Pre-rut hunting questions.

First Question: Yes, but not too aggressively and sparingly. Leading up to the rut is the time to call or rattle one in. You may call or rattle when the rut is in full swing but I usually do neither in the heart of the rut. I have never grunted one in but have used it to turn a deer back to me. I have had deer charge my position like drunken fools on the estrus bleats.

Second Question: Yes. If you know where your "just after dark" deer are coming from then move toward them if you can. Try to find a trail or bedding area but be careful not to push them out. The more you hunt your lease and scout you just learn their patterns.

Here are some more tips that I was taught and that I learned on my own. I know they work because I have the wall décor. to prove it:

Feed does year round and don't be discouraged that they seem to only eat at night. Those does eventually get hot and they are the best buck lure money can't buy. This is very important.

Due to the density of the woods in my area I don't bow hunt my money stands where I feed my does. Save those for the rut.

Stealth is key. Try to avoid driving to your stand. I frequently walk a mile.

Deer will pattern you. Don't constantly use the same stand location.

If you see lots of deer poop, that is good. It indicates a bedding area because deer poop soon after getting up.

You stink, do something about it (and you don't need no scent lock gear).

Rubber boots that go to the knee.

Don't shoot the first buck that comes to the stand. Even if he is a smallish shooter give him a few minutes bc I have had many times where the next deer was much bigger. The big deer lets the first deer serve as an alarm. It is hard to do but it pays.

Golden Estrus (do not leave stored in truck). I worry that since it has caught on that the quality may take a hit but when it was first available it was money (I have some great stories).

Use a quality scent and wicks and set-up accordingly. Don't place wicks where you can't see them.

Don't leave a stand until it is pitch dark. Always enter your morning hunt at dark. Little to no flashlight.

After the rut:

I don't hunt much post rut but sometimes you can catch a decent secondary rut (I like rattling for the secondary from the ground).

Don't be afraid to hunt from 10 til 2 or 3 pm. They are strongly nocturnal, feed at night, but usually get up in the middle of the day bc they are hungry and they also know you usually leave mid-morning and come back late afternoon.

Move your stand(s) to thickets. I mean pain in the ass places to move in and out of. The leaves are gone and they have had a lot of pressure so they cover up. Try to locate thickets on contour lines. I also suggest using the shotgun for this.

Contrary to popular belief:

You can smoke while deer hunting.

You don't need a stand. I killed a 10 and a 9 off a dove stool sitting on a hill.

True:

Big deer make great big scrapes and rubs. Little deer typically don't.

You can use deep woods off bug spray.

Big deer like bigger trees to rub; not little saplings.

If someone kills a hot doe then drain her bladder in a glass bottle.

Big deer will lay up on a subdivision and even a dog kennel. Killed another ten behind my sisters dog kennel. I am convinced he was using the barking dogs when someone came in to trigger his movement. I hunted him three years and killed him the 3rd year when I finally switched up to what I thought he was doing.

You don't need a large tract of land to kill big deer. A small piece properly managed will yield big deer.

Letting deer walk greatly increased quality. You can see a big difference in 2 years. Everybody should have the 6-point rule. I use an 8-point rule bc I finally managed the place to where seeing a 7 or smaller is very common.

-Back

Wow ... thanks for all of that!

Chris that is great info.right there one of the best scent blockers I've found is smoke if u can burnt leaves let the smoke get on ur ckothes. Like matador said the pain in the ass places are perfect especially near water an accorns if u have both awsome. When the rut does get here rattle and grunts work extremly well just don't do it too much. Goodluck

Oh and Always wear a safety harness when in a tree. It saved my arse 3 seasons ago. I am a believer go on and get ya a hunter safety system harness and wear it.

I never hunted food plots. I always had a lot of success using mock scrapes before and during the rut. Rubber boots, scrape the ground up, use a overhanging branch or make it hang low and juice it up with some buck urine. I found urine at a cheap price at hoosier trapping supply on line. Always had success.

With the pressure being on for a while the deer are starting to go nocturnal with the exception of getting up mid-day to feed. I described this above. As soon as you are certain the rut has ended then it's time to switch things up as described above. Note the time on the photos....

The deer behind my house went nocturnal as soon as the duck hunters started blasting in the mornings. Lots of activity at night .... and some nice bucks but not a whisper after sunup. Have had to hunt other property that has had less pressure and have been successful there.

If you use corn to bait your stands now is the time to keep it thick because acorns and brouse in the woods will start to get scarce and the bucks are wearing down from the rut they will come to the food if not to much pressure any time of day.