Whitetail tactics last week of hunting season

[Sitkaspruce]

I was a still hunter for most of my 40 year hunting career; grew up chasing blacktails, then switched to muleys and now concentrate on whitetails. And that means changing my tactics. I still still hunt the odd time, but I chase WT's with a crossbow and still hunting with that thing is a challenge in it's self, never mind the whitetails. So I now scout the hell out of an area, figure out the feeding and bedding area and set up closer to the bedding area, I set up ground blinds in positions that give me the best advantage to the prevailing winds depending weather. Then I sit. It took me a long time to learn to sit, a long time. But now I look forward to it. I have a small tablet that I use to play games or review trail cam photos and I love to read, so a book is always with me. I read, play games and watch, lots of watching. But it is successful as I have killed 6 bucks in 7 years. But I don't see a lot. This year I sat for around 40 hours and saw 5 deer; two fawns, a doe and two bucks. But the freezer is full!

I do rattle and use the can call/grunt tube and this years buck came to the can call. Have not rattled in a buck yet that I know of, but the can call and grunt tube have had lots of action.

Sitting or still hunting both work and each application has it's pros and cons. No matter what method you use, play the wind, always be vigilant and be ready to make a decision and act on it because they don't give you many chances .

Good Luck

Cheers

SS

[Stillhunting]

I rattled in a big guy this morning, and he surprised me by sneaking in from behind through timber that I had just moved through. I stillhunt a thick, dark draw that goes up to a saddle on a ridge. The does like to bed on the ridge and the edges of the gully. I stop and rattle/call for 45 mins to an hour in a few places where there are some sightlines on my way up. Usually I hear the bucks come running down the gully, and I just hope they end up in a shooting lane before I get busted. I've taken 5 bucks out of there in the last 5 years, and watched 3 times that many that never offered a shot.

[jimzuk]

Do you use a grunt call or doe bleat.

[jac]

I have had far more success with the bleat vs the grunt

[Stillhunting]

Do you use a grunt call or doe bleat

Both. Grunt for more aggresive bucks, and bleat for ones that are more cautious.

[Nimrod]

I've done well during the rut calling while still hunting especially when the ground noisy. Obviously walk at a pace that's more like an animal with frequent pauses not trudging along like a hunter.
Glass more than you walk, you can never glass to much. Even in the thick stuff your gaze penetrates remarkably deep, when you see an ear or eye ball your going at the right pace.
My best WT was a no wind day with dry leaves that were very loud, making short steps with pauses that sound was carrying far and for sure he could hear that, a couple bleats every 10 min with the occasional grunt, that one came in on a rope and was keen on kicking my ass. Have caught smaller buck with the glasses cautiously skirting at a right angle to get the wind.
Still hard to get a shot, even doing it this way they often sneak in undetected and bust when they see you move, that happens to often, I just don't have the patients to sit for more than an hour at a time.

[valleycowboy]

for me personally....i love hunting the rut!! you never know what to expect,lol.
i sometimes drive around and hope to get lucky but i usually walk and still hunt....but my favorite is sitting in a stand.....yesssss,it can be boring but if you are in an area with good deer movement...it can be damn exciting.
i shot a good whitetail this year from a stand and it was infront and below me for 10 minutes at 8 yards. i had deer all around me.....talk about heart pounding,lol
best advice to give.....try it all and find what you like. sounds like you found a spot.....build a blind or tree stand....sit ,wait.