Okay boys and girls, it's that time! If you have to pick one week to hunt the rut, this is it. Time to take vacation, call in sick, or quit your jobs because starting right now is the absolute best time to be in the woods. The rut is at its peak from a hunting standpoint and the bucks are chasing and tending does. I didn't hunt this morning, but I climbed up in a stand in my back yard that I use to see across the property where I hunt, and I saw 2 bucks chasing does in about 20 minutes. The shorter days combined with the the cold temperatures make it the prime time to go after mature bucks. You want to hunt transition areas or pinch points between doe feeding and bedding areas. In the mornings, you want to catch the deer heading back to their beds and in the evening, you want to catch them leaving their beds as they head to feeding areas. Make sure to play the wind, you want to make sure that you are downwind of where the deer will come from. This is just the rule of thumb because at this time of year, the bucks can come from anywhere. If you hunt the does, the bucks won't be far behind. Break out the aggressive rattling and calling sequences. If you see a good buck that won't come into range, use a snort wheeze to challenge him onto range. Each individual buck is different, some are aggressive by nature and some are passive. Some bucks are harder to call in than others, but it's worth a shot this time of year. You never know. Decoys also work well this time of year, so don't be afraid to try them, just make sure they are completely scent free. Wear gloves to handle it and spray it down with scent killer after you set it up. The biggest key to this time of year is to be out there, you can't kill one from your recliner. Deer movement is at its peak right now, the bucks are on their feet most of the day so spend as much time as you can in the woods. Good luck and be safe.
