grunts and rattling and moving mainly during the morning and evening. That’s my first tip.
TIP #2:
Hunting the post-rut is my second favorite and tip number two. Things are starting to get back to normal and the bucks are back looking for a place to eat and rest after all the buffoonery of speed dating with little to no groceries. Find food and security and you’ll find the bucks.
TIP #3:
Tip number three is hunting the rut itself. It’s my least favorite but the action can be crazy and so unpredictable and nearly impossible to plan for so here’s what I do. I pick my spot on travel corridors and trails. Scrapes are good but bucks use trails to check scrapes and travel between bedding and feeding areas. My chances of catching them on a trail is better than at one specific spot. Also, I’ll sit all day during the “sho-nuff” rut. It’s chaos and calamity out there and you never know when something will bust loose. Bonus tip. Make a friend with someone who got married during that week. He won’t be able to go and you can hunt his spot too.
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Brent Reaves is the timeless, southern outdoorsman we all want to be when we grow up. Visit his ambassador page & find out why. Click Here |
