The Great Outdoors 11-6-09

    The woods of Kentucky are on the brink of explosion.
   While I have been on the water more than in the woods during the last few weeks, the deer have taunted me with all the activity that accompanies the rut.              
     Every morning, like clockwork, it never failed. With the boat behind me on the way to the lake, I saw all the signs that the full throttle action of the rut is here: bucks shadowing does along the roads, sparring on field edges in the evening and making rare midday appearances out in the open and away from protected sanctuaries.
    As the climax of the rut nears, deer will become more and more unpredictable. Their preoccupation with mating will make them to drop their guard.
    Bucks will chase mates around the woods with no daily routine or pattern. During the weeks or days before the peak, however, deer are still vulnerable to unpredictable movements. Setting up a stand over good rubs or scrapes is the closest thing to a sure bet in the first phases of the rut.
    The dominant bucks believe they have some breeding ownership over the females in their neck of the woods. A buck marks his territory by rubbing his antlers against trees along the boundaries of “his” area. With a mature buck, the marks on a tree look more like he used a chainsaw and not his antlers. This is a clear sign to other bucks: No trespassing!
    Scrapes are areas on the ground where bucks paw the soil with their hooves. They  vary in size from as small as a foot-and-a-half wide to sometimes seven or eight feet.     During the first phases of the rut, deer visit their rub or scrape lines at least once a day. They prefer to mark routes from bedding areas to food sources.
    Therefore it is logical to assume they will stop and tend to scrapes and rubs on their way back to bedding areas in the morning and on the way to feeding areas in the evening.
    Setting up a stand over these buck territories makes sense, but it’s not as simple as just picking a tree and waiting for a mature deer to walk by.
    First of all, bucks will approach the area from the downwind side because they may not even need to come close but will smell the scrapes from a distance to interpret the activity.
    Secondly, the deer will be vigilant to signs of competition moving into their area, so a grunt call can bring a deer lingering on the edge of safety into shooting range.
    The buck’s sense of smell also heightens from checking the scrapes and rubs for the presence of hormones from does or other bucks.
    Twenty years ago, research claimed scrapes were used for bucks to be able to find out when a doe was in estrus or getting close to estrus.
    Recent research I have studied claims this is not the case. Many still believe does will urinate on a scrape and pheromones in the urine communicate breeding readiness.
    Whatever school of thought you choose to believe, scent concealment is important.     A good tool to use is doe-in-heat and dominant buck scents. They will not only cover your scent, but will also serve as an attractant.
    I consider these first phases of the rut  the best time to shoot a mature deer worth adorning your wall.
    Right now, deer are easier to pattern than they will be during the peak of the rut when they may travel miles in search of a mate.
    I can no longer ignore all the signs telling me it is time to put down the fishing rod and pick up my bow.
    A full moon, cooler temperatures and fallen leaves send clear signals to the deer and the deer hunter. It’s that time of year and buck fever has hit me full bore.
    The lake will just have to wait until I get some relief in the way of climbing a tree stand and watching the magic of fall abound in the theater of the woods.
      Contact Miller at steven.miller@murraystate.edu.