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Peak rut is a magical time in the woods. It’s the one time when normally wary whitetail bucks drop their guard and roam about during daylight hours. Predictability goes out the window, but that’s part of the fun. You just never know what might show up at your stand or when. For those wishing to maximize their hunting time by keying in on the rut, here are a few tips on recognizing when it’s on. 1. All Season Biologically, the rut includes all behavior associated with courtship and breeding, and

While preparing to leave for my morning commute to work, I first walked into my backyard and looked over the large hayfield that bordered it. After all, it was mid-November, and the rumors that the bucks were chasing does were weighing heavily on my mind. I walked 40 steps to the yard's edge and peeked into the field. Sure enough, a mature buck stood directly over a bedded doe 100 yards into the field. I quickly returned to my garage, picked up my binoculars, and revisited the yard's edge. The

Mark and I have both observed that when the rut has really turned on, the older-age-class bucks usually don’t move until later in the morning. In Missouri, the pre-rut and the rut starts kicking-in the first week of November. The bucks will be looking for that first estrous doe that is getting ready to breed. During this time, we want to have our stand set-up in an area where we can get to and from our stand without spooking any deer. When the rut is full-blown, we plan to climb into our stands

I rely heavily on my trail camera pictures and the information I analyze from them and also have analyzed at www.myspypoint.com. There’s also a third factor that goes into my hunting plan- especially during the rut. On the properties I own and the places I have exclusive rights on to hunt, I don’t harvest does until after the rut. A mature whitetail has specific needs at certain times of the year and at particular times each day. Before the rut, he needs security, food, water and sanctuary

While getting dressed for work on October 26, 2021, I received a phone notification from my Muddy Manifest Cellular Camera. To my surprise, a mature ten-pointer I had never encountered before was pictured walking through the area I planned to hunt during rifle season. That morning, I received three pictures of the mature buck up on his feet, moving after a cold front had passed through the night before. When the Missouri rifle season began in early November, I had put the mature buck in the back

Every situation is different and there aren't any rules where there aren't exceptions to them. However, over the years I've picked up some general practices that will help in most situations when choosing a deer stand placement. USING TRAVEL CORRIDORS FOR DEER STAND PLACEMENT If you’re an angler, you know about fishing around structure. In this context, structure is simply stuff that fish or animals relate to. You want to find the “spot on the spot” -- that something different that draws and

It seems that too many hunters have developed unrealistic expectations for the whitetail woods. I blame myself, the rest of the hunting industry, the internet and outdoor programming for making it this way. People watch hunting shows on TV or online and think they should have the same success as the outdoor stars they see in videos. Are these improbable outlooks? Is it even possible for “Joe-hunter” to experience the same success on any property? Isn’t it really all about what makes you, your

It’s the peak of the chase-phase and you somehow made enough phone calls to free up your evening schedule so you could spend a few hours in your treestand. You develop a stand entrance game plan on your way to your property and execute it perfectly. As the sun sinks to touch the horizon you can sense deer moving toward you and then, out of nowhere the woods erupts with an unseen deer snorting and stomping. You cringe and possibly mumble under your breath that your position has been compromised

One of the most apparent trends in the hunting industry is the use of cellular game cameras. For the past few years, I have been using a variety of cellular cameras for scouting and as a tool to help myself improve as a hunter. I now understand why this newer tactic is often referred to as a must-have when hunting deer. Throughout the few years of using cell cameras, I can honestly say it is one of the most addicting things I have ever experienced as a hunter. When digital game cameras first hit

"Just hang on tight, and keep climbing." Those were the words my buddy said to me as he sent me up the tree ahead of him at one of his tree stand locations several decades ago. He already had screw-in steps in place for the first 25 feet up the giant oak tree. My long-legged friend had purposefully spaced the steps much too far apart to deter other hunters from climbing into his stand. It was more than my legs could reach. I had to use a pull and lunge technique to hop from step to step. The