Advice for hunting during the deer rut on public land
The rut. Almost every deer hunter’s favorite time of the season. Bucks will be chasing does all day long and fighting with other bucks over who is truly dominant. With all this crazy action transpiring, surely every hunter will come home with a nice deer, right?
Uh, not so fast. While the rut is generally your best chance to at least see a deer, successfully shooting a deer will likely be a lot more challenging. Ratchet those chances down a few notches more if you plan to hunt on public land.
Don’t despair. I am just keeping it real. I have been successfully bow hunting on public land for over 40 years. I know that it can be done and done well. Below are some tips on what has and hasn’t worked for me and some of my buddies during the rut.
How crowded will it be?
Since you cannot “reserve” a stand location on public land, it is good to know how crowded the area you pick might be. Weekends are always the most crowded times. If you can hunt during the week, no matter which WMA you choose, your chances of success will increase. Another good time to hunt is Sunday afternoon. I have noticed that many hunters who have to work on Monday head in after the Sunday morning hunt.
Try to time the rut
The rut varies across the state, from October through January. Find out when the rut normally occurs at your WMA. Weather and other factors can play a vital role on the timing of the rut. A couple of avid deer hunting buddies gave me their take.
Nelson Dupre of Chacahoula hunts in Central Louisiana, where the first rut is in mid-October and the second rut starts the first week of December.
“I prefer the second rut because I find the big bucks move more looking for the does that weren’t yet bred,” he said.
Some years ago, George Blanchard of Pierre Part was hunting the latest rut in the state, which occurs in January at Sherburne WMA.
“I was blessed to take the buck of my lifetime that day,” he said. “Hunting the rut was the key. The buck responded to my grunt call. It now resides on my wall.”
Blanchard’s big buck is evidence of correctly timing the rut to enhance your chances of success.
Go deep
Walking in as far as you are able to on a WMA will help you to avoid the crowds.
“I try to find the thickest cover as far away as possible from everyone else,” said Morgan City’s Brian Eaton.
Remember to bring a cart or a sled to help get your deer out.
“Normal” rules are out
If your normal morning hunt is from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., you might want to extend your time in the stand. Same for the afternoon hunt. Get there earlier. Deer may be moving at any time of the day during the rut.
Don’t be afraid of aggressive calling during the rut. Torrie Eaton of Morgan City has had a lot of success calling in bucks at the Atchafalaya Delta, her favorite WMA.
“I do lots of rattling, grunting and doe bleats,” she said.
Hit it hard!
According to Randy Levingston of Morgan City, the best thing to have during the rut is availability. Meaning the rut does not last long.
“Get into the woods as often as you can and hunt hard,” Levingston said. “Before you know it, the rut will be done.”
If you have some flexibility with your time, your chances of harvesting a deer during the rut will greatly improve.
Conclusion
The rut is not mythical, it is not the end-all, but properly managed, it can be lots of fun! Over the years, some of my best experiences have been what I witnessed, not what I shot, during the rut. I have seen bucks chasing does, checking scrapes, rubbing on trees, fighting with each other and more. In most cases they were out of shooting range. Was I upset? Yes, I was! But those learning experiences are priceless to me. I have learned it is all part of what makes us love hunting so much.
