Rut activity

[marcus44]

These guys look to be in full rut.... damn city deer

https://www.castanet.net/video/16386/buck-fight/

[338win mag]

Do you have a scrape line scouted out yet? Natural funnels they travel through? An area with high doe numbers that stay consistent do to low pressure?

If you want to capitalize on the rut it’s about knowing the right locations to capitalize on the bucks habits. I invest my time scouting through out the year to capitalize on the month of Nov when it comes to whitetail. This way I have a number of locations that I can switch between according to the wind/conditions and spread my hunting pressure. Hunters underestimate how their presents in an area can change whitetail behaviour

Just somethings to think about well chasing these deer.

Good advice wild one^^^^^^
I have hunted and consistently shot Whitetails on the same series of ridges since I started hunting. I park my truck in the same spot because the wind is almost always right.
I have only shot one wt buck in a different place in over 40 years whitetailing, I just like going to the same spot because of the scrape activity at this time of year.
I have shot 4-5 bucks standing near the same scrape which they make every year, even after the area was logged...must be the scent from previous bucks that makes them re-create the scrape.

Scrape hunting for me is the most exciting way to hunt Whitetail bucks.

Mule deer rut? the bucks are really going now...saw a nice 4 point yesterday that wouldn't leave the area as the does were hanging out there and another 4 point went walking by me just the other day. I already filled my Mule deer tag , but good to see them running around.

[Pauly]

Good advice wild one^^^^^^
I have hunted and consistently shot Whitetails on the same series of ridges since I started hunting. I park my truck in the same spot because the wind is almost always right.
I have only shot one wt buck in a different place in over 40 years whitetailing, I just like going to the same spot because of the scrape activity at this time of year.
I have shot 4-5 bucks standing near the same scrape which they make every year, even after the area was logged...must be the scent from previous bucks that makes them re-create the scrape.

Scrape hunting for me is the most exciting way to hunt Whitetail bucks.

Mule deer rut? the bucks are really going now...saw a nice 4 point yesterday that wouldn't leave the area as the does were hanging out there and another 4 point went walking by me just the other day. I already filled my Mule deer tag , but good to see them running around.

I love hunting whitetail in the poplars with heavy snow bush cover . Draws and saddles. One spot I’ve shot a pile of whitetail in is a draw that runs up a steep mountain and over the top and down the other side. The perfect short cut for deer full of cover and feed and each end of the draw is a doe group bedding area so the bucks are always using it to cruise

[joshbazz]

Josh

if the area you are hunting has areas with mixed timber look there. A lot of times WT will travel right where the two kinds of timber meet leaning more to the evergreen side. Mature evergreen is best as it kills a lot of the under growth making it easier to travel. In these areas WT will often put their scrapes at the base of evergreens especially if there is snow. If you can find an area that has a natural funnel through land contours or water/marsh land you are often going to find a real winner

If you can find a good area with 4+ active scrapes your onto something. Don’t get caught up on rubs on trees keep scanning for the scrapes. Best part if you find a good scrape line there will often be one there in following years too

Little something to think about

Thanks Wild one, I’ll keep that in mind. I wasn’t sure what scrapes were at first, but I understand now. Will look at topo maps for the areas I’m interested in to see how they fit with marsh and tree combos. As always, appreciate your advice!

These guys look to be in full rut.... damn city deer

https://www.castanet.net/video/16386/buck-fight/

Dang, that’s just up the road from me!

[Wild one]

My one location is only 1km off the Hwy and everyone drives right by it because there is no open areas for about 8km. The road crosses two sloughs and in between is a 300yard wide by 4km long strip of dry ground about 10ft higher than the sloughs. This runs until the one slough becomes a pond and this strip joins into a ridge. It consists of mixed timber with small open areas in the mature evergreens. This is a major travel route and funnel used by everything. Add in a pocket that has 7 scrapes within 40yards its not a bad little spot lol

Sadly I missed a WT buck that would break 170+ in this spot a last week it’s been years since I missed

The more positives you can combined in one location the better

[Wild one]

Josh I went OCD on 3 species and WT is one of them lol. There is a lot of animals I am a meh hunter or clueless with but I do know my WT

The ground I have covered, things I tried, trail and error from lots of screw ups I figured out a few things lol. These days I can take a drive through an area I have never been to and without seeing a single WT stop my truck and walk into the bush during the rut and find a scrape line within a 1/2hr no BS.

I can explain a lot of things but there is definitely the I just know when I see it factor. Biggest thing with WT is it is a 99% mental game

[Liveforthehunt]

From experience on Sunday I saw 10 bucks over 40 deer total majority muleys some whitetails... muleys are going full stupid except the monster I saw he was still on full alert. Whitetail pre rut but every doe I saw didnt have a buck and every muley doe had a buck or 2 hanging around

[joshbazz]

Josh I went OCD on 3 species and WT is one of them lol. There is a lot of animals I am a meh hunter or clueless with but I do know my WT

The ground I have covered, things I tried, trail and error from lots of screw ups I figured out a few things lol. These days I can take a drive through an area I have never been to and without seeing a single WT stop my truck and walk into the bush during the rut and find a scrape line within a 1/2hr no BS.

I can explain a lot of things but there is definitely the I just know when I see it factor. Biggest thing with WT is it is a 99% mental game

Thanks. Going to try to put them into practice in the field. Really appreciate the help you, and others including HarryToolips, have shared with me. Hopefully I can return the favor with some pics of success. Cheers!

BTW, what are the other 2 species you are OCD on?

[Wild one]

Thanks. Going to try to put them into practice in the field. Really appreciate the help you, and others including HarryToolips, have shared with me. Hopefully I can return the favor with some pics of success. Cheers!

BTW, what are the other 2 species you are OCD on?

I hope you nail a nice one

black bear and blacktail but I learned to hunt the blacktail that everyone overlooked not the mountain deer they are still a mystery to me. I really miss blacktail to the point I am tempted to make a hunting trip to the lower mainland but then I remember I hate everything else there lol

One of my greatness attributes for hunting is I learned to hunt where others don’t. I got really good at it growing up in the lower mainland where you are trying to get away from party people, hikers, 4x4, ATV, completely trashed areas, target shooters and hunters. I have not had a person on cam or a strangers foot print near my sets in years lol

[Bugle M In]

Some good advice by both members right there.

Not sure where you live 338, but it's good to know the MD rut I still going.
Damn, I wish I could get out this weekend, as I was out this past week, lots of MD Doe, but could only find several bucks, but not the 4 pt from
the previous week.
Was concerned things were slowing down".

Rubs for WT are important as the 2 members above stated.
Snow should help make finding this areas easier, but not always the case (no snow), but just go for a walk and when you find them, you know you are in the right area.
Same goes for MD with rubs, imo, but they have to be really fresh, not the ones they use to remove velvet.