• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Rut help

greg728

greg728

Active Member
SH Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Messages
197
Location
Pennsylvania
This is my second year hunting and I’m curious what to look for/where to set up during the rut. I’m hunting Pennsylvania big woods public land pieces. Last year I took vacation November 8th to the 14th and I didn’t see a lot of movement although I probably wasn’t set up in the greatest places. I saw some deer and had a shot at one but I didn’t notice a lot of cruising. My guess is they were mostly locked down around then. This year I’m taking vacation 10/31- 11/6 hoping to see more bucks in the seeking stage. The issue is the weather forecast is predicting rain and mild temps - lows in the mid 40s and highs in the mid 60s.

My questions are -
- Are these temps too mild to be conducive for daylight movement? I’ve heard a lot of people say if pressure and temps are too high the rut action becomes nocturnal.

- What are some focal points I should look for and set up on during this time frame? Mostly hoping for feedback from people familiar with NE big woods hunting if possible.
 
In big woods with elevation, I look for spots where the terrain forces deer to move through one tight spot. Look for bucks to be on the leeward side of hills. Also look for spots where thick cover meets open areas and hunt the downwind side of the thick area. Buck will often cruise the edge of thick cover looking to smell does.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
In big woods with elevation, I look for spots where the terrain forces deer to move through one tight spot. Look for bucks to be on the leeward side of hills. Also look for spots where thick cover meets open areas and hunt the downwind side of the thick area. Buck will often cruise the edge of thick cover looking to smell does.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. Would you say those temps are too mild for daylight movement?
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I agree with Topdog on that. When the does are hot the bucks will be after them, rain shine sleet or heat. The key for me is to find a spot where the geography MAKES them come through that one spot.
Click to expand...
Thanks man. Do you subscribe to the scout scout hunt theory when it comes to rut hunting? I don’t have any known doe bedding areas that won’t be seriously pressured next week so I’d like to scout some parts that are a little more difficult to access but I also don’t want to miss out on cruising bucks by not being in a tree
 
Doesnt really matter where you hunt or wht terrain you hunt any Rain, Snow, Wind,hot or cold, when the does are hot the bucks are on their feet seeking,chasing,then tending so hunt downwind of known secure doe bedding areas especially near a food source.
Timing with food is a super important thing. Knowing what the deer want to eat right now is the biggest puzzle piece. most spots now are acorns then a main food source like a crop.
This time of year in my opinion the marsh is the toughest,Wgy I say that is because The does get so Pressured by bucks they go out to those little brushy islands to escape Now hunter pressure and buck pressure
especially if they are not ready to mate
The bucks go out there and bed nearby usually withineye sight or a spot downwind til the does get up and move ,then the chase begins
If I was a chick and had a bunch of dudes trying to smell my goods every time i walked 5 feet I would ru and hide from them to. well maybe lol
Rut is tough in marsh,clearcut,or crp type areas
A big crp field or clear cut can be treated almost the same way as a marsh but, most times there is some big enough trees within them to get a setup in
Hill country is from what i hear is all about the sight and smell but thats what I hear and read.
Im not a hill country man and have hunted very little hill country so I'm not real savy on hill stuff
flat country is where I chase most of my whitetails
I also scout scout hunt as much as i can
 
Last edited:
greg728 said:
Thanks man. Do you subscribe to the scout scout hunt theory when it comes to rut hunting? I don’t have any known doe bedding areas that won’t be seriously pressured next week so I’d like to scout some parts that are a little more difficult to access but I also don’t want to miss out on cruising bucks by not being in a tree
Click to expand...
I generally do scout and then hunt based off what I see but if I am in hill country in the rut, I like to find a place where the deer will have to move through a narrow spot like a bench with a steep hill on one side and a deep creek on the other. A spot where they would have to go vertical to get through any other way. Creek crossings are good, very sharp and narrow ridgetops, benches with creeks like above, valley hubs where several points converge (wagon wheel hubs). All these concentrate travel down to a small area and since the bucks will be traveling, they will have to go through spots like this. Also, don't discount midday hunting. In high pressure areas many hunters will be on stand from daylight to 10 and then 3 to dark but bucks and deer in general know that it is safer to move midday.

Is this a gun hunt or bowhunt?
 
Robert loper said:
Doesnt really matter where you hunt or wht terrain you hunt any Rain, Snow, Wind,hot or cold, when the does are hot the bucks are on their feet seeking,chasing,then tending so hunt downwind of known secure doe bedding areas especially near a food source.
Timing with food is a super important thing. Knowing what the deer want to eat right now is the biggest puzzle piece. most spots now are acorns then a main food source like a crop.
This time of year in my opinion the marsh is the toughest,Wgy I say that is because The does get so Pressured by bucks they go out to those little brushy islands to escape Now hunter pressure and buck pressure
especially if they are not ready to mate
The bucks go out there and bed nearby usually withineye sight or a spot downwind til the does get up and move ,then the chase begins
If I was a chick and had a bunch of dudes trying to smell my goods every time i walked 5 feet I would ru and hide from them to. well maybe lol
Rut is tough in marsh,clearcut,or crp type areas
A big crp field or clear cut can be treated almost the same way as a marsh but, most times there is some big enough trees within them to get a setup in
Hill country is from what i hear is all about the sight and smell but thats what I hear and read.
Im not a hill country man and have hunted very little hill country so I'm not real savy on hill stuff
flat country is where I chase most of my whitetails
I also scout scout hunt as much as i can
Click to expand...
Loper this is a great point. People always say hunt downwind of the doe bedding. But where the does are bedding absolutely depends on what major food source they’re on. OP if you can find major feed sign where the does are, then trace back to the first bit of cover and find doe bedding. Find some set ups on the downwind side of these doe bedding areas. This is what I have to do because my big woods really don’t have pinch points of any kind. It’s all just kind of thick.
 
philsanchez76 said:
Loper this is a great point. People always say hunt downwind of the doe bedding. But where the does are bedding absolutely depends on what major food source they’re on. OP if you can find major feed sign where the does are, then trace back to the first bit of cover and find doe bedding. Find some set ups on the downwind side of these doe bedding areas. This is what I have to do because my big woods really don’t have pinch points of any kind. It’s all just kind of thick.
Click to expand...
Thnks bro.
My pop always told me during the rut hunt the food source the does are on.
bedding will be near by.
Bucks let their guard down big time for the instinctive pressure to breed making them show up in areas they would never show up in daylight hours.
its crazy how in most species including humans put thier actual lives on the line for a gal. Lol
 
I’d scout mornings and hunt evenings in those temps

I would still focus on scrapes personally

Food and bedding of course but you will be more productive scouting and finding deer rather than just sitting in a tree hoping
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I generally do scout and then hunt based off what I see but if I am in hill country in the rut, I like to find a place where the deer will have to move through a narrow spot like a bench with a steep hill on one side and a deep creek on the other. A spot where they would have to go vertical to get through any other way. Creek crossings are good, very sharp and narrow ridgetops, benches with creeks like above, valley hubs where several points converge (wagon wheel hubs). All these concentrate travel down to a small area and since the bucks will be traveling, they will have to go through spots like this. Also, don't discount midday hunting. In high pressure areas many hunters will be on stand from daylight to 10 and then 3 to dark but bucks and deer in general know that it is safer to move midday.

Is this a gun hunt or bowhunt?
Click to expand...
It’s a bow hunt. Public land around me has some terrain features and maybe a ridge but it’s not hill country where you’re surrounded by ridges and valleys. It’s a lot of hardwoods and mostly subtle elevation changes with a lot of thickets and edge created by vegetation. Maybe a very small subtle bench and some saddles but they tend to get hit hard when the pressure kicks in. The one piece I’m looking at now has a small mountain with a ridge system and the top 1/3 is difficult to get through and has a lot of vegetation/terrain transition that’s perfect for buck bedding but recent scouting didn’t show a lot of doe bedding or feeding areas
 
Yes warm weather will slow down cruising but won't stop it totally. Still a great time to be in the woods.

Tactics, I basically hunt does. Find the does and there will be bucks around.

Maybe some expectations management?
Not sure how much big woods hunting you've done but it ain't Iowa around these parts. Seeing a couple deer a day is still a pretty good one and there will be not uncommon deerless days even in the best days of the rut that's just what you sign up for out here.
 
elk yinzer said:
Yes warm weather will slow down cruising but won't stop it totally. Still a great time to be in the woods.

Tactics, I basically hunt does. Find the does and there will be bucks around.

Maybe some expectations management?
Not sure how much big woods hunting you've done but it ain't Iowa around these parts. Seeing a couple deer a day is still a pretty good one and there will be not uncommon deerless days even in the best days of the rut that's just what you sign up for out here.
Click to expand...

All I’ve hunted is big woods and after last year I’ve definitely shifted my expectations. I just want to put myself in the best position possible knowing it’s gonna be a crap shoot
 
Find the does, that's what the bucks are looking for also. When the Rut heats up warm temps don't matter much. I've killed several great buck during warm temps during the rut.
 
woodsdog2 said:
I agree with everything said above I just wanted to add, mid day movement really picks up during the pre rut and rut so don’t leave at noon! I’ve shot plenty of bucks or have had a lot of activity from 10am through 2pm!!
Click to expand...

X2!!! I’d rather be in a stand from 10-2 during the rut than early morning.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top