From my experience, the rut has the largest effect on deer movement, so I recommend you hunt into the rut. Why?  Bucks that are in search of a mate are more susceptible to be attracted to calls, rattles and scents. Bucks that have found a  mate or does that found a buck are less likely to be attracted to sounds and smells.

Early aggressive buck behavior and receptive does, for mating begins here in the Northeast in very late October and peaks around November 20th or thereabouts.  By late November nearly all does have neared completion of the first estrous cycle. As I said, bucks are harder to pull away from does as the rut progresses. Late November, Post rut, the bucks are looking but most does are bred, but now bucks can again be more  susceptible to calls like a doe bleat. In the photo above,  my brother and I filled our tags after Thanksgiving with two dandy New Hampshire bucks taken  near the 13 mile woods above Berlin! My brother took his with a Ruger M77 in 300 Win Mag and my buck fell to a 338 Win Mag. Neither buck took a step!

Snow helps hunters see where the deer tracks are, and increases the ability for hunters to see deer. It is best to dress warm and stay still on a deer stand, eat a candy bar and hunker down. I learned this hunting near the 13 mile woods near Errol, NH when I took my first deer many years ago. I was “on stand” earlier than those in our hunting camp. I greeted them going out with my deer in tow as they were coming in.

My best times to call in a buck are the last week in October and first week in November. I have observed does at dusk moving toward buck bedding areas during the early rut.  Below, this little buck was called in with a fawn bleat.

I like late October to first week November. If muzzleloader hunting, it is prime for getting a shot at a big buck moving normally that is not disturbed. He can be called with a grunt tube or rattled in. In the right wind, you can often smell tarsal gland, that means there is a buck in front of you! That happened to me, but I was too young to understand its implication. The buck slipped away.

Often these bucks are not far from does and waiting for them to come into estrous, constantly smelling them down wind. Or when bedded on a hill side, smelling the updraft in early morning. I took a dandy eight point during muzzleloader season by grunting and rattling. I saw a doe nearby so I played like two bucks vying for the chance to mate.  The hidden buck came in for a fight. I shot him at 20 yards and he went down  ker-plop.

I took another eight point by sneaking in his bedding area and used scents to create curiosity during the first day of Shotgun season. He came in looking from almost behind me. I thought it was a squirrel! I saw his antler first, then his head. My shotgun was pointed in the wrong direction, I gasped  mentally. The buck new something was not quite right but curious to see my face. I kept hiding my face as I raised the shotgun in alignment with a tree so he could not see it. Finally at 20 yards I swung the shotgun to shoot. In less than a second he bolted but stopped broadside at 40 yards, still  not sure what spooked him. A one ounce slug was on its way and struck his shoulder. A follow-up shot finished his curiosity. This particular hunt was my best ever because I got the drop on him in his bedroom.

Why does rifle season kill so  many deer? There are lots of deer hunters looking and bumping deer into hunters.

Rattling and buck grunting is not as effective in late season so I would not include it in my tool bag for mid November.

Finding a vantage point for active deer trails that cross, with wind advantage are great places to take a stand, as are places you expect hunters to push deer in your direction.

There are several large deer studies that conclude that moon phase effects deer in a minor way. Perhaps the most deer movement related to the  moon is when it nears a  new  moon phase where data and experience suggest there is slightly more daytime  movement. Hunting the moon phase, based on the existing data, is not reliable but helps if your gonna hunt those days anyhow.

Being observant of the wind  is your best friend. Keep the wind in your face if “still hunting”.

Shoot A BIG’UN

© Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved.