Will be hunting in northern Missouri this year and have a handful of vacation days to work with. Plan as of now is to work that first Monday in November and then take the rest of the week off. Figure I’ll vote Tuesday morning and then leave town. Not 100% sold on the lunar theories surrounding the rut but the rutting moon is on Halloween so opinion seems to be that the following week should be peak chasing. Data I’ve saved over the last 10 years supports this for the area I’m targeting. Thoughts?
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Critique my rut plan
- Thread starter Procat
- Start date
I don’t subscribe to the moon theories. Does coming into heat is triggered by how much daylight gets to their optic nerve, not the moon. And the boys chase when the girls are ready to be chased.
besides that, I’d pick the last week of October to hunt up there for three reasons:
deer activity is extremely unpredictable when they’re chasing. Unless you have identified or hope to identify “rut funnel” type sets, you could be playing pinball.
the peak of the rut seems to coincide nicely with all the gun hunters scouting and dragging ladder stands and tripods through the woods.
you, and everyone else in the country, likes to hunt the rut.
Having said that, I’ve gone the first week of November the last five years and we’ve enjoyed good luck. I’m just getting more averse to people these days
besides that, I’d pick the last week of October to hunt up there for three reasons:
deer activity is extremely unpredictable when they’re chasing. Unless you have identified or hope to identify “rut funnel” type sets, you could be playing pinball.
the peak of the rut seems to coincide nicely with all the gun hunters scouting and dragging ladder stands and tripods through the woods.
you, and everyone else in the country, likes to hunt the rut.
Having said that, I’ve gone the first week of November the last five years and we’ve enjoyed good luck. I’m just getting more averse to people these days
Surprised to hear that, figured if anything it’d be suggested to go the next week right before our gun season starts.
Kurt
Well-Known Member
Here in Mass. I've always enjoyed pre rut. Don't get me wrong I like rut hunting as much as the next guy but I feel like I see more transient bucks moving which gives me some opportunities to get eyes and arrows on bucks that may not call my woods home. I also like to call, I think it's easier to pique a bucks interest if he's looking(cruzin) rather than chasing or breeding. My biggest buck to date (166" 12pt) was one such deer. I love the end of Oct. into the first couple of weeks of Nov. Our season starts Oct. 15th so it gives me two weeks to shake off the cobwebs and get me a fat early season buck. I love funnels and edges and some acorns dropping. Embrace your plan and go sit with confidence. It's a good time to be a saddle hunter because you still need to move to hunt the hottest sign. I like scrapes this time of the season too. When I use scents I would start using estrus scents to try to be that first estrus doe. I've killed a few using this technique as well.
If you're able to be flexible, pick a window of a couple weeks leading up to the peak conception date and hunt the handful of coldest days. That in my experience is far more correlated with daytime rutting activity than attempting to select the correct "magazine phase" or playing lunar hocus pocus. If your job requires more advance planning, about all you can do with that hand is pick some days in that window and hope for the best when it comes to weather.
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This is basically my thoughts. I hunt pretty much every weekend starting when our season opens September 15th but earlier in the season I’m usually in central Missouri hunting in the oaks. With as much as activity can change from one weekend to the next I wanted a block of time to really hone in on an area. My spots up north are timber properties surrounded by row crops which by Halloween should be harvested. With 5 or 6 days to work with I feel like I should be able to identify the larger deer in the area and move in on them before the orange army comes out to play.
Kurt
Well-Known Member
Quick addition: early season or warmer weather I've done better on evening hunts. But crisp temps will have me out am and pm. I just love me a morning hunt.