Pre-rut occurs from
mid to late October
. Seeking from late October to the first few days of November. Chasing (peak rutting phase) occurs from early to mid-November. Tending (or “lockdown”) from mid to late November.
What time do deer move during pre-rut?
The middle of October is the pre-rut. This is a period when deer have transitioned from their early season patterns to their fall ranges. This shift can occur anytime
between mid-September and mid-October
, but it usually always happens by October 10, which is generally when I begin implementing pre-rut hunting tactics.
How do you attract bucks to pre-rut?
What calls for pre rut?
Grunt calls and rattling
can be effective calling methods during the pre rut phase. Bucks are still typically in their core area and if you have a bully buck with an aggressive temperament, now can be a great time to hit him with a couple short grunts to get his attention.
What is the difference between pre rut and rut?
The pre-rut is the time period between when the bachelor group bucks separate, and the peak rut begins
. Those groups of velvet clad bucks you were watching during the hot summer months have been hanging out in their social groups since spring.
Can you use Doe estrus during pre-rut?
During pre-rut, a doe wants to group with other does, and a buck wants to be with other bucks—the bachelor group. Since does aren’t in heat,
it’s too early for an estrous product
, and using Code Blue Doe Estrous probably won’t bring a buck to your stand.
Do bucks chase does in pre-rut?
Stage 3: Chasing Phase, Still Pre-Rut
In layman’s terms, it’s when does are almost in estrus and bucks know it. During the chasing phase, bucks feverishly scour the woods, pursue and, quite literally, chase does around checking them for breeding readiness. Their purpose is to find and service a hot doe.
What do bucks do during pre-rut?
In the early rut, bucks spend a lot of time
making deer scrapes and rubbing trees with their antlers to mark their territories and advertise their state of sexual readiness
.
How often should I grunt in pre-rut?
The best calling success occurs around the peak of the rut. This is when bucks are on the prowl, scraping and seeking does. Crank it up by blowing loud, choppy tending grunts
every 30 minutes or so
. The calls should sound something like urrrrppp, urrrrppp, urrrrppp.
Should you rattle in pre-rut?
While a balance is always best for a herd regardless of the time of year,
it is not necessary for rattling to work well earlier in the season since they are responding to be social with other bucks
. It’s more like a guy calling out to his buddies to come over and hang out to play poker.
Do bucks grunt pre-rut?
The early pre-rut period is also a really good time to exploit high-racked giants by breaking out your calls and attacking a buck’s social curiosity. As a bowhunter,
I can’t tell you how many times during the early season that I’ve pulled a buck into range by using a series of soft non-aggressive grunts
.
When should you rattle during rut?
The optimal time for using rattling as a deer call is
at the end of pre-rut and up to the peak breeding period of the rut in your area
. Once a mature whitetail pairs with a hot doe, he will stay with her for several days and deer calls like rattling will be unlikely to draw him away.
Can you rattle bucks in early season?
During the early season, don’t include many, if any, vocalizations. Just start rattling
. Later in the year as the rut kicks in, start off your sequence by throwing in some grunts and maybe a snort wheeze. Regardless of the time of year, I rattle for 5 to 15 minutes straight every time.
Does grunting work pre rut?
One vocalization in particular — the grunt —
has proven highly effective for drawing big bucks into your stand during the rut
. And hunters are learning to mimic this unique vocalization to increase their odds of success.
How often should you grunt call?
GRUNT CALL
Using a grunt call is a great way attract the attention of mature bucks. You should look to only grunt periodically,
every 15 minutes to 20 minutes
. ‘Blind calling’ can work but it is best to make the calls subtle and sparingly because you don’t know how close a deer might be to you.
Should I pee in a deer scrape?
Most definitely
. The key, however, is moderation. This is another trick that Alsheimer perfected after first writing about it in the late 1970s. After creating a mock scrape, he made sure the ground was completely void of all leaves and debris, and then urinated directly into the soil for maybe 15 seconds.
Does together during rut?
A sure sign that the rut is about over is
when does reunite with their fawns
. Breeding typically breaks up doe/fawn units as the incessant buck pressure forces does and fawns apart. Fawns are wandering all over the woods looking for momma. They will be back together as soon as the doe is bred and the buck leaves her.
Do deer stop moving before rut?
The does will usually not move resulting in daytime activity appearing to suddenly stop
. In terms of deer hunting this means very unsuccessful hunts directly after what seemed to be peak activity, unless they find themselves inside a core area, quality bedding area, or a sanctuary.
How long will a buck stay with a doe during rut?
The mature bucks usually will be locked-down and bedded-down with those first mature does that come into estrus. They may stay with her in thick cover for
3 to 5 days
.
How far can a buck smell Doe Estrus?
How far can a deer smell? They Can Smell You from
a Half-Mile away
. Researchers at Mississippi State University found that a deer’s sense of smell, like a dog’s, can be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times more acute than a human’s.
How far can a buck hear a grunt call?
Their studies show that these short, single grunts are fairly loud (deer grunt loudly enough so that other animals
50 to 100 yards
away can hear them) and of moderate intensity and high pitch.
How far can a deer smell corn?
That was not my intention, I can wholeheartedly assure you. Every deer can smell anything up to exactly
273 yards
away.
Does behavior during rut?
As the peak of the rut approaches,
there is an increase in bucks chasing does (usually before she is receptive) and bucks tending does (usually during a doe’s receptive period)
. These activities are often witnessed by hunters and are often what hunters are speaking about when they talk about the rut.
How long will a buck stay with a hot doe?
Life of the Buck: As mentioned, bucks will sometimes stay with does for
12 to 24 hours
because they still emit pheromones synonymous with peak estrus. That said, once the doe is no longer receptive, most bucks leave them in search of the next hot doe.
Why do bucks necks swell in the rut?
Hewitt said he wasn’t aware of any true scientific data on the subject, it is likely caused by “
a huge surge in steroids (testosterone hormones) to the deer during rut
.” That shot of steroids makes the neck muscles get big. It would also cause the aggressive behavior bucks often exhibit.
