RE: Sask. Whitetails. Skeeter and others...
 

Hey Skeeter,
I have a friend of a friend who lives about an hour away from the Manitoba/Sask border, in Sask. He says that the whitetails are just starting to rut at the moment. Is this accurate from what you have been seeing in your vicinity?
I am basically on the opposite side of the province from where this guy is, but it should be similar times.

Also, to use a bait in Sask. do you still need to register it with SERM?

Also, following tagging your deer, if you go out with a hunting party, without a gun (no longer hunting), must you still wear white?

One last question atm: Do you use a cover/attractant scent, and if so, what do you find works well?

Thanks for all your help and info to date.

RE: Sask. Whitetails. Skeeter and others...
 

Yeap I'd say his info is accurate I have witnessed a number of bucks trying to run does in the past few days in the ML zone near saskatoon but the ladies aren't willing just yet(this however has been mostly 3 yr old bucks not dinks but not quite their yet in terms of maturity or antler potential). I also noticed the musk smell has picked up in my scrape/rublines near my blinds in this zone. They(SERM Biologist) peg the provincial rut for whitetails mto be Nov. 15th..I tend to agree with this estimate in part. Of course some areas seem to start earlier while others don't really get going, it just depends on the buck to doe ratios. However this am I watched a 5x5 I have passed a few times come clear across a mile of open terrain with his nose mostly in the dirt, this was at 9:30 am on a clear, warm morning and I was actually walking out at the time. I again had him come by my blind tonight this time behind a large single doe, he wasn't really running her more like keeping tabs on her. So things are picking up here just not quite their yet! As far as the last week of Nov. when your hunting who knows? Last year some areas where done, meanwhile others where hopping the last 2 weeks of the season..only time will tell. However rut IMO?E is really feast or famine, so it's not the end all and be all...more important is cool weather and snow never hurts. Right now we have little of both but the eastern part has some white stuff, so this factor always leads to more deer activity/sightings.

As far as baits if on crown land you must sign the bait(with your full name and contact ph. number). If on private land you must have permission from the landowner or rentor. No, SERM does not need to be made aware of baiting activity.

Yes, if your with anyone hunting biggame you must wear colours.

I use some deer pee as a cover scent, I suppose. Trails end is what I have found doesn't hinder the deer regardless of the stages of rut. I set it out in a half moon on my downwind side so if a deer circles it may throw them off, I usually place it 18-36" off the ground on a tampon. If I want to attract a deer to a scrape area I am hunting, I use the "steal a scrape method". This is find a scrape in a totally different area(one the buck or deer in your area won't frequent), then shovel some of the dirt from this scrape put it in a clean plastic bag and drop it in the scrape in my area. It is essential to ensure your scent isn't left in this area, so I wear rubber boots and latex gloves. It drives the deer in your area crazy as they don't know these newcomer deer, in turn they check the scrapes faithfully!

RE: Sask. Whitetails. Skeeter and others...
 

How many tampons do you surround your downwind side with, and in your opinion, what parts of the day would you sit vs. walk during that one weekperiod (Nov. 20-25)??

Also, i they begin to rut around the 15th, they should in fact be in mid-rut during that 5 day season, shouldnt they?

Can you recall, last year, when the rut happened? I saw bucks together while I was down, not chasing does.

Thanks again for the help.

RE: Sask. Whitetails. Skeeter and others...
 

3-5 in a semi circle, it really depends on the location/cover and wind.

Sitting the peak movement times. I generally sit for the first hour then slowly walk with my nose into the wind (sometimes stopping to rattle in deep transition in the middle of the day) and then sit the last 1-2 hours in the evening. During the rut midday should not be overlooked for sitting, rattling or still hunting. Like I said I don't really hunt whitetails in the south/open terrain much anymore so not really in a position to give you great advice for your hunt. I would go with what you see or have seen.

Yes if that areas rut falls around the 15th, they should be chasing come the 20th. Last fall it was very spotty, in the forest fringe area where my cabin is located the rut was around the average but the warm weather/lack of snow produced less activity in the open(as a normal year would produce). Up their it was over by the 23rd when we returned to hunt, this time was actually better as the temp dropped and snow cover. Around Saskatoon I saw bucks chasing does the 4th and 5th week of the season...much later than usual for this area. These were the only areas I hunted whitetails last Nov but heard similar reportsof anoff rut from various areas. Theories abound why this happens, everything from warm temperaturesto drought. I tend to think rut happens no matter what the weather but seeing animals during daylight is most certainly effected by the outside temperature/conditions. Like I said if you hedge everything on the Rut it becomes a feast or famine situation. Instead I just hunt and keep looking for the spots on the spot!

Rut is coming the signs are evident in rubs, scrapes, tailing of does, yearling groups, jocking for the pecking orderbut the deer aren't moving due to the warm weather till those low light situations in the evening. Right now the morning is producing far more sightings/activity in the areas I and my partners have been hunting. However it is not full blown by any stretch at this point anywhere that I have heard except the north(forest).

RE: Sask. Whitetails. Skeeter and others...
 

I bought some Tinks 69 that I think I will try to put on tampons as attractant/cover??

Also, if you were me hunting south for whites, do you think its more important to find food sources, or hiding places away from easy driving hunting?

If food sources, how would I go abouts looking for winter wheat or peas?

RE: Sask. Whitetails. Skeeter and others...
 

The part inparcel..meaning both important for success. You need to know where they; eat,bed and how they get there! Once you gather this info you then figure out the best place to intercept them. Personally the closer to the bed the better IMHO. If the bedding areas are ravines then slipping along them just down from the ridge top(to keep from skylining yourself) with your nose into the wind can be a great way to still/spot n stalk in the open terrain. I would basically do this early am till mid day.

Peas are a short crop, they will kinda look like frozen alfalfa (brown) but not much above the ground. I simple kick of a pea field will usually find some pea pods. Winter wheat/fall rye are about all you find that is still green, it looks like grass. Again if any decent snow cover these crops are very low so glass any pawed up spots looking for clues to what is below. Deer will alsofeed onwheat, barley, alfalfa, oats and even canola. Just check the signs and you'll know if they are feeding on it or just travelling it.