I might not see a lot of bucks during the early season, but when one like this comes within bow range, I need to see only one. I shot this buck in October on public land.

Fast-forward seven months, a week and a half into the archery season, I'd been out only twice because the first 10 days had been unseasonably warm, and the bucks just weren't moving. Then a front moved through, plunging the temperature into the mid-50s, and I just knew this evening was going to be good.

Within mere minutes of settling into my Lone Wolf stand, I caught movement 15 yards away as a small doe materialized out of the brush and crossed in front of me. A couple of hours later I was enjoying watching two big does in front of my stand when both does whipped their heads up at the sound of something trotting behind me. Easing my head around, I almost gasped as a massive buck suddenly appeared less than 15 yards away!

Quickly coming to full draw, I was about to try to stop him when he came to a halt right behind a limb, 10 yards away. My heart was pounding as I silently willed him to take just one more step. As if on cue, he took the needed step, exposing his chest. In a flash, my arrow was on its way…

THE RUT AIN'T SO GREAT
I can't tell you the countless times I've read and heard bowhunters expound the virtues of hunting the rut. Well, after many years in the field, I've come to realize that the early season has consistently been one of the best times for me to arrow a good buck. How can this be when we all know THE best time is during the rut?

Well, is it really? Sure, the rut is great -- overall deer sightings go up, and bucks seemingly roam everywhere at all times of the day. However, the rut presents two drawbacks: 1) More hunters invade the woods, and 2) the bucks are much less predictable -- especially when they are running does. Let's explore these two reasons in a little more depth.

Hunting Pressure. Public lands get enough pressure as is; throw in the rut and things get crazy. Come early November, parking lots that held scarcely a truck in October suddenly are jammed, and as the days lead up to the peak, the woods get even more crowded.

Admittedly, I burn vacation time during the rut like everyone else. It is a great time to be in the woods. But the added pressure often makes it tough to catch the doe groups, so obvious in October, on their feet and moving during the day. Even worse, bucks you watched all summer and hunted in October may be miles away chasing does. The plus side is that you might see bucks you've never seen before.

Less Predictability. With food on their minds in the early season, bucks' major concern is packing on the pounds, which makes them fairly predictable. Find the food sources, learn where the bucks bed, and hunt accordingly.

Enter the rut. No longer are bucks focused on groceries. Instead, the drive to pass on their genes has kicked into high gear, and they're roaming. "Here today, gone tomorrow," pretty well describes the situation.