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Thread: Mid season whitetail tactics

  1. #11
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    Nov 2016
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    My preferred method for hunting whitetail bucks is to locate a fresh scrape and setup downwind.
    I have killed more bucks this way than any other way, scrape watching, not rubs.
    "Rubs" tell you where a buck has been, "scrapes" tell you where he is going to be, especially if it has urine in it, this is a
    "hot scrape".
    A buck will urinate in it and a doe will also urinate in it or nearby, causing a buck to lose his mind and have shot several within 20ft. Finding a scrape line, then establishing the direction and angle the bucks will come in to the scrape takes a knowledge of the terrain and wind direction, thus, making wt hunting during the rut the most exciting form of hunting to me personally.

    Where I hunt wt there are no mule deer or very few of them so I know I'm not wasting my time looking at mule deer sign instead of wt only sign, a real plus I figure.

    The reason meat tastes poor (if handled with care) is because during the rut all the fat gets run through the meat with the bucks not eating and running all over looking for does using up fat reserves, thats why I try to get my mule deer early for the choice meat. I have had 3 wt bucks that went to sausage as I honestly couldn't eat the steaks and roasts from these ones, there is a short time frame where even wt will gag a maggot, all 3 were shot near the end of november, each to their own however, good luck to the OP.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    338 Win Mag: good post... I recently passed up an older BT buck today for that reason of my experience with older WT's in Ontario. I wonder if that is actually a fact though and not a sort of hunter "myth".... Anyone else out there care to comment on table fare of rutting bucks? Maybe BT is ok given smaller size of deer.

  3. #13
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    Mar 2014
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    Cherryville
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    Quote Originally Posted by SeaScene View Post
    338 Win Mag: good post... I recently passed up an older BT buck today for that reason of my experience with older WT's in Ontario. I wonder if that is actually a fact though and not a sort of hunter "myth".... Anyone else out there care to comment on table fare of rutting bucks? Maybe BT is ok given smaller size of deer.
    Late nov-early dec never had a bad WT yet, the wife concours as do everyone I've ever hunted with. Think I've eaten a dozen or so from that time frame. BT can get a bit strong in the rutted up razorback form, shotgun zone (farm deer) from VI not so much but mtn bucks get mulie like. Have yet to have a razorback mulie that didn't taste 'off', meat even smells weird. All game taken care of equally well. One exception I've had is a Hudson hope late November 4x3 making a living around farmland, still lots of fat on him and quite tasty. I'm a believer that diet and plenty of it can improve meat quality across the board. Also keep
    in mind I don't shoot big old ancient monster bucks so my taste tests between species are in similar age groups, 2-5 year olds...
    The only advantage to a light rifle is it's weight, all other advantages go to the heavier rifle..

  4. #14
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    Oct 2012
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    ^^^same here, the wt bucks I've shot late nov taste fine....

  5. #15
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    Dec 2004
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    I`v shot 18 in the last twenty years in late Nov. Never had a bad one.
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  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    kamloops
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    3,851

    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    ya late november and whitetails go hh
    and and hand and havent had issues.
    only time i have had issues is if i used a meat cutter..(probably not my deer back)
    i only ever sausaged 1 deer but it was someone elses cripple i tracked down and finished.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Kamloops
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    4,309

    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    Quote Originally Posted by 338win mag View Post
    My preferred method for hunting whitetail bucks is to locate a fresh scrape and setup downwind.
    I have killed more bucks this way than any other way, scrape watching, not rubs.
    "Rubs" tell you where a buck has been, "scrapes" tell you where he is going to be, especially if it has urine in it, this is a
    "hot scrape".
    A buck will urinate in it and a doe will also urinate in it or nearby, causing a buck to lose his mind and have shot several within 20ft. Finding a scrape line, then establishing the direction and angle the bucks will come in to the scrape takes a knowledge of the terrain and wind direction, thus, making wt hunting during the rut the most exciting form of hunting to me personally.

    Where I hunt wt there are no mule deer or very few of them so I know I'm not wasting my time looking at mule deer sign instead of wt only sign, a real plus I figure.

    The reason meat tastes poor (if handled with care) is because during the rut all the fat gets run through the meat with the bucks not eating and running all over looking for does using up fat reserves, thats why I try to get my mule deer early for the choice meat. I have had 3 wt bucks that went to sausage as I honestly couldn't eat the steaks and roasts from these ones, there is a short time frame where even wt will gag a maggot, all 3 were shot near the end of november, each to their own however, good luck to the OP.
    are they still scraping this time of year? Even if the snow is on the ground?
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  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    Cherryville
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    Most scrape activity I see is mid nov to early dec
    The only advantage to a light rifle is it's weight, all other advantages go to the heavier rifle..

  9. #19
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    Jan 2006
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    Quote Originally Posted by Darksith View Post
    are they still scraping this time of year? Even if the snow is on the ground?
    Snow doesn't slow them down from making scrapes . It just them easier to find !!!
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    ..... The NDP approach: if the facts don't fit your ideology, just pretend the facts don't exist.......

  10. #20
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    Nov 2016
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    Re: Mid season whitetail tactics

    Quote Originally Posted by Darksith View Post
    are they still scraping this time of year? Even if the snow is on the ground?
    Yes absolutely, and they will visit them several times a day or they may abandon them altogether for whatever reason.
    I have shot 5 bucks coming to a scrape area near the same tree that has been in use for years, the 30 years I have been hunting that particular ridge. I have seen another probably 5-6 mature bucks that I had the opportunity but they gave me the slip.

    On the wt and quality of meat, I always process my own meat so, dont think its the butcher giving me someones rank mule deer, its a completely different type of rank all its own......I have shot a considerable amount of wt bucks so 3 aint bad.

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