Archery hunting is a challenging sport.It requires mental and phyical strength.You have to know where,when,why,and what animals are using a certain peice of land at a certain time.I hope this section explains a little bit of what you need to know about taking a deer with a bow.

A great way to hunt whitetails is a Transition Zone.A transition zone is the area between a feeding area and a bedding area.This is such a great place to hunt because the big bucks will spend their time in here before they go off to feed.They'll stay here checking for does ,making scrapes, and making rubs ect...most people think that they should hunt far away from the feeding area because they think the bucks won't come out on the feild until dark(this is most of the time true)but most of the time they'll bumb the bucks out of the bed.Then their is some people who hunt right on the feeding area (this is a great way to kill your limit of does but if your after a mature buck you'd probaly have better luck in the transition zone.

White-tail breeding activity begins as the females approach estrus, or "heat".The does estrus cycle can vary from 21- 30 days but 25 - 27days is most common.For bucks,rutting behavior begins by the shorter days in the fall.Does are only receptive to bucks for about 24 hours, she attracts the males for about 3 days.

The way to hunt the rut is to think does.The does is were the bucks are going to be,count on it.The bucks are looking for receptive does and don't think about looking for you up 20 foot in a tree.Making it more likely that you will be putting a tag around it's antlers.

But there is no sure thing in the whitetail world.Especialy during the rut.This is the time where anything goes and the bucks can move when and where he wants.So spend has much time in the woods as you can,because you never know when Mr. Big will show up and you could get a shot at a buck of a lifetime.

The pre rut period generally has two phases.In most of the Southern part of America it usully begins the first phase in early October through mid October.The second phase starts around Nov.5-Nov20 or so.Many people call the peak of the rut (they call it the rut because they see the most deer traveling but the rut is when the bucks mate the does)During this time the deer make rubs,scarpes,and sparring(sparring is when two bucks tinkle their antlers together no real fighting is going on)they leave scents everywhere so other bucks smell them and either run off or come looking for the scent(depending on dominance) Sparring usally involes two different size bucks.The big one almost always wins.Smaller bucks usally spar with other small bucks.Small bucks will lick the forehead or nose of the larger buck(a subdominate behavior)Rubs are first made during the pre-rut period and althoug scientists(and hunters) know alot about rubbing behavior,there is still much we don't know. People use to think that they rubed their antlers to remove their velvet,antler itching.But actually we do know that is a sign post for bucks and between the sexes.They leave their scent on their trees and lesser bucks will shy away from big dominate buck rubs.Rubs begin in early Sept. and Oct. these rubs are made by the dominate bucks.

Rember big bucks will rub small trees but small bucks won't rub big trees.