December 18, 2017

Quick Tips: How to Take Post-Rut Deer

Terry Drury | Drury Outdoors

Terry Drury post-rut buck

One of the things I've learned about hunting the post rut is that Mother Nature plays a major role when post-rut bucks move. In 2017, we didn’t have the colder temperatures that we’re accustomed to having in the Midwest during November and early December. Finally, in the early part of December, we did get some colder weather.

Remember that during the rut the bucks are chasing does, expanding their territories and on the move trying to breed. They’ll often move as much at night as they do in the day. So, when the rut ends, and winter is coming on, their number-one need is food. The first buck I harvested on December 2 was in extremely warm weather with a cold front moving in to where I was hunting.

The first two tips for taking post-rut bucks are:

look for cold fronts moving into the area where you hunt after the rut, and
be sure food’s available for the deer after the rut.

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