Deer Rut Archives - Page 3 of 6

18 09, 2023

Big Deer’s 2023 Moon-Rut Hunting Guide

Clay Hanback2023-09-18T08:55:01-04:00September 18th, 2023|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Bowhunting, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Deer Science, whitetail deer|6 Comments

Over the past 40 years I’ve spent more than 1,000 days in deer stands across North America during the magic month of November, during every imaginable moon phase, during all the waxing and waning days. Though many scientists don’t put much stock in the moon and its effects on whitetails and the rut, my journal notes and personal observations say differently. I am convinced the various lunar phases can and do impact the movements of rutting deer, though admittedly those effects can sometimes be difficult to see and predict because of warm-weather patterns and moderate to heavy hunting pressure from region to region, Here are my 2023 moon-rut predictions. Factor them into your gameplan as you schedule your rut-hunting vacation [...]

16 11, 2022

Whitetail Buck “Excursions” In The Rut

Clay Hanback2022-11-06T09:49:53-05:00November 16th, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut|Comments Off on Whitetail Buck “Excursions” In The Rut

A post on the National Deer Association website starts out like this: One thing researchers have deciphered in recent years using GPS technology is a somewhat new behavior that white-tailed deer do called an excursion, which is a brief trip or trips outside their established home range. This behavior especially occurs during the rut, and I have a personal story from the 2018 season to prove it. We have been running 2 dozen trail cameras for a decade on a 1,000-acre farm in the Virginia Piedmont where I hunt. Imagine our shock and excitement when we checked a card and saw one image of this awesome buck from November 18, obviously an older deer with a ton of character. We had never seen [...]

14 11, 2022

15 Deer Rut Questions Answered

Clay Hanback2022-11-06T09:38:21-05:00November 14th, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, whitetail deer|Comments Off on 15 Deer Rut Questions Answered

Last November 13, I saw and heard deer crashing through the woods everywhere. The next day I sat in the same stand and saw 10 squirrels and one fork-horn. What happened? You were hunting just as “lockdown” began. That’s the mini-phase when the older bucks hook up with the older does to breed, and they all seem to go underground for three or four days. To punch your tag during that phase this fall, head for your best stand or blind deep in the timber and hunt there all day for several days. Ideally you’ll have a commanding view of several thickets on ridges and in draws, ditches and/or creek drainages. A doe might pop out of a cover; an [...]

3 01, 2022

Another Bullwinkle Buck W/Swollen Nose Shot In Alabama

Clay Hanback2022-01-03T09:28:12-05:00January 3rd, 2022|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut, Deer Science, whitetail deer|Comments Off on Another Bullwinkle Buck W/Swollen Nose Shot In Alabama

Field report from Johnny Sorensen down in Henry County, Alabama: I harvested this 8-point (nearly 17-inch spread with broken brow tine) on December 24, 2021 at approximately 8:00 am in Henry County, Alabama. The deer acted normal in all aspects of a buck in rut. He was emaciated a bit more than you would expect of a rutting buck. I did not weigh him but would guess 120 pounds. As poor as he was, he had obvious signs of fighting and rutting. Multiple bruises about the body were found. He was first observed traveling through woods on a neighboring property and responded to a doe in estrus bleat. He stayed in the wood line on our property and came to [...]

6 11, 2021

RUT REPORT 2021: Virginia Piedmont

Clay Hanback2021-11-03T15:00:52-04:00November 6th, 2021|Big Deer TV, BigDeer, Deer Hunting, Deer Rut|Comments Off on RUT REPORT 2021: Virginia Piedmont

My buddy Frankie just shot this 9-point buck in Fauquier County with a muzzleloader, deer "had a swollen neck and started to stink," he said. Frankie saw several little bucks pushing does earlier in the morning. Getting multiple reports of small and medium-size bucks pushing/chasing, which indicates the peak chase for mature bucks is 7-10 days away. Trail cameras were slow until yesterday, when bigger bucks started showing up at scrapes (night mostly). Five shooter bucks showed up this week on one farm I hunt, and I expect more. Scraping phase in full swing now.