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Tips
The Pre- Rut
If your deer hunting in central Oklahoma theres alot of thickets & crop feilds of wheat,alapha,and soy beans. Its not hard to find the where the deer are and how to get to them.Most of the time you can have deer in the feild your hunting in when you arrive and you can just drive under the stand and they'll still be there.'Cause there use to farm trucks
driveing up along the road.There also use to human scent ,but if it's in the wrong places they'll be gone for the season.So there's not much to give tips about there during gun season.But during bow season I recomend hunting trails between food plots.I've seen many deer and killed a few with my rifle and blackpowder.
I've also had good luck hunting in the corners of big I mean BIG alapha feilds in the evenings.
The Pre-Rut Period
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 submissive 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.But actually we do know that is a sign post for bucks and between sexes.They leave their scent on their trees and lesser bucks shy away.Rubs begin in early Sept. and Oct. these rubs are made by the dominate bucks.
The Rut
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.
Hunting Rubs
The way you hunt rubs is in the pre-rut by rattling and grunting to act like an intruder in their teritory. Hunt rubs in the pre-rut when the bucks will be looking for does coming into estrus early.
Hunting Scrapes
The best way to hunt scrapes is during the down fall of the rut this way the bucks are checking their scrapes for late estrus does.Then they'll check the scrapes through out the day there is no certain way to tell when.
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