I just got back today from hunting my moose so I don't know exactly what the deer pattern is in my deer hunting area. What I do know is that the bucks are rutting hard and are traveling all day looking for the does. I'm going to have a look in the field that I hunt tomorrow to check the tracks and scrapes along the edges. Then I'll pick a good spot downwind of a treeline at a corner of the field and just sit until dark.
The only thing that I do differently at this time of year is use scent. Doe in Heat is fantastic at this time of year. I put a couple of drops on the heels of my boots and I might hang a cottonball about 3' off the ground on a branch where I think that a deer might come out. If there's a fresh scrape I'll put a squirt in there as well. I've had bucks follow my trail sniffing the ground right to me. You just don't want to over-do it with the scent, I use just enough that they might get a faint whiff of it.
When I walk I try to walk like a deer and not sound like a human. Sometimes the bucks will walk out to have a peek to see if I'm a doe.
I thought about using a decoy deer but I never had to resort to that yet. Just be careful that no one is going to shoot you or the decoy...lol!
For me, this time of year is all about patience. If you find a good spot a buck will show up at any time of the day or they'll chase a doe out sooner or later. If the does come into a field at last light she might just have a buck in tow as well.
|