[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/hunting-strategies-for-post-rut-bucks\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/hunting-strategies-for-post-rut-bucks\/","headline":"Hunting Strategies for Post Rut Bucks","name":"Hunting Strategies for Post Rut Bucks","description":"Discover expert tips and post-rut hunting techniques for bagging big bucks in December. Learn how to conquer deer season\u2019s greatest challenge.","datePublished":"2017-11-20","dateModified":"2018-12-04","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/7-Alsheimer_00088955.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/7-Alsheimer_00088955.jpg","height":699,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/hunting-strategies-for-post-rut-bucks\/","about":["Hunting"],"wordCount":2573,"keywords":["Hunting","Hunting Strategy","Tips"],"articleBody":"In most of North America, hunting during December\u2019s post-rut is a far cry from the helter-skelter action that takes place during the previous month\u2019s rut.\u00a0 The difference between November\u2019s rut and December\u2019s post-rut can often be as different as night and day.\u00a0 There are a few reasons for this.\u00a0 A whitetail\u2019s biological make-up at this time of the year and the amount of human pressure it has encountered from September to December help explain why post-rut bucks can be the hardest of all whitetails to hunt.Numerous research studies reveal that only 10-15% of the North\u2019s doe population gets bred in December.\u00a0 So, with the majority of the North\u2019s doe population already bred by December, the picture can look rather bleak for a hunter expecting any semblance of November\u2019s rut.By the time a buck makes it through November\u2019s breeding ordeal and inches into December he\u2019s a far cry from the muscular rutting machine he was when November\u2019s full moon hung high in the sky.\u00a0 A white-tailed buck in the post-rut is typically 20-25% lighter in weight than when he entered November.\u00a0 As a result, it\u2019s not uncommon to see mature whitetail bucks at this time of the year on the verge of physical meltdown.\u00a0 Consequently, their priorities have changed from sex to survival, in spite of the fact that 10 to 15 percent of the does are yet to be bred.Post-Rut BiologyThere is no doubt that many hunters question a buck\u2019s decreased desire to breed in December in the North, especially when magazines tout the virtues of the so-called \u201csecond rut\u201d.\u00a0 A buck\u2019s ability to keep up the rutting chase in the post-rut moon is possible, but in most cases highly unlikely.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Research (Lambase 1972) shows that a buck\u2019s sperm count in December is about half what it was in early November.\u00a0 So, physically, their drive isn\u2019t there.\u00a0 As a result, bucks are calmer, more collected animals when the post-rut arrives.Because survival is now his main objective, a buck becomes a different creature in December and early January.\u00a0 Oh, he will still breed, and often does, but generally, he isn\u2019t moving about looking for does the way he was in October and November.\u00a0 Rather, he feeds, rests and takes what comes his way.When December arrives in the North, the entire deer family group gravitates toward known food sources, such as cornfields in farm country or cedar swamp yarding areas in wilderness regions.\u00a0 The main objective of bucks and does during this time is food, food, food.\u00a0 As a result, trying to hunt rub and scrape lines as you did in October and November is, for the most part, a waste of time.\u00a0Food is king during the late-season as bucks work to replenish what they lost during the rut.\u00a0Man\u2019s Influence on the Post-RutIn addition to being worn out and hungry, the whitetail has another thing that keeps him from moving about\u2014the constant presence of man.\u00a0 The hunting pressure incurred during September, October, and November cause many bucks to become nocturnal.\u00a0 When formulating a hunting strategy for nocturnal post-rut bucks, it\u2019s important to understand that all white-tailed bucks are not the same.\u00a0 They fall into two categories, yearlings and adults.\u00a0 This is especially evident in areas where hunting pressure is heavy.Hunting pressure from the previous months will often keep bucks bedded in thick areas until after dark. Still hunting after a fresh snow is one killer tactic.Yearling bucks are much easier to hunt, and it takes a lot of pressure for them to become truly nocturnal.\u00a0 The sex urge in November\u2019s prime breeding season overwhelms most yearling bucks, keeping them constantly on the move.\u00a0 This makes yearlings huntable even in the post-rut.\u00a0 However, if a buck is lucky enough to survive his yearling season, he becomes a totally different animal the second season when he is 2 1\/2 years old.\u00a0 These deer, as well as older bucks, really go underground in the post-rut.Contrary to popular belief among hunters, bucks do not move out of the country when hunting pressure increases.\u00a0 Telemetry studies conducted throughout North America indicate that whitetails do not abandon their core range during hunting season.\u00a0 Bucks simply hunker down, find the thickest cover possible, and limit their movements to nighttime or the fringes of daylight.\u00a0 Couple this with a buck\u2019s weakened, rut-ravaged body and it\u2019s easy to see why hunting the post-rut is the most challenging time to bag a buck.Hunting StrategyI\u2019m an opportunist when it comes to hunting right after November\u2019s rut.\u00a0 Though some does will be bred during this time, I know behavior will be much different.\u00a0 I intensely hunt food sources close to thick cover.\u00a0 This is the heart and soul of hunting the late season or post-rut.\u00a0 By concentrating on food sources and bedding areas, I\u2019m able to get close to doe groups and bucks that have survived to this point in the season.\u00a0 Remember, does, and particularly bucks, need to gain and maintain body weight to survive winter, so everything else takes a back seat to food\u2014even sex.Hang and hunts near bedding are a great way to catch a pressured buck off guardTo be successful, hunting post-rut nocturnal bucks requires that you scout smart for them.\u00a0 In my twenties, I hunted the same way the entire deer season.\u00a0 This amounted to hunting the scrape areas I\u2019d found early in the season.\u00a0 The only thing wrong was that once full-blown breeding arrived and gun season began, scraping activity dwindled to almost nothing.\u00a0 And as gun season progressed, deer sightings decreased significantly.Then I changed my way of thinking.\u00a0 My buck sightings and opportunities increased dramatically when I began wondering, \u201cIf I were a buck, where would I be hiding when the tail end of the season arrived?\u201d\u00a0 As might be expected, I looked intently at the thickest cover I could find in close proximity to known feeding areas.Bed and FeedTo save time and energy, I use aerial photos and topographical maps to locate prospective bedding areas.\u00a0 When areas coincide with the topo map\u2019s steep elevation lines, it\u2019s an indicator of where deer will be bedded.\u00a0 Note that whitetails love to bed just over an edge where they can watch downwind and, and at the same time, have their backs to the wind, enabling them to smell danger in the direction they can\u2019t see.A bedding area\u2019s relation to food and water can\u2019t be emphasized enough, for it reveals how a buck moves to and from the bedding area.\u00a0 During the post-rut, try to find bedding areas that are close to the whitetail\u2019s feeding areas.\u00a0 Bucks are weary and don\u2019t want to travel too far for food if they can help it.\u00a0 As a result, you\u2019ll often find them bedding in thick cover less than 300 yards of standing field crops or mast sources.\u00a0 If standing corn exists both bucks and does will probably be bedding right in the field.Find the food and you’ll find the deer…especially if it’s near thick bedding.When a trail is found leading to or from a bedding area, look at the tracks closely.\u00a0 If most or all are heading toward the feeding area, the trail is probably being used late in the day.\u00a0 If the tracks indicate movement into the bedding area, the trail is being used in the morning, most likely before dawn.\u00a0 Knowing a whitetail\u2019s escape routes will help you plan hunting strategies and determine ambush locations.I plan my ambush of a post-rut buck by being as inconspicuous as possible.\u00a0 This means I do not spend a lot of time in the area.\u00a0 I hang my stand near the bedding area\u2019s known escape routes or where sign and cover is thickest.\u00a0 And, I hang my stands as close as I can to known bedding area without spooking deer.\u00a0 In addition, I make sure the stands are hung at least a month before I intend to hunt the area.\u00a0 Because of their size and the amount of noise required to build them, I seldom use permanent stands when hunting nocturnal bucks in thick cover.\u00a0 It\u2019s just too risky.\u00a0 If you make too much commotion in the buck\u2019s bedroom or close by, he\u2019ll move out.\u00a0 With the stand in place, I take time to cut several small shooting lanes.\u00a0 And lastly, I make sure my entrance and exit can be done quietly.\u00a0 This last point is critical.Though I will not dwell on this a great deal, it\u2019s important to note that a whitetail\u2019s feeding times in the post-rut can change drastically from what they were prior to November\u2019s rut.\u00a0 In the North, where winter usually begins in early December, there will be more activity mid to end of day in the post-rut, especially if hunting pressure has not been intense.\u00a0 In my experience, the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to nightfall have offered the greatest deer activity during the post-rut.Post-Rut Breeding PhaseIf fawn births are on schedule, meaning mid-May to early June in the North, and favorable conditions are present in the form of good nutrition, a portion of the doe fawns will come into estrus in December.\u00a0 However, don\u2019t expect this to be nearly as spectacular as what took place in November.\u00a0 Unfortunately, by the time the post-rut rolls around, the adult buck population has thinned significantly.\u00a0 As a result, the post-rut breeding phase might not be noticeable, unless more than one buck is vying for the same doe.\u00a0 Then a little chasing may take place.The thing to remember is that breeding activity is very probable during the post-rut.\u00a0 So, concentrate on doe groups because if one doe happens to come into estrus and there are bucks in the area, you\u2019ll be in position to take advantage of it.Don’t expect to experience the whirlwind-like activity you would during the November rut, but bucks will still breed given the opportunity.Call a Buck Into RangeThe use of antlers and deer calls is associated with hunting the rut.\u00a0 There\u2019s no question that November is the time when both work best.\u00a0 However, don\u2019t put them away after Thanksgiving, because the post-rut is also a great time to use antlers and calls.\u00a0 Over the years, I\u2019ve had many close encounters with bucks because I rattled and called.HuntGuard: The warmest gear for late-season hunting.When I do rattle during the post-rut, I imitate sparring bucks rather than two that are in a full-blown rumble.\u00a0 Seldom will two bucks try to kill each other after the flurry of the rut has passed.\u00a0 So, I find less aggressive fighting noise works best.\u00a0 I might lightly tickle the tines or bang the antlers slowly together.\u00a0 Typically, I do this for less than two minutes, then hang the antlers up for 45 minutes before repeating the process.The set-up is critical when rattling in the post-rut.\u00a0 By being close to the bedding area it isn\u2019t necessary to make the sequence loud.\u00a0 But it needs to be loud enough for the bedded buck, wherever he is in the bedding area, to hear it.\u00a0 Also, I don\u2019t like to rattle unless I\u2019m in thick cover and have a clear shooting lane downwind from my stand because bucks often circle downwind as they try to locate the combatants. Though I love to use antlers in the post-rut, my call of choice is a good grunt tube and bleat can.\u00a0 By making several guttural grunts before and after rattling adds realism to the calling sequence.When the Going Gets ToughThough stand hunting is my favorite way to hunt the post-rut, silent drives in the late gun season can also be productive for hunting wary bucks.\u00a0 I\u2019m a loner when it comes to hunting anything and seldom do I venture into the woods with more than one person.\u00a0 However, late in the season when it appears all bucks have left the country, I like to put on what I call my Cloverleaf Tactic with another hunter.\u00a0 It works like this:One hunter positions himself in a tree stand in the heart of a prime bedding area.\u00a0 Then, one lone still-hunter proceeds to make big loops from the stand hunter.\u00a0 The still-hunter hunts away from the stand, makes a big loop, and then comes back.\u00a0 The still-hunter comes back to where he can almost see the stand, then he makes another loop, continuing the process until he has gone a full 360 degrees around the person in the stand.\u00a0 How far out the loop takes the still-hunter depends on the size of the bedding area, but generally the loop takes place in the area about 400 yards from the stand.\u00a0 If you were to look at this strategy from above, it would resemble a four-leaf clover, with the stand in the middle.\u00a0 Over the years, I\u2019ve killed several bucks using this technique. \u00a0I find it to be a real ace-in-the-hole when post-rut hunting gets tough."},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/hunting-strategies-for-post-rut-bucks\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Hunting Strategies for Post Rut Bucks"}}]}]