About the last week of October, just as my brain starts
focusing on the rut, I always make sure I have 4 tools packed in my bag. Without
them I could cost myself a chance at a trophy buck. It’s enough just to be in
the woods during the early rut. You have to be prepared to play the game. Using
fool proof tactics to entice and attract bucks can increase your odds greatly
at getting them into bow range. Here is my suggested gear list that will get
bucks closing this distance during the early rut.
Rattling Antlers
Rattling Bucks is not popular everywhere but it can be
effective. Where I hunt mostly in Northern Michigan, rattling is thought to be
a tactic that only works where a buck to doe ratio falls around 3 to 1 or
better. This is not always true. Yes rattling is more effective with those
conditions, but that’s not to say it won’t work in an area with poor management.
How you rattle is most important.
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Because Northern Michigan is not known for huge bucks, you
would never find me in the woods with a trophy set of antlers, banging them
together. A smaller set of antlers are more realistic and far more convenient
to pack with your gear.
Rattling during the early rut is a challenge from one buck
to another. Very rarely is it a fight to the death. Aggressive sparring is what
some may call it and that’s what you should try to mimic. The epic clash of the
titans sequence can be saved for the high fence bucks. You want to mimic what
sounds like a couple young bucks sizing each other up. This will be more
realistic and will catch the attention from more dominant bucks looking to prove
their rank.
Rattling can be effective from the last week of October to
the third week of November. Not to say it won’t work outside of that time frame
but I would even consider its most effective time to be right around Halloween.
Grunt Call
Unlike a fighting sound that rattling mimics, the grunt call
can be used in many ways. It’s very effective with different sounds throughout
the season. But for the early rut we are going to cover just two ways to use
the call.
A social grunt can be used when hunting the exterior of a
bucks bedding area. Three to four soft grunts could entice a bedded buck to
come check who is in his area. This also
works when a buck is working a scrape or a rub from a distance. Getting that
buck’s attention with a grunt call could strike his curiosity and bring him
into bow range.
Another call I like to use if a buck is within my sight but too
far out of range is what I call a challenge grunt. Blowing into the call, as if
saying “Tuck, Tuck, Tuck”, will mimic a buck that is vocally discontent with
the other bucks presence. This is could make the buck feel challenged and bring
him into range.
There is one thing to remember when using calls, if you get
the buck’s attention, stop calling. That buck knows where the sound came from. The
last thing you want to do is give your exact position away.
Tarsal Gland Scent
Tarsal Gland scent is a scent I feel most hunters use during
the wrong time of the season. Rather than using it during the peak chasing or
breeding phase, the early rut is when I consider the best time. During the
early rut, bucks are more curious of each other rather of the does. This is especially
true with your older bucks that know the does will not be ready to breed for at
least a week or more.
Using tarsal gland scent is a good way to attract a buck
from a distance or to even cover your scent down wind. A buck curious of his
competition will investigate what other bucks are roaming the area. By the time
the peak breeding phase arrives, bucks will seemingly avoid other bucks in fear
of getting into an unnecessary fight. Unless there is a hot doe in the area,
bucks are liable to skirt around your area just out of sight.
Unless you are lucky enough to have fresh tarsal glands
straight from a buck, I suggest picking up a bottle of any leading brand. Use it
as a drag going to your stand and once there, hang it about two feet off the
ground from an overhanging branch. This has worked for me in the past and will
for you as well if used the right way. Like any scent I suggest, use sparingly!
Buck Urine
Buck urine
can be used relatively the same way tarsal gland scent is used. It is a great scent
to use if you are unsure of where the herd is in the breeding season. A buck
smelling another bucks urine rather than tarsal gland will not feel quite as
challenged by the smell. Buck urine is not specifically a scent used for
breeding purposes. However, I suggest using a little buck urine in conjunction
with the tarsal gland scent just to make the scene that much more realistic.
Putting them all together
In the
perfect situation during the early rut, I would position myself in a transition
area used by does. I would try to be within 80 yards or so from a good rub
line. With the wind in my face, I would walk to my stand with a scent drag
moistened with tarsal gland scent. I would dab a couple drips of buck urine on
the bottom of my boots. Once I get to my stand I would hang the drag rag in a
tree and climb in into my stand. After things have quieted down I would begin a
soft rattling sequence every 20 to 30 minutes, followed with some soft social
grunts. If I encounter a buck but he fails to close the distance, I’ll use a
couple challenge grunts to entice him to come investigate.
I hope this
gives you a good understanding of how to use these tools during the early part
of the rut. If you are a non-believer in any these tools, I suggest trying them
in the conditions I mentioned. I am a firm believer that if you have enough
tools in you arsenal, one will work.
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