Lessons Learned

[tree_ghost]

After seeing a few threads on this forum, and others, I wanted to start a thread that would be helpful and also hopeful...

The majority of hunters have a picture painted in their minds of the rut. The idea that with the coming of November also comes the majestic whitetail buck chasing does with an utter disregard for what's happening around him. It's the time of year that our thoughts are centered on, vacations are planned according to, and sweat and blood are the products of preparation in anticipation that this years rut will be one to be remembered! Well any hunter with a little November stand time under his belt knows that this isn't always the case...

All to often there are variables that keep the rut of our dreams from taking place. It's very easy as a hunter, someone who has put a lot of money, time, and effort into the month of November, to become discouraged for what's happening around us, in what we imagine to be the best hunting of the year. So finally we have arrived at the point of this thread...

What situations have you run into in the rut that were less than what is anticipated? Whether it is an uncontrollable outside condition, or the product of human error. And more importantly how did you overcome it?


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[jm1981]

The biggest variable that has hurt my hunting is the weather. I've wasted several weeks of vacation time sitting in a stand in warm weather. Nothing seems to turnoff the daylight movement more than unseasonably warm weather.

 

[Winchester]

WEATHER, has been the singlemost repeated problem for my anticipated Rut hunting over the yrs! I normally Bow hunt for 10-14 days in Nov each yr in either IL, OH, or western KY. Without a doubt the biggest factor in how good the hunting is, will ALWAYS be associated with the weather. The timing rarely changes by more than a few days, weather however will dictate heavily how much of the magic behavior that we all plan these hunts to see each yr! Its the same for hunting here in TN, good weather in Nov will normally see some really fun and exciting hunting with multiple daylight chases involving older bucks. Now put in bad weather and that hunting will decline considerably overall. You can definitely still have good hunts and success with bad weather, just not nearly to the % you can have with good weather. All that said there are tons of factors to weigh in deciding when/where/how to hunt based on a myriad of things each yr, on top of the weather, its just weather is the one we have NO control over.

 

[Mike Belt]

Agreed. Weather or better yet, temperature plays the most important role in seeing (or not seeing) the action I predict for the rut. There's absolutely nothing you can do about that. If the deer are rutting nocturnally for 2 weeks at the onset of the rut before the temperatures co-operate, then you miss the prime action and hopefully pick up on that that follows. Hunting can still be good but it's discouraging to plan on a certain timeframe for using your vacation, time off, etc...... especially if that's all you have. You just have to keep on hunting and I'm thankful I can do just that.

 

[tree_ghost]

Winchester and Mike...I know that each of you guys are seasoned hunters with proven results...could either of you recall a time when the temps were up in the rut and you still managed to get it done? I want to offer the readers of this thread some encouragement to not give up on November just because things don't go according to plan...


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[jm1981]

I'm neither of those guys but I will say that any time on stand can be productive. One of my best bucks was killed the Saturday after thanksgiving in 2006 and it was 75 degrees. Any time I can get to hunt I'll be there but I will save my vacation time for those frosty bluebird days.

 

[tree_ghost]

I'm neither of those guys but I will say that any time on stand can be productive. One of my best bucks was killed the Saturday after thanksgiving in 2006 and it was 75 degrees. Any time I can get to hunt I'll be there but I will save my vacation time for those frosty bluebird days.

Thank you JM! I killed my best GA buck the 2nd week of November and I was wearing short sleeves!


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[Winchester]

Winchester and Mike...I know that each of you guys are seasoned hunters with proven results...could either of you recall a time when the temps were up in the rut and you still managed to get it done? I want to offer the readers of this thread some encouragement to not give up on November just because things don't go according to plan...


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For sure, I have killed some really good deer when the temps were way too warm and I felt like I shouldn't even be hunting! It doesn't happen often, but it definitely happens. Most of these warm weather kills I recall were when a buck was 'between does' and out looking even though it was warm, a couple even mid day. I just don't see much all out chasing during daylight when its hot.
I'm definitely not saying don't hunt, it can happen anytime just takes much more patience when Mother nature frowns!

 

[Bone Collector]

The biggest variable that has hurt my hunting is the weather. I've wasted several weeks of vacation time sitting in a stand in warm weather. Nothing seems to turnoff the daylight movement more than unseasonably warm weather.

This and what I call a trickle rut, due to doe population. Some years I see chasing, others, not so much.

Another thing is the size of my property and the the use of my property this time of year. Bucks do come through in daylight. Some years more than others, but it is impossible to know what type of year it will be until you are there.

Pretty much you just have to take your vacation, get in the stand, and hope for the best.

 

[UTGrad]

Weather and buck to doe ratio.

 

[tree_ghost]

Guys let me ask if there are any scenarios where YOU made a big mistake on a good buck? Maybe you got inside your own head afterwards and started "overthinking" things? Were you able to bounce back from that failed attempt? If so how?


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[TN Larry]

Winchester and Mike...I know that each of you guys are seasoned hunters with proven results...could either of you recall a time when the temps were up in the rut and you still managed to get it done? I want to offer the readers of this thread some encouragement to not give up on November just because things don't go according to plan...


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To answer the original question, I would say that weather and staying out of certain areas until Nov are the key ingredients.

To answer the above question, the scenario would be opening day of gun 2012 in KY. It was hot that morning and forecast to be in the 70s that day. I decided to not hunt all day because of the weather. After seeing the 4th buck of the morning and three of them coming at the same time from three different directions, I soon realized that the bucks were on their feet that morning. Buck #7 was a 4.5 yo 8 pter that got a one way ticket back to TN. The flies were on him by the time I got him out. I never saw a doe that morning in a high deer population area. My brother in law only saw one doe that morning and 4 or 5 different bucks on the same place. There wasn't any chasing going on, but the bucks were sure on their feet searching that morning.

I still try to use my vac days on the right morning weather wise. I would have most likely went to work that morning and saved the vac day for another day if I were here and on a week day. You just never know. It is November............

 

[TN Larry]

Guys let me ask if there are any scenarios where YOU made a big mistake on a good buck? Maybe you got inside your own head afterwards and started "overthinking" things? Were you able to bounce back from that failed attempt? If so how?


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Two years ago with a mzl, I shot a coyote and when reloading noticed a small piece of plastic on the end of my gun barrel after pushing my bullet down. I thought it might be part of my sabot but shouldn't be. However, I got to thinking if it would affect my accuracy. Fast forward 2 hours and I've got a really, really good buck for the area coming in on a string at 75 yards. I always take the first good, clear shot when offered. The deer turned quartered to, and I put the cross hairs in front of his shoulder and was about to apply pressure to the trigger. Then the accuracy thing got me, I thought, you have to make a good shot at this angle so why not wait til he is at 30 and perfect broadside so the error of margin is greater? He made two steps, stopped behind a bush, and then the wind swirled. He snorted and ran. I can still see those big horns going over the ridge and feel that sick feeling. Of course I shot my gun when I got home, and it was perfect. That deer was dead if I would have only applied the pressure to the trigger.

Lesson learned - 1) Always take the first good, clear, ethical shot even though I understand my reasoning on this one. 2) If I had the situation to do over again and knew the accuracy question would come back to get me, I would have shot the gun into the ground and then started over with the reloading process.