Post Rut Bowhunting

[bwhntr]

I've been hunting at a WMA where the buck to doe ratio is real close to 1 to 1 from the biologist study. They have decided that the peak rut for the area is the first week of November. During this week and the week earlier I did see a lot of seeking and several bucks out of range(archery only). That being said, I am going again this weekend Nov 21 and 22. I need some tips on hunting in the post rut. Thanks.

[howhill1]

i would say that you may still some decent rutting activity going on this week. however several things can influence this . hunting pressure being a big one. if this is public ground my first step would be finding somewhere that is hard to access that other hunters would have not been to.maybe get some aerials, try www.local.live.com. look for internal edges or corners, ridges and saddles or other terrain features that may act as funnels. if the rutting activity has ceased or is waning go back to feeding and bedding. next to breeding these are the other two things that make up a whitetails excistance. once you can pinpoint where approx. when they are doing these things its only a matter of time before you connect.
 

[dtrain56]

well, not a beliver that the rut is over, i see bucks with does into december, but if you feel the rut is over in our area, hunt food sources as bucks will eat like crazy trying to put on weight before the weather rally turns bad....
 
still think rut is in full swing and bucks will be travelling looking for the minority does that were not bred

[JOEL]

there will always be some does cycling and start counting 28 days from  your first rut and there will be a second one.in the mean time hunt the food and beds as the bucks need both to recuperate 

[Demoderby4]

The rut should still be going on, if the bucks looked like they were chasing a little bit and what not a few weeks ago it might of been the seeking phase getting amped up, but the rut is not a week's process and its activity/phases goes on for over a month, their should still be some rutting activity going on, if not like Joel said their will be a secondary rut in a little bit, but if you really think its over focus on food and bedding and the travel routes in between, good luck!

[PrairieShadow]

On another note, If it is the phase were the bucks are on lock down, it may be even harder to hunt them then if the rut wasnt taking place at all as when does are in estrous they sometimes move less than 100yds all day.

[bwhntr]

I am taking my rattling horns this weekend, and will do some very light rattling in the morning, and then I have a place I found in September, but have not been able to hunt because of the wrong wind direction. It is bounded on the South by a small lake and the levee on the East side, which is overgrown thick and not traveled by the deer, on the North side there is a trail from the East going into a big stand of oaks on the West. Glad to finially have a SE to SSE wind. Thanks for the advice, I have given up gun hunting this year, just to hunt this area. I've taken a doe, not it's time for a buck, hopefully. Can't get'em if I'm not in the woods.