Kaolru

I'm trying to get ready for November, but this is my first year hunting seriously during archery season, and I've never used calls/lures in the past. I always hunted with my dad, and he wasn't big on them, but now that I'm hunting alone I want to try.

Up here in Pa archery lasts until November 12th, and I understand the last week of October and the first week of November are supposed to be the best for buck hunting.

I've been out the past few days hunting along the edge of a large field planted with clover. I saw fifteen deer yesterday and seventeen today. Mostly does, fawns, a couple of spikes, fours, and a nice five that will grow into a handsome deer in the years to come.

I can pretty much clock when deer are going to show up here, but as the rut begins, is hunting this field going to do me any good? Bucks lose interest in food, but with such high doe activity would it still be a good place?

Also, any tips on lures to bring in a mature deer when that time comes? I know they're here, but so far are hiding.

dallapi1

Your best bet is to find bedding areas and where the nearest food and water source are. From there try to find the runways in the thickest cover to and from the feeding and bedding areas the big boys will be hanging around the does but won't be to willing to step out in the open. Thats were I like to uses mock scrapes and a few scent lines to attemp to strike there curiosity and get them to present themselves.

TURKEY FAN

Hunt the does and you will eventually find the bucks, I would thin out your doe herd to make the bucks move more to try to find a willing doe. If your buck to doe ratio is skewered then bucks wont move much cuz the does in heat will go to him

adirondackhunter

Hunt where the does are .When the rut is going i use a grunt call and a doe in heat "can" call.

Mojotex

I am not a big proponent of commercial scent stuff though I do use the scent free soaps. I have had, at best, marginal response by bucks to grunt or bleat calls, and seldom use them at all. The only attractant that I suggest because of my personal observations is using a drag rag soaked with urine I collect from deer I (or others) have killed, and using oily tarsals I remove from bucks to rub saplings near where I am set up. I too agree with others .... if you can regularly locate does, once they start coming into estrus, the chances of a decent buck showing up to check them out imporves. Being able to locate bedding areas and setting up between that area and food works great. Problem down here in SE Alabama where I hunt is that deer have almost unlimited areas in which to bed and food is everywhere ... browse, acorns, food plots, etc. So have to stay on top of what food is "hot". Makes it fun for sure. Good luck.

Kaolru

I'm trying to get my doe now, but even if my dad and I get our does it won't put a dent into their numbers.
The second day I went out I saw around five bucks out of the fifteen deer out there. They were all young bucks, the biggest being a decent five point that should grow into a nice buck next year given how high and long his tines are now.
The rest of them were does and young ones.

We pretty much know their bedding options, it's just figuring out which ones they're using at this point. Either way, the biggest food source is the clover field I'm currently hunting and a few smaller food plots scattered around the boarder of it. I also have a stand on one of their heavily used trails, but I haven't seen activity there since the season started.