Starvin Larry

Those who live in Ohio,Pa,W.Va,N.Y.Michigan, and Indiana should see the best deer hunting from now until mid-November,as bucks are in pre-rut,and does are getting ready to go into estrous.
Here in NE Ohio the rut usually peaks the first or second week of November,most of the time,it’s the first week.

The last week of Oct. will see does going into full estrous,and the start of bucks seeking and chasing.

Starting the last week of Oct,rattling and grunt tubes can bring bucks running,the key is to not use grunt tubes until you have seen signs of rutting activity in your area. Fresh scrapes are a good sign.

Now is the time to make fake scrape lines near your stand/blind,use a rake,or a garden claw to remove all leaves,twigs and debris from an area at least 2’x3′. make your fake scrapes along field edges that have treelines with branches hanging down at the height of a deer,the overhanging branches are important because bucks lick the branches,and rub their head/antlers on them to spread their scent from the glands located on the buck’s head.

(so the wildlife biologists say) I have seen bucks licking branches over scrapes-I haven’t seen them rubbing their heads on overhanging branches though. That doesn’t mean they don’t do so,just that I’ve never seen it happen.

Back to your fake scrapes-after you have cleared the 2’x3′ or so area,put a few drops of doe in estrous urine in it,some regular doe urine,and some dominant buck scent-Many guys also piss in their fake scrapes,I do,I figure I’ll have to take a leak in the woods anyhow-so why not do it in the fake scrape.

Hang scent wicks with doe in estrous urine between the fake scrapes and your stand/blind,as you are leaving your stand,pick up the scent wicks and take them home with you,re-use them the next day. If you leave them there,the bucks will find them when they pass through the area at night,then ignore them. Only put the scent wicks out when you are hunting.

Once in your stand/blind,rattle every 15 minutes or so,if you have seen signs of rutting activity in your area,start using a grunt tube every 15 minutes or so. I alternate between rattling, doe bleats, and grunt tube.

Days when there’s a breeze,I’ll tie an all white paper towel to a branch/bush/shrub that’s about deer height 20-30 yards from my stand. The white paper towel swinging back and forth in the breeze looks like a does tail to a horny buck,and a lot of times,a buck will walk right up to the paper towel. A few drops of doe in estrous urine on the paper towel helps to attract a buck too.
If it’s legal to use bait in your state/area,it’s a good time to start putting out corn. Use both shelled corn,and cob corn,spread it out rather than putting it in a big pile-this helps reduce chances of deer spreading diseases among themselves. The cob corn helps keep deer at the bait pile longer. Don’t worry if all you see are does eating your corn-bucks are looking for does,so having does close to your stand can only help.

As the rut heats up,sit in your stand during daytime,as bucks are moving constantly this time of year,and most really big bucks are taken between 10am and 3pm.

Bring plenty of food,water,a thermos of coffee,binoculars if you have a clear view for any distance,and dress in layers as temps can go from upper 20’s/low 30’s to 70+ this time of year. I bring bug spray as well,sometimes the bugs can be bad in fall.

The weather was in the 70’s for Ohio’s doe only early muzzleloader season last weekend,so I didn’t bother to go,venison just tastes nasty until temps are going down enough to frost at night. We had frost here Sun am,so it’s getting cold enough to improve the taste of venison,a few more good,hard frosts will do the trick.

I like to shoot the does for my freezer after end of November,or when it’s under 40 for daytime highs.

This is the time of year to take big bucks,so I pass on shooting does,and just concentrate on bucks for now.

Good luck to everyone-get in the woods-now’s your best chance at a big buck.

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