Well it's that time of year again, the leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, the fields are becoming bare and love is certainly in the air. This is a special time of year, testosterone is at it's peak and all caution is thrown to the wind, many of you can probably relate to this and at one point in your life you have probably felt the affects of the ever so promising "Rut".
A magical time when bucks are chasing does, does chasing other does, bucks chasing other bucks.....it's hectic is what it is but us whitetail hunters wouldn't trade it for the world. Many people believe the "Rut" starts on all Hallows Eve and continues for a few short weeks, but what they fail to realize is that there are a few different phases that encompass the "Rut".
So let us discuss:
The Pre Rut- The term Pre Rut means that the bucks are gearing up for a long drawn out mating battle. This usually occurs between the 15th of October through 1st of November. Between this time frame you can expect the bucks to be on the move, cruising through the woods putting down sign anywhere and everywhere they can get to. You will start to notice scrapes and rub lines, these are put in place to designate stomping grounds and territory. You can usually tell a mature rub line by the size of the tree, typically a less dominate buck will rub on trees that are smaller in diameter and larger, more mature and aggressive bucks will tend to rub on larger trees. If you have been watching one particular buck and realize that he has left the area or has become nocturnal, do not panic, he is just out and about checking his area and his doe population, he will most likely come back around!
The "Rut"- When it is in full swing you will know it, the thunderous sound of antlers cracking in the distance, the leaves crunching as the bucks chase the does relentlessly. Usually the 1st through the 15th of November is when this all takes place, this is also the best time of the year to call a buck in by using a few different calls. The grunt call, this is a great challenge call and when you do this you are telling the buck that there is competition in the area. If you are looking at a dominant buck you will most likely check out the situation, but if you are trying to call a younger less dominant buck you may not have the same luck. If a younger deer just got his bottom whooped he will probably venture away from a grunt call, or even a snort wheeze. I will usually only call if I can see the deer, by doing so you can see the reaction of the deer, this provides an opportunity to learn how your call affects his behavior. Another way to entice a deer is to use a set of rattling horns, this puts off a sound of two bucks fighting over territory or a doe, there is a good possibility that this can influence a deer towards your stand/blind.
The Lock Down Phase: During this time you can expect to see little deer movement, the does are in full estrous and the bucks know it. The bucks will gather their does they want to breed and push them away from others so that they can keep them all to themselves (I know selfish right). The bucks will stay with their doe/does until they are ready to breed, which for some people this can be helpful, if you have an appropriate place to spot and stalk you have a good chance of sneaking in for the kill. I know a lot of people say it cannot be done (to stalk a whitetail) but you never know until you try, find where they have them held capture with long distance scouting, put together a plan, adjust for wind and make your move.
These are the phases put simply, the breeding cycle does carry all the way to the end of December, so get out in the woods, don't be afraid to call to a deer and sit all day if you have to. Like I said it is a magical time of year and anything is possible in the whitetail woods, you can't get'em on the couch. Good luck and I hope this has helped a little.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Great 8 (Brutus)
What an amazing weekend, Nicole and I have been on the go non-stop this year it seems like! Between work, school and family events it seems like we hardly ever have time to prepare for the hunting season. So whenever we have the opportunity we take it, our spare time is usually filled with hanging cameras, stands and setting up blinds.
October 2nd is the day that it all came together, all the hard work and dedication over the years has finally paid off. Nicole and I chose this spot very carefully, with the help of trail cameras and a little bit of luck we were able to pattern "Brutus", over the past 6 months Brutus had made his presence known, with rubs all over the place, these rubs warned lesser bucks that this was his territory.
We arrived at the blind early on the 2nd, we knew there were several deer in the area that would travel through the center of these fields all throughout the day, we wanted to get in and set up with enough time for everything to settle down. After a mile walk in we finally reached the blind, by the time we sat down a little after 12, and there we waited, waited and waited but we were not discouraged we knew what was in the area. The wind started to calm down around 6:45, allowing us to hear everything moving around us. With the anticipation of waiting and knowing what this area possessed we were not discouraged, we hoped that Brutus would be making his appearance shortly. The sky was beginning to darken; I was peaking through the blind windows when I noticed a rack out of the corner of my eye. There he was, standing proud at the edge of the sunflower field, his rack stood tall and broad and he knew that this was his area. With every step closer my heart beat faster matching that of his step, and there he was 20 yards broadside, I quietly eased back my bow, and within seconds it was over! Nicole and I sat there for a second emotionless, just taking in what had just happened. Then with a big smile and a surge of adrenaline we celebrated what had just happened. The T3 broad head, mixed with the ability of the Z7 was a deadly combination, I could not wait to wrap my hands around this brute. We knew he would not go far, the arrow hit exactly where it was supposed to, we followed the trail for about 50 yards, and then saw the white belly. THERE HE IS I yelled, as I approached Brutus I knew all the hard work, all the time made the difference. Nicole did a perfect job with the camera, capturing it all on film. This was our first time filming a kill and to me it could not have happened better.
This is our dream, to make it big in the outdoor industry and I do believe we are off to a great start. Thank you all for your comments and for giving us the time! Also thank you for making this all possible, there are many of you out there that have helped us along the way, we truly could not do this without you and your support. Stick around and we will send more action your way! We will have the video posted shortly, AGAIN THANK YOU!!!!
Brett and Nicole
THE BACKROADS
October 2nd is the day that it all came together, all the hard work and dedication over the years has finally paid off. Nicole and I chose this spot very carefully, with the help of trail cameras and a little bit of luck we were able to pattern "Brutus", over the past 6 months Brutus had made his presence known, with rubs all over the place, these rubs warned lesser bucks that this was his territory.
We arrived at the blind early on the 2nd, we knew there were several deer in the area that would travel through the center of these fields all throughout the day, we wanted to get in and set up with enough time for everything to settle down. After a mile walk in we finally reached the blind, by the time we sat down a little after 12, and there we waited, waited and waited but we were not discouraged we knew what was in the area. The wind started to calm down around 6:45, allowing us to hear everything moving around us. With the anticipation of waiting and knowing what this area possessed we were not discouraged, we hoped that Brutus would be making his appearance shortly. The sky was beginning to darken; I was peaking through the blind windows when I noticed a rack out of the corner of my eye. There he was, standing proud at the edge of the sunflower field, his rack stood tall and broad and he knew that this was his area. With every step closer my heart beat faster matching that of his step, and there he was 20 yards broadside, I quietly eased back my bow, and within seconds it was over! Nicole and I sat there for a second emotionless, just taking in what had just happened. Then with a big smile and a surge of adrenaline we celebrated what had just happened. The T3 broad head, mixed with the ability of the Z7 was a deadly combination, I could not wait to wrap my hands around this brute. We knew he would not go far, the arrow hit exactly where it was supposed to, we followed the trail for about 50 yards, and then saw the white belly. THERE HE IS I yelled, as I approached Brutus I knew all the hard work, all the time made the difference. Nicole did a perfect job with the camera, capturing it all on film. This was our first time filming a kill and to me it could not have happened better.
This is our dream, to make it big in the outdoor industry and I do believe we are off to a great start. Thank you all for your comments and for giving us the time! Also thank you for making this all possible, there are many of you out there that have helped us along the way, we truly could not do this without you and your support. Stick around and we will send more action your way! We will have the video posted shortly, AGAIN THANK YOU!!!!
Brett and Nicole
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