Late October Whitetail Hunting Strategy - Hunting The Pre Rut
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- Hunting the Pre Rut! This might be my favorite time to be in the woods! Hopefully up until this point in the season you've been able to keep your property relatively pressure free. And if you have, you'll be rewarded with a TON of buck sign in late October and hopefully some great pre rut hunting opportunities. But how can you take all that buck sign and decode it, turning the information into a successful sit? What should you be focusing on in this part of the season? In this video we discuss a few things that will help you increase your chances of accomplishing your hunting goals.
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For early October, if you know roughly where he is bedding, and you know where he is heading to feed after dark, it's very likely by setting up on that travel route between the bedding and food source you can catch him on his feet before dark. Best to set a camera up on that travel route to verify he is on his feet before dard then head in and wait. This is your best chance to get a target buck early before he starts roaming for does when the rut starts to ramp up.
You are absolutely right. If you know via trail cameras he is leaving his bed and moving to the same food source in the evening, you could set up on his route and have a chance. And I might try that opening weekend, depending on the location and if the weather is right, but even then I normally hang back. Our trail cameras do show that the deer / bucks are heading to our food sources in the evening but the older bucks aren't really getting up to move there until last light. So I would need to get in pretty tight to the beds and hope he comes out because if he doesn't, I'd likely be leaving scent behind or spooking him when I get down. So if I didn't take him on that first sit the chance that he'd eventually figure out that I was there is obviously higher than if I had stayed out. I just have a lower risk tolerance and going into an area that I'm trying to keep human pressure free early in the season in a greater risk than I am willing to take. But again, that's just me. I know of people that go in pretty aggressive in the early season and they have a lot of success doing so. Being more aggressive can work! I think one reason a lot of hunters find success with their own way, whether it's aggressive, low risk or somewhere in between is because they have confidence in what they are doing. Thanks for the comment and the advice! Hope you have a great season!
You summarized it all very well, precisely the same approach I teach in my blacktail deer seminars. Whitetails and blacktails are different in many ways but (aside from making scrapes), these principles are spot on. Great video 👍
Thank you Tom! And yeah a lot of times with hunting, less is more. Waiting early on can give you greater chance of success when the time is right. Good luck this season man!
Man caught a 4 point chasing a doe all over behind my tree stand a couple of days ago. Glad I can hunt tribal land in Mt pleasant otherwise I would never get to hunt. Getting out there early before all the yahoos come out for the rut and screw up my hunts. Had 10 ppl walking around my ground blind last night scaring everything away. Didn't see no Hunters orange so they might have just been foraging for mushrooms or something. I've seen a real big bodied buck 2 times from that spot. Looked like maybe a 6 point or something I don't know. He was only 10 yards from me but he was looking straight at me both times so I couldn't pull my bow back. Hopefully I'll catch him slipping again down the road. But yeah I'm hunting in central Michigan too. Got 2 ground blinds out and about to deploy a 3rd. I have 3 tree stands up too and I'm watch a scrape and a mock scrape with a camera to see if it's worth putting up a 4th stand. It's like I wish more of our youth and elders hunted but at the same time I don't so I'm just out there by myself. That's my me time lol.
Central Michigan holds some nice deer! Hopefully you have another encounter with that big bodied buck! Good luck this season!
@@whitetailevolution lol I caught either an 8 point or a 10 point on trail camera at that mock scrape I made thanks to ur advice. Thank u for everything u do man. Out sitting right now since I couldn't get out this morning. Our tribal gun season starts today. I'm still out here hunting with my bow though.
I'm a fellow Michigander. Excellent advice. Answered several questions I had. Thank you keep up the great videos!!
Thanks Nick! Appreciate it!
What is the difference between putting a mock scrape in on the 20th and a buck throwing a scrape down on the 20th other than human scent
There's a few differences, you nailed the first one in that if you put one out in late October there's a good chance you'll be leaving human scent behind. Another difference is that making a mock scrape during the hunting season won't be as part of their routine as one that they've been conditioned to hit since April. Not that they won't check the new one, they will, but having the scrape out all year really reinforces that pattern / behavior to where checking the scrape almost becomes second nature. If you have a good place to put one and wanted to put out a mock scrape in late October, just know that you could be leaving scent behind, educating them to the fact that they're being hunted. But if you do make one the deer will still hit it and next year there's a good chance it will be one of the primary / perennial scrapes. Hope that makes sense.
Great video. A lot of good advice to use here in the next couple of weeks. Thank you!
Very Welcome Miguel and thank you! This coming weekend is looking pretty good as of right now!
@@whitetailevolution it would have been a great weekend to be in the woods we went camping im hoping to hunt after this hurricane is supposto hit
Nice, for me here in Tennessee its the first week of November
Almost time!! Good luck!!
The bucks started pre rut today in the Catskills. The scrapes are definitely a key place to bag a buck. I hunt the rub lines the last week of the season.
Great time to be in the woods and on those scrapes! Good luck!
I mean I haven't hunted sincei was 11 since my pa past I haven't went I'm going this year how do u know if the rubs are random or not aren't they the same thing
It's hard to say for sure, but if you see a pattern / more than one / a line of rubs these are likely rubs that were made from a buck as he was moving through an area more than once. So not random. Random would be one rub in the middle of no where and no other rubs in sight.
Excellent tips ! Great video we’ve nailed a few mature bucks in the morning coming from feed to bed in October . Trying to get in and out undetected is the tough part
So true Danny and you’re right, slipping in / out without them knowing is crucial.
i feel good with these advise cold.front coming next week on my day off
Hope you see some good movement! Good luck!
I set several "Jeff" mock scrapes with grapevines and had doe working them like it was their job this week. Rhode Island is heating up!
Nice! I love how much use mock scrapes get. And it should only ramp up now! This is an exciting time to be in the woods! Good luck Kevin!
@@whitetailevolution Here's to the 2020 hunting season being better than the year 2020 itself!
Enjoyed the info. Makes good sense. Thanks
Appreciate it Sasquatch!
Great break down. Needed that!
Thanks Walter! Hope you connect with one!
we have snow way, way early this season. was already a decent amount up high, but now we have a pile right down low even, snowed all day yesterday. and, the temps have dropped drastically the last two days, and hitting -15C tonight and tomorrow night. i'm heading out tomorrow morning. don't even know if i can get up to my hunting areas with all the snow, but, it'll be worth the drive regardless.
Love hunting right after it snows. Great movement and they don’t tend to sneak up on me nearly as often haha
@@whitetailevolution just got home. Was close, a few times. Walked right up on a good wt buck, bedded under a tree. He was gone quick though. Then bumped 2 more out of their beds, had a better look at them, but not long enough to get a shot. It was a fun day though, tracking deer through the snow. Nothing better.
I dig big holes in the ground post season and come back to hunt them during the season works like a charm im literally under ground damn near theyre clueless my scent is in the dirt in the hole im in im the first to do this
That’s a unique approach! You should make a video of one of your bunkers. Would be fun to see it in action!
wouldn't the hole fill with water?
@@zzz7zzz9 not much rain this year and if it did many other holes around w drain type narrations
Same I do it for comfort because my legs fall asleep if I sit directly on the ground or I move too much. I make a step at the bottom of my hole so if water does get in it has a place to go and I keep my feet dry.
Enjoyed watching the video. A lot of great tips and strategies. Using diagrams with arrows really helps one understand where to set up a stand location...thanks for using them. I see you're from MI, we have hunting property near Battle Creek.
Thank you and you’re welcome! I’m a visual learner and like to see things drawn out as well. I’ll try to add similar visualizations to future videos.
We’re from Grand Rapids originally. Now we’re in Barry county and also hunt in mid Michigan.
Awesome info!!
Thanks Frank!
Great video and information
Thanks again Mike. Always appreciate it.
Man awesome video man.
Very helpful thank you
You’re very welcome! Hope you find success this season! Good luck Byron!
@@whitetailevolution I hope I haven’t screwed up. I did a mock scrap 2 weeks ago and my set has been in the middle of a rub line. But he’s still on camera as of 2 days ago last I checked but literally told my wife I don’t know how I would get in because none of the bucks have broke daylight but are on camera at my stand all hours of night does included but the bucks come back to bed passing by between 4-6am so I can’t get in there. So I’ve literally been thinking for a week where to move it because I have yet to sit in it as I’m waiting for the rut in this location
I wish I would’ve found your page sooner.
If you think you can get in without bumping anything in the morning I’d do it. Go in early, maybe with rain as cover or sometimes a stiff breeze can help conceal your entrance as well. I’ve got a few spots that I have a hard time getting into as well but they’re great spots. I’ll save those for the best days of the rut. Once I see the old bucks moving more during daylight I push into those spots, it’s normally Halloween or early November.
Good vid!
Thanks Dan! Good luck this season!
Great video
Thanks Paul!!
Here is a question : how do you hunt downwind of food sources in the evenings when your scent is blowing into the bedding areas where deer are coming in from
?????
Or do you hunt crosswind?
Hey Ronny that’s a great question. And yes, if the wind is blowing from the food source to the bedding area then you’d want to get off to the side of the movement with the wind coming across you.
I hunt in Grayson when does the rut start here?
What state? The rut will be the same time where you hunt every year. If you remember when things heated up last year, plan around the same time.
Hi, thanks for a great video. Question, If you dont want to pressure your hunting area, how do you go and find the rubs?
Hey Scott, that’s a great question. I would say most of my scouting is done in the offseason. Right after the season ends we go in to learn as much as we can about how the deer used the property during the fall. Here in Michigan that’d be in early January. That sign should still be there and if you can wait for snow, you can even track deer back to individual beds. Now once you do this they’ll move to your neighbors, but because it’s the offseason I don’t care. I’ll film a video of what we do towards the end of the season to try to explain it better / give you a visual.
But sometimes you can see the sign during the season on the way to or from your stands. You will notice scrapes starting to pop up and start seeing rubs. If you have historical knowledge on the property, sometimes seeing the little bit of sign walking in is all you need. But other times you need to wait until after the season to do more investigating to figure out the WHY behind it.
Some people scout during the season and have success with it but I don’t so much. I have a more conservative approach in order to keep the area as pressure free as possible.
@@whitetailevolution Thank you, got it.
What time are we supposed to change spots? Like how long do you sit in the morning til you know it's safe to move to another location?
Hey Cody, I don’t know if there’s an exact time. Are you trying to sit all day? I’m normally saving my all day hunts for the rut. But some people do it during the pre rut. For the pre rut I’ll try to sit as long as I can in the morning. I see a lot of movement during the 9:30-11 window so I try to hang until 11:30-12 then get down. Then Head back out to get set up for the evening hunt around 3. If it’s during the week and I’m working, I’ll try to get out by 4:30 but won’t push into the property as far.
I'm very new to hunting and thought sitting all day today was what I'm supposed to do since the day is perfect where we are. Problem is I came in late probably made alot of noise setting up my blind now I'm wondering if I should sit and wait or go look for a better spot? Learning what I can from youtube but doesnt tell you everything lol.
I would sit tight. If you can hang until 11-1130 try to do that. Deer are covering a little more ground right now, anything can happen!
Glad you picked up hunting! Hopefully we can help you along the way!
Awesome thanks for the advice for real.
@@codyhawk8144 my father in law told me even if they snort stay. Sometimes they will come back
Guess i should have watched video before yesterday (10/20/20) because i just put mock scrape out 🤷♂️
There is always a chance he won't care. If there's a younger buck working that scrape in a dominant buck's area, that will likely aggravate him and he'll probably deposit his scent as well to make sure everyone knows "this is his area" and to stay out. That's the scenario we've seen play out in the past. But we've also placed mock scrapes during the pre rut that haven't produced much of anything. Hopefully yours is different! Would love to hear what happens throughout the season.
@@whitetailevolution ill keep you posted. Thanks for the info and great videos!
Core bucks may think it is out of place... bucks that travel won't know the difference!
@@kevinmarcoux7211 im checking camera tomorrow, hopefully something hitting it. Youth day Saturday!
@@davejr9666 Good luck and have a great season! You will most likely still have the core bucks around it. Might get does and some younger bucks which will hopefully put those core bucks at ease a bit and bring them in!
Stay downwind of mature bucks, not farts!
ha! i like that strategy!