These next couple weeks of November are peak rut season. The bucks will be going crazy, trying to breed with the does in the herd. They lose all sense of time and priorities, so they’ll be roaming around the woods at all hours of the day looking for a mate. Check out our guide, below, to learn how bucks behave during each week of the November rut season. If you can get out there in the next couple weeks, you might just be able to fire up some venison for your Thanksgiving table.
Second Week of November
This week, the bucks are in full estrus, meaning that are at peak fertility for breeding. Bucks will be throwing all caution to the wind and will try to find these breeding does anywhere they can. They’ll be following and tracking their scents throughout the woods by following rubs and scrapes and checking out feeding areas to catch the does as they make sure to get their nutrition before the harsh winter. Once they find a doe to breed with, they’ll go with them to areas of thick cover, so keep your eye on bedding areas. Even in their breeding-crazed headspace, the bucks will still try to avoid hunting pressure.
If you have the time, try to stay in your blind through midday to catch the bucks that come back out after the usual early morning hunters leave. Our Stump blinds are heavily insulated, so you’ll be comfortable spending all day in the blind.
Now is the time to use aggressive rattling and grunts. The rut is at its peak, and bucks will be fighting with other dominant bucks, so your calls should match that intensity to draw in testosterone fueled bucks.
Third Week of November
Next week, more bucks will have found does to breed with so you might find that the activity is a little more sporadic. Some bucks will be with their does in bedding areas and other bucks will still be out prowling the forest. Station your Stump blind in travel routes to hunt the bucks as they go to or leave the bedding areas.
Fourth Week of November
The last week of November will see the bucks begin to visit food plots and feeders more frequently again. They’ve been chasing does for weeks, so their nutrition will be depleted at this point. They’ll go to food plots and feeders to refuel before they go back out looking for the second round of does that are still unbred.
Station your Stump blind near your food plot or Feedbank Gravity Feeder to hunt the bucks as they seek out fuel. Our Feedbank Deer Feeders have multiple ports, so multiple bucks can eat at the same time.
The rut causes bucks to focus on nothing but searching for does to breed with. Arm yourself with aggressive calls and get comfortable in your Stump blind for a front row seat to the all-day activity the rut season brings. If you can position yourself near rubs and scrapes, along a travel route to a bedding area, or near a feeder, you’ll be setting yourself up for success and a freezer full of Thanksgiving venison for your holiday table.
How do you handle the peak rut? Do you change up your blind location during November to accommodate the rut season? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below!
How Feeders Impact Pre-Rut Movement and Daylight Activity