Seriously curious: why do y'all need the peak rut "excitement" to enjoy hunting deer?
It's interesting, too, that Florida's D-zone goes through the end of the month. Bama's southernmost counties probably could do the same?
Believe it or not but the deer down here act WWAAYYYYYY different. Maybe it’s due to pressure. You’ll rarely see a mature buck outside of “rutting phase” around here. Until you spend a few seasons in extreme south Alabama, you probably won’t understand.
I started back hunting Mississippi this season and I’m in a good size club with very few members. I’ve never seen so many bucks in daylight hours. It’s very foreign to me but I imagine this is how it is in central and north Alabama.
I very rarely see a mature buck outside of the rut most times of the year. In most places in the country they are more nocturnal then anything.
They HALF STEP during the rut. All the other times they are TOUGH to kill, no doubt.
Dont get me wrong, I've shot them during archery, muzzle loader , early and late season where they have them, and early rifle on feed patterns, but NO WHERE near what I shoot in the rut.
I dont even like to hunt mature bucks much UNTIL the rut. I dont pressure deer, especially mature bucks. They are slick.
You go in early archery for a few days to a week to catch them still on feed patterns, early muzzle loader a few days, gun opener a few days then back out until the rut and let them load up on ya, feel safe, get on hot does and go get one is what I have found WORKS.
And Im talking in all my leases I've ever had anywhere in the country. And anywhere Ive ever hunted.
The reason I shot that one this year at 257s place is he does not pressure his dang deer. Heck, they started coming out within 30 minutes of my butt hitting the seat in his shooting house. It was 2 hours until dark. That buck rolled in with 45 minutes of shooting light left. It was the second rut in our area. Deer were about done , but that joker smelt tail from a doe in season and came right on in.
You want to KILL a big buck wait for the rut. I like to try them first and second rut, and have killed just as many in both.
You want to hunt a guided or ANY trip Out of State and KILL a big one instead of LOOKING at one? Hunt the rut.
They charge more during the rut for a reason. That is when clients kill deer. I know..I outfitted for 15 years.
More big bucks are shot during the rut then any other time..period. They are following there Dicks not their senses. Running around in daylight when they are mostly nocturnal. Pretty simple.
Just my opinion but its worked pretty well for me throughout my long years of hunting them.
Again just my opinion.
