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Post-rut strategy

deerhunter93

deerhunter93

Well-Known Member
What's the best way to hunt bucks this next week or so? Get on food with the cold temperatures? Get in a funnel and try to catch one cruising? Move in close to their bedding area since shotgun season isn't too far away?

What has the movement been like in the morning and evening? My two cameras didn't give me much information from the last week and a half so i'm not sure what to do.
 
I think all those are solid choices. For me it's been cutting them off before they head for food at night but still need the right one to walk by. GL.

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Just be in a stand you never know. Food will certainly start being king soon. I still have seen cruising and chasing in the past two days. Tonight was miserable with the rain, wind, and cold BTW...
 
Afternoons have been way better than mornings. I have seen deer going to bed before daylight for last 4 days. Food seems to be kicking into high gear and will just keep trending that way.
 
Kicked a giant up with a doe today heading into hang a stand for late season... we still have a ton of rutting activity in NC Iowa..
 
Mornings havn't been too productive for me the last 2 weekends, a few smaller bucks. Sat next to a bedding area down in a creek bottom friday afternoon, I got in around 3 and had non stop action, I saw 8 or 9 different bucks, mostly 1.5-2.5 yr olds. Did have a nice 3.5 walk right under me. They eventually all headed to the picked corn field. I think this next week I'll be hunting by some food, or on a route that leads to it, hoping for something mature to walk within range
 
I was out in Van Buren Co. from Thursday to Sunday each of the last two weeks. This time period was the best action that had been seen on this farm all season. Mornings we hunted deep in the timber on routes leading back to bedding. Does would filter through with bucks in tow. Usually small ones but either me or my buddy would see one shooter every morning. After that slowed we would still maybe see a buck or two moving between bedding areas. Evenings we hunted closer to food with the same type of action. Finally got my chance Friday evening and blew it. All movement died Saturday with the warm up.
I think this is the way I would be hunting until shotgun Find Food - Find Does - Hope for Bucks
 
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skyleralan said:
Just be in a stand you never know. Food will certainly start being king soon. I still have seen cruising and chasing in the past two days. Tonight was miserable with the rain, wind, and cold BTW...
Click to expand...

I bumped a group of does/fawns yesterday afternoon off a cut cornfield going in to my stand. Thought I would tough out the on/off rain without rain gear until I heard the wind coming. Didn't get it on before it got to me! Got chilly and wet real quick! Best part was watching one of the fawns streak across a hay field at full bore, I'm assuming trying to get to heavier cover. Just after sunset I saw a broken up 8 pt and yearling come out about 100 yards away. Rattled to get their attention and the 8 pt came closer, then turned into the corn. He ended up turning and barreled over the hill.

Saturday morning was in a funnel between food and bedding and had the usual doe/fawns moving around to go bed down and one yearling buck somewhat chasing a small doe or fawn. After he went out of sight, I grabbed the can call and did a couple bleats. He came back in looking (pretty sure it was the first time I had that call work) and then went on. Got down around noon to go do daddy duty, and had one of the does and fawns bedded across a ditch at 100 yards. Didn't seem to notice me. Rattled some mid morning expecting something to be cruising, but no dice.
 
Food is a must, for all the running they been doing, the does will be on the food hard every evening.And the big boys are liking the does. Just my $.02
 
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