5 Proven Tactics for Tagging Bucks in the Rut

I had that buck on camera all year. Then, right before the rut, he disappeared!” How many times have you or a hunting buddy said that? As a fellow deer hunter who uses trail cameras as part of his arsenal, I have been there many times. Countless research projects have confirmed what we deer hunters know all too well — buck travel increases close to, during and just after the rut. It’s common for bucks to cover long distances in their search for receptive does, sometimes traveling as many as 10 miles in a day. Given that, it is certainly not unusual for bucks to abandon familiar haunts as the rut closes in. Even if there are does where the buck spends most of his time, that doesn’t mean he won’t leave in search of other receptive does.

This can be frustrating after we have spent months figuring out a buck’s home range. Then, the rut arrives, and he is gone. The good news is, I have been on the other side of that coin as well. I would even bet most of you have benefited from that movement. In areas where your cameras weren’t capturing any good bucks, all of a sudden a giant you’ve never seen before appears out of nowhere. So, the craziness of the rut can cut both ways.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after many decades of bowhunting whitetails — experience that includes hunting 26 states myself and guiding hundreds of deer-hunting clients — it’s that the best time to kill a buck, any buck, is during the rut. That’s not exactly earth-shattering news; that’s the way it has been since cavemen painted pictures of successful hunts on rock walls.

However, in spite of all the attention the rut receives, I believe many people greatly underestimate how long the rut lasts, how much ground bucks cover as they perform their mating rituals and how many overlooked areas they frequent in their dogged search for estrus does. Don’t be fooled into thinking the only rut activity is that magical time between October 25 and November 10, because the actual rut can start earlier and last much longer than many realize.

On The Move

Just to be clear, by “rut” I mean the time when there is increased deer activity, in both bucks and does, brought on by breeding. This typically peaks when the first does come into estrus, sometimes referred to as “heat,” and are ready to breed. A buck uses its powerful sense of smell to detect estrus does via pheromones released through their urine and glands. The rut can go on for months, because not all does come into estrus at exactly the same time and also because does that aren’t bred during their first estrus cycle will come back into estrus approximately 28 days later. This is commonly called the “second rut.” Although most does are bred during their first or second cycle, there are always a few that aren’t, making for a third, fourth or even fifth rut. These does that are bred extremely late in the season are why you sometimes see small fawns with spots running around during hunting season the following fall.

Before breaking down some of my favorite rut tactics, I want to explain why the rut is such a great time to shoot a buck. First and foremost, it’s that the deer are moving more, and that means more daylight movement while we are out there hunting. That alone increases the odds of success significantly. It’s also undeniable that rutting bucks are not as wary as they are other times of year, due to a combination of fatigue and preoccupation with the search for estrus does. If you’ve ever watched a rutting buck traveling across wide-open country at midday or trailing hot on the heels of a doe as she runs through the woods, it’s obvious he has other things on his mind than watching out for predators. This is why the easiest time to take not just any buck, but especially trophy bucks, is during the rut.

To maximize my rut-hunting success, I try to identify travel routes, pinch points and other things that funnel deer through certain areas. These can be manmade or natural obstacles such as a river, road, fence row or even a small woodlot in the middle of an open field. During the rut, a buck will go anywhere he might find a doe. Setting up along these corridors that bucks may not even use at other times of the year can really pay off.

Proven Tactics

I am admittedly not a trophy hunter. I hunt for the excitement and the meat more than the antlers. So, for me, the first buck in shooting range is usually the one going home with me. This is largely the result of my growing up hunting hard-pressured public land. The tactics I employ, however, have helped me and my clients take some great, trophy-class bucks during the rut. Here are some of my favorites.

Decoys: I am a huge proponent of using deer decoys during the rut. I like the quick setup of the Montana Decoy lineup, especially the Trixie doe. I have had bucks knock over my decoy after setting it up before I even got in my stand. When bucks are cruising, they are looking for does, and a decoy in an open field or wooded area is often just the ticket for luring one into range.

Attractant Scent: There are a lot of great options on the market. My go-to is the VS1 scent from Conquest. VS stands for vaginal secretions, because they take it when does are nearing or in their estrous cycle and the pheromone content is high. I use it on my decoy and often upwind of my stand, where I hope to position a buck for a shot.

Drag Rag: I have used a drag rag during the rut with great results. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I used to do it all wrong. I used to put my scent on the drag rag at the truck and walk to my stand. The issue was, the farther I walked, the weaker the scent got. After witnessing times that a buck hit my scent trail and then headed back toward my truck where the scent was stronger, I switched up my method. I now start with a little scent and gradually add more scent to my rag as I go, so the scent trail gets stronger as the buck goes the way I want him to.

Calling: I throw everything but the kitchen sink at a buck in an effort to get him into bow range. I have killed bucks that I rattled in, snort-wheezed in, bleated in and grunted in. I have also had bucks ignore all of the above and have spooked many bucks using all the above. My point is, I think it is a good idea to carry all the calls you are comfortable with, and that includes rattling antlers. I usually only call or rattle if I see a buck that’s passing by and obviously not going to come into range. I then start with a soft bleat or grunt and gauge the deer’s reaction. Then, I may work through everything to see if a certain call or sound piques the buck’s interest.

Although I have heard others say they don’t call or rattle late in the rut, I think that is sometimes the best time to be aggressive. The reason is that early in the rut, there are many receptive does to be found. By the second or third rut, however, only a handful of receptive does remain, and all the bucks are competing for them. I often have luck rattling late in the season, because when bucks hear rattling at that point in the season, they assume a receptive doe is being fought over and will come to investigate. This is also a period when I have some of my best luck challenging passing bucks with grunts and snort-wheezes.

Scrapes and Rubs: I have harvested bucks during the rut on scrapes and rub lines. These can be great, but bucks often make scrapes and never return to them. Bucks will often just scent-check scrapes from downwind. So, if I hunt a scrape, I will often set up 50 yards downwind of it. On rub lines, I tend to hunt in bow range on the downwind side, because these are often travel corridors bucks use. Try not to set up on rubs in bedding areas, as these are often just used at night or when the buck stands up to stretch or relieve himself. I prefer rub lines along faint trails where trees are rubbed in a long line that shows me they’re being rubbed by traveling bucks.

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