The Wrong Place, At The Right Time;

Part I on Rutting White-tails

By Rod Luke

At “Camp Lodi” (the name of our annual “Deer Camp” in central Wisconsin) you could feel the intensity level peaking as each of the hunters in camp were anticipating an action packed hunt. As guys put on extra layers of clothing, sipped coffee and checked equipment, not a single word was uttered between us. These are die-hard white-tail warriors that have little time for joking around prior to the hunt. This group knows there is a time and a place for everything, and when the “Rut” is underway, these “back-strap” gladiators are all business. With a “knuckle-bump” issued to each member, by each member, we part company and head out to do battle with the finest creature on four legs, the mighty, “Mega-Racka-Saurus”.

Over the years, I’ve hunted with some great hunters and a few not so great hunters. But one thing is certain, I have learned plenty from each and every one of them during my career of hunting white-tails. One of the most important things I’ve learned over the decades is that “timing” is everything. This enlightenment has taught me to steer clear of pre-rut tactics during the actual rut. I have spent countless hours set up on pre-rut sign or on a field edges, hoping that “mega-buck” will come to the field giving chase to a hot doe. While these set-ups work great prior to the rut, they typically fail me once the “chase” begins. As with any and all tactics regarding mature white-tails, there is a time and a place for each. Knowing how and more importantly, when to use these tactics is directly related to the success of each. Usually, all we need do is spend a little time thinking of the “big picture” rather than what we see for sign in an isolated area. I relate using pre-rut tactics during the rut to using “estrous” scents during the start of early bow season. The problem isn’t the scent; it’s the timing of its use that typically results in failure.

Before I begin explaining the rut tactics I’ve had very good success with, I want to make clear my belief that “NO” human can accurately predict every move a white-tail buck will make on any given day. However, I do believe if we pay attention to what is happening in the woods around us and have a good understanding of deer behavior, we can manipulate the odds of success in our favor. There is no short-cut to becoming a consistently successful mature buck killer unless you are willing to hunt in a high fence. (Personally, I’d give up hunting all together before I’d participate in such a “shoot”. It defeats the real reason most of us hunt, which is to be a part of “real” nature, not man-made shooting pens). It is my opinion that the key to consistent success in the white-tail woods is year-round scouting. If you ask anyone that consistently kills mature bucks what their key to success is, they will likely tell you that next to location, year-round scouting is the best medicine for achieving success on mature white-tails.

So in part I of this article, I’d like to address the “big-three” pre-rut tactics and discuss why I believe they often fail and are not the best place to be during the actual rut. The three pre-rut tactics most often used during the rut are; Pre-rut Rub-lines, Pre-rut Scrape-lines, and Field edges.

Pre-Rut rub-lines:

When do we discover these rub lines and where do they come from and lead to? Well, we typically start finding them shortly after the bucks have shed their velvet. As the season leads up to the rut, rubbing activity increases and definite rub lines become clear. These rub-lines will typically lead to and from bedding as well as to and from feeding. This is why rub-lines are arguably one of the best mature buck “pre-rut” tactics of all time. The buck we are hunting is leaving us clues as to his travel corridor on a daily basis. But, what changes when the rut comes in? Maybe a better question would be how big of a priority is “food” to a big buck during the rut? Typically, it is not high on his “to-do” list because his body chemistry is telling him his primary goal is to breed. When the chase is underway, bucks often change their bedding locations and of course their travel routes. Instead of bedding close to known food sources, they opt for a bed closer to known day-time doe hang-outs. Their travel routes from these bedding areas do not lead to feeding locations; instead, they lead directly to the does. I’m convinced that this change in bedding and travel patterns is one reason so many of us see bucks during the rut that we have not seen before during the early season. Their priorities have changed, so their travels put them in places they normally were not seen during the early season. While those pre-rut rub-lines can be deadly, there is a better place, even a better “rub” to exploit rather than those rub-lines found during the pre-rut. However, if we aren’t scouting during the season, chances are we won’t know when or where to counter these moves made by the buck we are hunting.

Scrape-Lines:

I think it is important to point out that there is a huge difference between scrape-lines, communal scrapes and breeding scrapes. Scrape-line again reveal travel routes used by bucks during the pre-rut. Breeding scrapes are an entirely different beast and I’ll talk about the use of breeding scrapes during the rut later in this article. Communal scrapes are typically not scrapes I spend much time hunting because of their lack of predictability. They are typically located on field edges and while mature bucks will hit them, it’s “typically” a nocturnal event. Scrape-lines, like rub-lines, show us where a buck is traveling, but not necessarily to and from feeding. Many times they show us more information as to where a buck is traveling after dark. Bucks will often make these scrape-lines while traveling from one wood-lot to another during the night time hours. Identifying the differences between these nighttime scrape-lines and scrape-lines made during daytime hours is the reason some hunters have pre-rut scrape-line success while others have little or no success hunting scrape-lines. Regardless of when they are being made, these “pre-rut” scrape lines are usually abandoned once the chase heats up. Bucks prefer to use scrapes during the rut that are designed to produce their desired response from the female population. These are known as “breeding scrapes” and when they are located, they can be exploited to deal a death blow to the buck that owns them. But, these odoriferous scrapes typically don’t show up until the chase is about to heat up. For the hunter that doesn’t scout during the season, he will likely never even know they exist. So while pre-rut scrape-lines can be effective early season tools, they are “usually” unproductive during the actual rut.

Field-Edges:

While there have been many a white-tailed giant killed in or on the edge of a field, I’m convinced there are only certain fields that will yield us a “predictable” shot at a good buck during the rut, and that field and its surrounding area better have “light” hunting pressure. Highly secluded fields are about the only fields I even consider during this time of year. Most fields just don’t offer me that high percentage kill zone for a rutting buck. Now if I am seeing does feeding in these fields during hunting hours, I will investigate, but typically there is a much better place to be inside the woods that will offer me a better opportunity.

In part II of this article, I will discuss the tactics that have best afforded me an opportunity at mature “rut-crazed” bucks over the last 30 years. Contrary to the belief of many, the rut isn’t a “sure thing”. Mature bucks do not abandon “all” caution and just run uninhibited through the woods. While they certainly do some seemingly “dumb” things while chasing a potential girlfriend, we have to remember that mature bucks are highly paranoid creatures that would rather be reclusive if not for their overwhelming instinct to breed. To ensure we don’t fall victim to the abandonment of all common sense, as we sometimes suspect mature bucks do during the rut, we need to build a solid game plan founded on well thought-out behavioral patterns to increase our success during this peak travel time known as “The Rut”.