For all practical purposes the rut is over in the North. For the better part of the last 40 days, bucks have been on the march searching for does to breed. During that time they’ve devoted little attention to eating, causing them to lose up to 25 percent of their pre-rut body weight. Though breeding activity […]
When hunters think of vicious buck fights they envision encounters that occur in the late pre-rut or when the rut goes hot-to-trot. Though some of the most incredible fights occur during this time, fighting doesn’t end when the rut ends. Some of the most impressive fights I’ve witnessed in my career took place when the rut was over. […]
Whether you call it the breeding phase or lockdown time, now is one tough period to hunt bucks in the North. In last week’s blog post I illustrated the chasing action that precedes peak-breeding. Though breeding can take place throughout the month of November in the North, the 20 days that follow the full moon […]
Two weeks ago I ended my blog by saying, “Buckle up your safety harness because things are about to get exciting.” Well, the rut in the North has gone viral. The accompanying photo is a prime example of what is going on in the deer woods across the whitetail’s northern range. Simply put, the chase is […]
By the end of October bucks’ and does’ hormone levels have peaked. Combine this with the fact that a full moon hung in the sky on October 18 and you have the ingredients in place for the rut to begin. But don’t be fooled into thinking the rut is about to go hot-to-trot. That won’t […]
Ok, I admit it. I’m drunk. Stoned. Wasted. Tipsy. Inebriated. Schnookered. Zombied. Ozzylike. Hopelessly out of control and staggering aimlessly like a lost soul with no direction known. I am well into October and my ponytail has been erect since the early 60s. That’s the 1960s, not my 60s! (It’s all perfectly legal so everyone […]
By Charles J. Alsheimer Is there such a thing as the October lull? You bet there is, and you can bank on it happening. For starters, by the time October 15 rolls around all whitetails become lethargic from the amount of food they are consuming. Based on over 20 years of raising and studying the […]
By Charles J. Alsheimer Food still consumes the bulk of a whitetail’s day, though the urge to leave scent and determine dominance is on the rise. By the second week in October sparring matches between bucks becomes more intense. Though most sparring matches will not turn ugly in early October, they can go on for several minutes. SHOP […]
By Charles J. Alsheimer Though testosterone is beginning to drive bucks by the first of October, their stomachs still control their activity. The amount of food a whitetail consumes from Sept. 1 to the end of October is amazing. In early October “he who has the food has the deer” because deer are eating every 3-4 hours, and […]
By Charles J. Alsheimer By the end of September bucks begin reacting to increased testosterone in their system. This natural sex drug causes them to become more aggressive toward bucks that were just recently part of their summer bachelor group. It also drives them to deposit more and more of their scent as they prepare for […]