By Ryan Fair
The time is now, the most magical time of year. The time of year that anything can happen, the time of year every whitetail hunter longs for, the Rut. The super bowl of whitetail hunting.
Hunting the rut is unlike any other hunting time of the year. It’s that time of year where you can sit a pinch point for 3 days straight and only see a doe or button buck, but just when your mental sanity can’t possibly take much more a 180-inch 12 point comes cruising thru on his search for the next hot doe.
It’s that time of year where you can experience several different emotions and feelings all in a few days from tired and exhausted, to down and out because your buddies are all tagged out and you aren’t seeing a thing, to the highest of highs after making the perfect shot on a trophy buck. Here at Working Class Hunter we get it. For that reason, we composed a list of a few of our favorite rut hunting tactics as well as a few tips to keep you on your a game through the rest of November.
When it comes to tips, especially for all day sits there’s nothing that will make those long days easy, especially if you’re not seeing any deer. But here are a few tips to help you keep your sanity. The first is to get plenty of rest. I know it sounds crazy, but if you start getting wore down, sleep in. We all want to be in the timber as much as possible but some of the best hunting during the rut is from the hours of 10 am to 2 pm. If a buck has been out searching for a doe all night long, there’s a good chance he is going to rest for a bit before searching again. This is why that midafternoon window can be so great. Next, take lots of snacks and a thermos of Hunting Day coffee. It’s amazing what a few sips of hot coffee can do to raise your spirts and warm you up. Lastly, stay hydrated. Your body needs plenty of water and electrolytes to keep you focused and alert. A couple scoops of Redmond Re-Lyte Hydration in a glass of water before heading to your stand can do just that.
There are several tactics you can employ this time of year from using a decoy to sitting in a great rut funnel. Here are some go to rut tactics from the staff here at Working Class Hunter that has proven to work great time and time again. Brandon said “Be mobile and venture out of your comfort zone. In season scouting is a must, especially when traveling to or from your hunting spot, this gives you the most recent information. Our preset stand and blind locations may not be the most suitable spots for this time of the year. Use your scouting and trail camera observations to help decide where to hunt. Having a mobile setup allows me to move to almost any location where the most recent information is available. I usually, especially during the rut, prefer the Nested Treestand System over a saddle for my mobile setup because the Z8 hang-on provides me with greater comfort for extended sits if necessary.”
Cliff’s advice was “You got to have Patience, especially if you have a good spot known for cruising bucks or an area where the does want to be. Be patient and hunt on the right wind. It may take 3,4,5,6 hunts for him to come by, but he will show up.” Carl likes to do a doe in estrus call followed by some buck tending grunts. He will then wait 10 or so minutes and hit the rattling antlers. Lastly, Stephen and Kristy are big fans of using a decoy during the rut.
Regardless of the tactics you use, the important thing to remember is that the rut is all about timing. The more time you spend in the timber the better your odds of tagging the buck you are after. Hopefully you could take a tip or two away from us here at Working Class Hunter. Good luck this season!