Florida rut???
 

when exactly is the florida rut and what's the best way to hunt it. this is my first year deer hunting in florida. i know it comes usually about january or late december. how do ya'll hunt it. i've heard that rattling doesn't usually work in the south so..... any help would be appreciated.

RE: Florida rut???
 

i'm not big on rattling, but it has worked for me in the past. as far as the rut goes, it's at different times throughout the state. i believe the rut is over here in the central part of the state. when i shot by buck this last november, he was chasing doe's...but i think it was a post rut. his neck wasn't swollen but his tarsal's were jet black and stunk. he was also still hit'n scrapes on a regular basis. below is a picture of that buck with me and my dad..

RE: Florida rut???
 

that's a nice looking buck!!!! where'd you get him??? looks like ocala.

RE: Florida rut???
 

not ocala my friend, if we hunt together i'll tell ya...but for right now, if i told ya i'd have to kill ya.....lol

naw, i don't wanna say on here because everyone local will be putting in for this area next year.

RE: Florida rut???
 

Hey nice buck Cop! Congrat's!

HA! HA!:D:D:DLooks like Three Lakes or Lake Wales!

RE: Florida rut???
 

Nice buck.It sure isn't my area.

RE: Florida rut???
 

well i guess we'll have to go hunting then. i'm actually planning on going out to richloam this weekend. they have some pretty nice deer out there. pretty impressive to say the least.

RE: Florida rut???
 

right now i'm working week ends...which sucks.

RE: Florida rut???
 

in my area , north central around the mouth of the Suwannee River the rut is in full swing around the last of Oct.
as for rattling, it works great for me.they say you have to have the buck to doe about 1 to 1 or 1 to 3 ,somewhere there about.that may be , but not where I hunt.we sat Saturday morning (3 of us)and saw 39 head of does and a few nub bucks. nothing with horns.that is about right for a good morning when there feeding in the morning.
every year durning the B/P season I rattle in several shooter bucks.this year I took 3 durning B/P season while rattling.
I rattled in a nice 5 pt. for my wife the second weekend of gun season.
the rut is about over for us. there will be a few does that will come around again that didn't get breed the first time.saw a few fresh scraps last week.

try rattling,can't hurt anything.just don't do it like they show on TV; you'll scare away our deer with that kinda banging.you just want to (as I call it tickle the horns)enough so they can hear you for 100 yards.thats not hard.
when you see a deer ,buck or doe,try it and watch them.if they look your way, then they heasrd you.if they don't look , do it a little harder,then you will know how hard to do it.

good luck, and welcome to the world of huntinh in the swamps.

RE: Florida rut???
 

thanks treeclimber. i've lived in florida all of my life but i had never hunted deer here so i've been kinda lost. i may try some rattling this weekend. does it work back in the swamps back in standing water and such??? it seems like the deer would be looking for water movement. for the archery season when you can shoot does have you every tried doing fawn bleats to bring in does??? i've done it in ky and thought it might work here since i'm not comepletely worried about antlers when i can take does.