This past weekend I was hunting in central IL and had some great encounters. I saw a lot of deer on their feet and I saw a buck with one side busted off chasing a doe pretty hard. Those first does are slowly coming into estrus and now it certainly the time to be in the woods. Any tips as to calling during the rut or using scents? What are your tactics?
If a buck is cruising by himself I have had good luck w estrous bleats like the can...if the buck is on a doe, well, might as well forget it I say. They are like a kid in a candy store and i can't pull them off the doe by calling. It's definitely picking up here in central il...find a doe and you find a buck....good luck!!! Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
I sat in my stand last Wednesday & saw no sign of the rut, then sat again all day Friday & it was a different story! Had a bruiser walking right to me with perfect wind direction & just as I'm about to draw a doe catches his attention & he is gone! It was like someone flipped a switch.
doe Bleat is it good to use a doe bleat or the estrous bleat if your not seeing many deer? I hunt a pretty thick area, and think they may be bucks bedded?
I'll let out an occasional bleat if I don't see something for a long while, but it's easy to over do it. I learned this the hard way just a few days ago when I spooked 3 doe that I didn't know were there because it was so thick. I hit the Can once, which grabbed their attention as to my general location, then when I hit the Can for a second time they saw the movement and bolted. Lesson learned!
I just picked up the estrous bleat call, a buddy of mine said he used it a couple seasons when he didnt see much and it at least stirred up some activity. Bucks are heavy on the does right now, so I figure I need to get them heading my way
