Lindsay Thomas of the National Deer Association is an expert at sizing up bucks on the hoof. I asked him to give us some tips for the December post-rut. “Judging the age of a buck after the rut can be difficult for the same reason it's tough prior to the rut,” he says, “because not all of the important aging characteristics are in place. “We don't recommend estimating the age of bucks in summer because all of them have skinny necks. Until testosterone rises as the rut approaches, you don't get the neck swelling that helps distinguish older bucks from younger bucks. “Over the course of the rut, we know bucks can lose a lot of weight from the exertion [...]

Deer behavior: Post-rut begins most everywhere, but there is still more breeding going than you think. If you get lucky and find one of the last receptive gals, you’re apt to see one or more bucks following The does that have been bred transition back to food plots, fields, browse, and other food sources. Bucks are tired, spooky and largely nocturnal; the colder it is this week, the more likely you are to see a buck in daylight hours. Key sign: Primary doe trails, buck tracks, fresh rubs, reactivated scrapes Science fact: Research of collared bucks from Maryland to Texas shows that 20 to 40 percent of mature bucks continue to make long trips out of their core areas in [...]

How the weather impacts big buck movement… You’ve been hearing and reading that for years, and I’ve been researching, studying and blogging about it for decades. Warm weather, climate change, rain, snow, cold fronts… Truth is, just when I think I’ve got the answer, I read another scientific study that blows up my best theory…or a big buck does something entirely different on a warm or cold day than what I expected. But finally, I’ve got solid and foolproof advice on how you can use a weather change to kill a big buck. It comes as a result of a muzzleloader hunt in Virginia last week. Let me set the stage. It was late pre-rut, leading into the peak, which [...]

You don’t need a grand plan to kill a whitetail when the rut is on in November. Just go out and have fun, hunt every hour that you can, and use these time-proven pointers to your advantage. 1) Did you know? Studies show that one mature buck may blaze as many as 1,200 rubs from late September through November, or some 17 rubs a day. 2) Which rubs are the best sign? Look for antler-blazed trees as thick as your bicep. All bucks rub saplings, but only mature bucks work trees 4 to 6 inches in diameter or larger. 3) A copse of antler-mangled saplings or cedar branches are sign of an aggressive buck, the kind of beast you want [...]