subject: Peak Whitetail Rut Dates - The Five Best Strategies to Bagging a December Buck [print this page] Peak Whitetail Rut Dates - The Five Best Strategies to Bagging a December Buck
Peak Whitetail Rut Dates
Nobody likes to sit in the stand and see absolutely nothing, but often times that is a reality with late season hunts here in Georgia. We are blessed (or cursed) with an exceptionally long whitetail deer season here. Now that the first and second rut has come and gone many hunters find themselves struggling to see deer, much less have a successful hunt. Here are several tactics that I utilize to make every trip into the woods more productive.
1. Find the food sources. The food sources you were hunting in the early season most likely have been depleted so find the new ones. Bucks are moving pretty much only to feed now and they will find the closest sustainable food source to their bedding area. Position yourself between the food sources and the bedding areas. Get as close to the bedding areas as possible making sure that you pay attention to the wind.
2. Pay attention to the lunar tables. I am a firm believer that the lunar table is an excellent predictor of deer movement. Make sure that you are in the stand during the peak hours. If the table says that deer will move at noon then I make sure that I am there. I have documented the correlation between the lunar table and deer movement.
3. Plant food plots. I know that this is an after the fact suggestion but there is no better way to predict where the deer will be feeding when the acorns are gone than to create and excellent food source for your deer. I like to plant mainly oats as they are pretty easy maintain and provide an excellent source of nutrition for your herd. Peak Whitetail Rut Dates
4. Hunt in areas that maximize your visibility. During the rut I don't mind hunting in areas that are what many people consider too "thick". I have had great success in the thick stuff while chasing those really big bucks, but in the late season I want to be able to see as far as possible. Think about it, when the movement slows you can offset that decrease by increasing the area that you can see from your stand.
5. Use drives. This is one tactic that is almost never used here in the South. Late in the season this is a great way to get the deer moving. Just make sure that the standers know where the drivers are coming from and vice versa. I have had good success with late season drives.
These are a few of the tactics that I have found to be most successful in the late season here in Georgia. Take them and use them and let me know if you find similar success using my advice.
Now get out there and hunt because you can't kill them at the house! Peak Whitetail Rut Dates
