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Three post-rut tactics for taking the whitetail game deep into overtime.
By Bob Zaiglin
Itxe2x80x99s mid-January, the rut is history and those ubiquitous bucks observed earlier during the season appear to have moved off your favorite piece of deer turf. Itxe2x80x99s a time when hunters must depend on their knowledge of the area they hunt and how the deer utilize it in order to take advantage of an often overlooked late-season tactic: antler rattling.
For a novice, post rut can be a disappointing time, as surges in buck activity commonly observed early in the fall fail to materialize. But knowledgeable deer hunters know itxe2x80x99s the time when some of the largest bucks are on the move in search of recycling does xe2x80x94 and rattling can often get their attention.
The Buddy System
During this time of year, I focus on stands that provide exceptional visibility, because older bucks seldom rush in. Rather, they cautiously approach, often remaining out of sight as they appraise the situation.
The most effective method for getting the drop on those late-season, battle-weary bucks is to employ the buddy system xe2x80x94 with one hunter positioned in a tripod or treestand while the other remains on the ground to work the antlers. Elevation increases the probability of spotting those reticent bucks that respond, but lose interest before getting close enough for a hunter on the ground to see them.
Itxe2x80x99s also important to be adaptable enough to modify your rattling techniques. I discovered this during the late 1980s, when my friend and premier cinematographer Gordon Eastman and I were filming a segment for the video xe2x80x9cWhitetail Country.xe2x80x9d
Because of scheduling conflicts, we didnxe2x80x99t start filming until the rut had concluded and rapidly discovered that bucks only reluctantly responded to rattling. The initial low-volume sequence I was using might have gotten their attention, but wasnxe2x80x99t enough to lure them into the open where we could see them. By the time I followed up with a much louder clash of the antlers, their interest had waned. It wasnxe2x80x99t until I employed an intense sequence I referred to as xe2x80x9cshock and awexe2x80x9d that I witnessed a positive and more immediate response. My initial low-volume sequence was replaced by extremely loud antler clashes while utilizing a lightweight club to tear away at as much brush as possible, magnifying the racket of the faux buck fight.
As a result, nearby bucks were taken by surprise and approached the commotion before they figured out what was going on. The technique was even more effective when I selected sites with heavy vegetation, composed of extremely desiccated leaves, magnifying the volume of the event.
Recycling Does
If a doe fails to conceive during its initial estrous period, it will recycle 25 to 28 days later, and might experience as many as three cycles. More importantly, as the hunting season progresses, the number of does recycling into estrus declines, so when one comes into heat in January, it attracts a lot of attention. I have observed up to 10 adult bucks hazing a single doe, and the longer a doe evades the antagonists, the more bucks she attracts. Itxe2x80x99s like a school of speckled trout in pursuit of an isolated pocket of mullet. The more splashing those specks generate, the more attractive the event becomes to other trout. This schooling effect is one of the reasons buck sightings drop in January. As they congregate around those few recycling females, they become more concentrated. A hunter positioned where a vast expanse of land can be viewed is more apt to pick up on this activity, facilitating an opportunity to get close and employ rattling more effectively.
Another important consideration when hunting during the post rut is that bucks are trying to replace body weight lost during the rut. Preceeding the peak rut, deer conserve energy by reducing activity. They become so sedentary hunters often question whether the bucks observed earlier in the season were imaginary xe2x80x94 but they are still present. They simply move less, and to locate them you must be familiar with their preferred habitat.
During peak rut, bucks can be observed in areas that are not necessarily preferred by deer. But once rutting activity subsides, most bucks are physically spent, resulting in a substantial reduction in movement. However, they will continue to perform their most important biological function xe2x80x94 propagation of the species. The presence of recycling does represents another surge in buck activity during mid-January. The big question is where should the hunter be at this time.
The answer depends on another trophy buck characteristic: Mature bucks stage near productive food sources xe2x80x94 particularly food plots, often planted in palatable oats or any of the cool season cereal grains xe2x80x94 that are attractive and nutritionally beneficial.
One of the best places to locate a monster buck during late January is on or near grain fields heavily utilized by does. In reality, you hunt does in January because that is where the bucks will be. The larger the oat patch, the greater the number of does it will attract, increasing the probability of catching one or two females that for one reason or another have not conceived and are recycling. When this happens, hunters are apt to see bucks they never knew existed. For years I planted a 40-acre oat patch on one of the South Texas ranches I managed, and I fail to remember a year that an itinerant buck with exceptional headgear did not show up during late January or early February on the field.
Deer prefer large fields, but will utilize all sizes and shapes to varying degrees. The advantage deer, particularly does, enjoy on large fields is a reduced stress level induced by crowding. With adequate space, does have an opportunity to escape harassment by bucks and to consume more grain.
Knowing that big bucks hang out on grain fields during the late season can definitely enhance rattling success, by setting up in or near such areas. Position yourself each evening where you can see the most deer enter the field. The unique thing about hunting over grain fields late in the season is that you never know when a new buck will show up. Obviously, if a large buck was observed near the field early in the season, it is highly probable that he will return. But the fact that bucks will travel great distances to visit these fields makes them extremely productive when it comes to finding a buck with exceptional headgear.
Target Travel Corridors
By setting up at a strategic point along drainages often used as travel corridors to a grain field, itxe2x80x99s possible to intercept deer going to and from this food source. But visibility is critical because of the vegetation density, and unless you can locate an unobstructed vantage point, you might have to create one. A chain saw can be used to manipulate vegetation prior to the season. By clearing a narrow path through those dense areas where permitted, the cleared lanes become extremely attractive to deer using them to avoid the thicker vegetation. If laid out correctly, travel lanes can be used to xe2x80x9csteerxe2x80x9d deer right where you want them. The same principle applied in hardwood forests where logging roads become the deerxe2x80x99s best friend, is applied here xe2x80x94 deer generally follow the path of least resistance.
Strategic points along these travelways are excellent positions for rattling up deer. Rattling might not be as effective during the post rut as it is during the rut, but itxe2x80x99s the caliber of buck, not how many you rattle in, that counts.
Another key component for rattling up big deer during the post rut period is patience. Since bucks are battle ridden, tired and possibly injured, they fail to rush in to an energy-depleting situation. Characteristically, they infiltrate the periphery of a mock battle without making a commitment until convinced they can approach closer without entering the fight. The time it takes for a buck to investigate an orchestrated buck fight varies, but can take 45 minutes, sometimes longer. Hunters must be patient and persistent. Remember, a hunting season is like a basketball game, and those last two minutes are often the most decisive part of the event!
xe2x80x94 Bob Zaiglin is a certified wildlife biologist from South Texas. He has been a D&DH contributor for more than 20 years. He is the CWB Coordinator of Wildlife Management, Southwest Texas Junior College.
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