what part of the rut is on when rifle opens?

[fearthebeard]

i been hunting since i was 16 im now 23 i set up trail cams i scout im always as scent free as possable and i have yet to harvest a buck i get a doe about every year lol but id like some horns anyone got tips or ideas about would i should do ???? i had a buck come out last year it was a really nice 8 but i didnt take the shot due to i would have had to shoot up rather then down at it and theres a hour atop a ridge behind him i been beating mysef up about it ever since lol

[JimR]

Change your screen name to doewacker 2? Sorry could'nt resist. Actually I can sympathize, in 20 plus years of hunting I have taken one nice 8 point buck. Some years no deer, some a doe I have had chances for other good bucks but not got them for various reasons, too painful to recount.

Edited August 29, 2013 by JimR

[fearthebeard]

i hunt in columbia county farmers around here dont let anoyone hunt on there land so deer are very pressured on state land but i got one buck on cam so far this year is it too early to set up a mock scrape ?

 

[PREDATE]

Peak rut is just ramping up when gun season opens. I had a few encounters last year during the last week of bow season where bucks were chasing like crazy, looking for hot does.

 Keep at it.

[fearthebeard]

so is rattling adn snort weeze and option the or will it only scare away the bucks in the area ?

 

[Two Track]

I'm not sure for this state, I grew up further south with a different deer season.

It may also very a bit by what part of the state you are in - different climate, slightly different rut period.

 

My first deer that I dropped was a doe.  Then I got a 6 and a 4 pointer.  Since moved to NY, only see does.  Just not been in a shooting position/range to bag one.

[jjb4900]

so is rattling adn snort weeze and option the or will it only scare away the bucks in the area ?

I think that all depends on age structure and buck to doe ratio..........not an expert, so maybe someone else can chime in on that.

[PREDATE]

yescallingisalwaysanoptionbowhunterswillmostlikelycapitalizeonyoureffortstodrawtheminwithamockscrapegoodluck

[fearthebeard]

the one buck i got on camera id like to show u guys but i dont know how to post it on here

[fearthebeard]

very healthy doe population bucks i have a feeling dont have a chance to mature people around here shoot spikes and first year deer

[PREDATE]

i hunt in columbia county farmers around here dont let anoyone hunt on there land 

Have you ever personally knocked on any farmers doors and asked for permission? Also, farmers aren't the only land owners in the county. Yes, the majority of people will have a reason as to why they don't allow hunting, but there is no harm in asking. Good luck

[HuntOrBeHunted]

i hunt in columbia county farmers around here dont let anoyone hunt on there land so deer are very pressured on state land but i got one buck on cam so far this year is it too early to set up a mock scrape ?

 

 

IMO it is to early for a mock scrape. And seeing bucks now is cool but they will go off in other ways when food drys up and rut hit's.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

very healthy doe population bucks i have a feeling dont have a chance to mature people around here shoot spikes and first year deer

 

 

Thats what I look for the most. Were all the doe are because when the rut comes the bucks go right off there normal path to find the females.

 

And shooting spikes sucks, one less nice buck and someone who used a tag for a small amount of meat most of them time.

[asav2013]

rut is kickin hard come opening day, first 2 weeks of gun the chasin is non stop, find a hard woods ridge over lookin a flat in the woods, almost "bowl" shaped then ya can shoot down, if theres another ridge that goes down hill after that flat its even better , idk what it is but I think them does try and run up and down hill to get the buck off of them, opning morning I saw 3 small bucks and 25 does chase for an hour until 2 yotes busted em up, I took care of that problem, all the deer returned to the same area to chase as the commotion calmed down, end up killing a nice 92" 8 point 2nd weekend in at 1;45 in the after noon, ya gotta go with the flow when the deer start chasing find where those does are funneling and traveling and a lot of em, sit and wait a buck will come its only a matter of time, uncle always told let the first 2-3 bucks go, he said hes watched a doe come through, 20 mins later a spike on the trail, half hour later a 4 point, 2 hrs later a 6 point on and on, a mature buck smells a hot doe with buck scent that's not his on the trail he will chase to find the doe and the buck harassing his does,good luck!

[PREDATE]

 In pressured woods, by the time gun season opens the deer(buck & doe) safety zones may be one in the same. This is where they will head when crowds start pushing in, but the does will be out to eat at some point and the bucks want to keep tabs on their girls. If you can find an isolated trail that leads into the safety zone, then just simply set up and wait for the bucks to cruise by.

  Always be aware of your wind direction when approaching these spots.  

  Try to find an escape trail on the downwind side of the zone. That way when an unknowing hunter walks by on the upwind side, the deer will catch their scent or sound and filter out the back, right into your lap!

 Also, don't forget that a scent drag could bring a buck up on your heels too. A 2ft. piece of cotton twine dipped in your favorite potion and tied to your boot will suffice. I usually start a drag 1-200 yds. from where I will be set up. I sometimes do a zig-zag pattern so that the deer will not just come straight in, they will have to work back and forth for the scent. Make sure not to lead the scent right up to your feet, but rather upwind between you and "the zone". Then they will walk right past you. Be ready because they might not just casually walk by. Oh no, they could come at a trot and never even break stride!

 By the way, over the years I could have beaten myself to a bloody pulp for all the shots that I could have taken or bad shots that I did and missed, but in the bigger picture it just makes us strive to hunt harder, slower, and more methodical. When we learn from our mistakes, we are constantly gaining an edge.

Edited August 30, 2013 by PREDATE

[sweet old bill]

I have found over the years that the last week of Oct and First week of November is when I start seeing sure signs of the rut, the bucks are ready but the doe's are not ,This is what is called the chase period. A lots of the bucks  just never stop walking to find that first doe that ready.

 

 

The 2nd week and 3rd week of November is when the breeding start to take place. A lot of time you will find the buck and doe together. 

[Doc]

Opening day, the chase phase of the rut is full-on. That is what makes them super vulnerable for that first hour of the season. Things get a whole lot more covert after that initial on-slaught of slam-banging of guns. So if you are thinking of using rut-based tactics, I doubt that many of them would work after that first hour or two. It pretty much gets down to a game of hide & seek after that beginning of the gun season. Rut activity gets postponed to the hours of darkness.

[fearthebeard]

i hunt a corn field it was soy bean last year theres a apple orchard right next to it but the manager put up high fence so the deer cant get in it on the other side is thick pines but the land it posted and thats where the deer come out of so some how i need to get them out of thereduring day light all last season i watched them on the eadge of the pines waitig for dark the field has no cover or id try to set up on them in another area i know this is long but there a ravein on the other side of the orchard i can hunt to its thick but the migrant workers in the orchard poach deer in there im thinking lol i wish i had money to buy some land

[PREDATE]

Well if you have first hand knowledge of poaching, you are obligated to inform a local ECO.

 I would be fuming and the migrants would be void of any hunting privilege, as well as the employer if he/she allowed it. The poaching is the root of your problem.

[fearthebeard]

i did inform the dec but my trail cam only showed them with a gun at 1:00am with a spot light they said untill they kill one on my cam they cant do anything

[fearthebeard]

i did let the DEC know annomously because im worried about being kicked off the land i can show u the pictures of the poachers id approach the farmer but i doubt he cares do have a question though if he has nuesance permitts would they be allowed to hunt out of season and at night ?????

[shawnhu]

If they have permits, the DEC would know. Don't speculate, ask.

[Hunting3m]

so is rattling adn snort weeze and option the or will it only scare away the bucks in the area ?

i am definitely no expert but i did read somewhere that snort wheezing only works with a higher number of mature bucks. I may stay away just because i dont own the land and am not familiar with buck patterns, amount, and how they act. May try it once or twice  

[PREDATE]

Are migrant workers even allowed to possess a firearm?

 Do employees of a farmer who has nuisance permits need a hunting license?  If so, do these guys have the proper hunting license?

 

 Could they have been predator hunting? That can be done year round by farmers or employees, but then we go right back to the question of whether migrants can even be in possession of a firearm or not.

[NFA-ADK]

Try the doe in heat call, it works...  Rattling can work but use it with a grunt call then use the doe in heat call...  Start your rattle sequence lightly!  I would stay away from the snort call.  Chasing phase is on.  If my calculations are correct the Full Moon is on the 17 of Nov with breading being done in the next 7-10 days peaking around the 19th-23rd, depending on weather, temp, barometric presser, hunting presser. 

 

Vacation is set for Nov 6-16th then 23rd to the Dec 8th!  Scouting/bow Sep 27th-30th.  Not worried about scouting/bow trip but the 2 second vacations always seem to get canceled or shortened.  Hurricane Sandy did not help last year...  Keeping my fingers crossed for some epic journeys in the deep woods of the ADK and hopefully a nice buck!