As we move into mid and late October and closer to the rutting period, the chances of taking a buck will likely increase. Success can come early as well, however. I just talked with a young man who just got into hunting a few years ago, and he showed me a nice eight-point buck he shot with his bow last week. He was in his treestand, and after sitting for a while, he made some grunts with his grunt tube. The buck walked to within bow range, and he dropped it. I know I have tagged a buck or two in the early days of the archery season as well, but bucks will definitely become more active and aggressive the closer they get to the peak rutting season.
Hormone levels usually reach their peak in bucks during the last half of October and into November, when bucks reach their peak of aggressiveness. Does greatly increase their activity at that time, leading to more exposure to breeding bucks. Bucks will also begin to range further in their search for receptive does, and they will begin to make scrapes advertising their stud service. Locating your treestand near fresh scrapes may prove to be productive since bucks sometimes revisit them in hopes of finding a receptive doe loitering nearby and waiting for the buck’s return.
In addition to locating your treestand near some fresh scrapes or along a trail with a good number of buck rubs, it would probably be a good idea to utilize some calls. Bucks use a number of different calls or sounds, but knowing and utilizing a bleat, grunt, wheeze, and snort will usually get the job done. Another “sound” that may bring in a buck is the rattling of antlers. Generally rattling aggressively for maybe 30 seconds to a minute, followed by a brief break, and then another 30-second rattle, seems to be effective.
To be honest, about the only two calls I ever use are the bleat and the basic grunt. Probably the easiest and best way to make the bleat call is to utilize the popular gravity bleat canisters. These canisters have holes in the top, and when tipped upside down, they make a whitetail bleat. Another popular call is the grunt call, and bucks, does, and even fawns use different grunt sounds; therefore, grunt sounds can vary quite a bit. The tone of a grunt will often depend on the maturity of the deer making the grunt. Older bucks, for example, will have more bass to their voice, so their grunts sound more guttural. Because that more guttural sound of an older, more mature buck may drive a younger buck away, it may be best to use more medium-tone grunts. Usually, three or four grunts are good. If a buck is not already with another deer, there’s a good chance he’ll come looking for the deer that made the sound.
Being in the right place at the right time and using the right call all contribute to the chance of success, but other factors are also important. Watch your movement and try to eliminate as much human scent as possible. Be careful what artificial scents you use since some types are not permissible in certain units — check your hunting guide. You might not want to eat anything with garlic since it not only drives people away but can quickly be picked up by a buck heading your way. I was once told that eating an apple before going out will help eliminate undesirable human breath odor.
Well, here’s hoping that putting all the pieces together will lead to a successful archery season.
