These 5 post rut whitetail hunting tips can help you dial in on a buck when it seems like they’ve all but disappeared.
The post rut can be considered as slow as the October lull. Especially considering that just a week prior most hunters witnessed peak deer activity. So going from hot to naught can in many cases take those who passionately chase whitetails into the doldrums of the season.
However, there is still hope to put a tag on a mature buck. Check out these 5 post rut whitetail hunting tips in hopes that you might overcome the odds and score in the closing seconds.
Find Food
Finding food is the most important part of the strategy. This late in the year nearly all the forage in the woods is gone. Green fields look like someone has come through with a weedeater. But the flip side is most of the food sources of the early season are still worth a look. And if you have plots that are still in good shape, hunt them when the wind is good. Or set up on trails leading into standing corn and bean fields. Plan to sit all day.
If you have plots that are still in good shape, hunt them when the wind is good.
Find Beds
All deer are looking to recover from the rut at this point in the season. Mature bucks are seeking solitude to recuperate from weeks of running with little food. While it may be tough to get very close in these out-of-the-way beds, your best bet is going to be late in the day, catching bucks going out to feed under a full moon or coming back to bed.
Swap to a Ground Blind
A ground blind can be your ace in the hole during the post rut. From an angle of safety, attempting to climb a tree on a sub-freezing morning with multiple layers of clothes can increase your risk of a fall. From a more game-centric view, most trees have lost their leaves, making your camouflage pretty close to null. A ground blind will allow you to shift spots should the wind or weather change quickly. Take care to still set your blind with the same attention you would a tree stand.
Keep Tabs on Cameras
Post rut deer have been pressured by each other and hunters for several months; they are wary of any new smell or sound in the woods. Keeping your trail cameras up and running during the post rut will allow you to key in on specific deer using an area. With the ease of cell cameras, you can compile your data and pick the best time and spot to tag that buck you've been seeing all season.
Consider Calling
By the this point in the season, most does have been bred. However, not all of them have been. Mature bucks will still be on the lookout for a late estrous doe. Calling can be the "hail mary" play to bring in that big buck. Mature bucks will travel miles to find one last doe and, with energy consumption still an essential factor, won't pass up a chance to find a doe on their way. Aggressive rattling or well-executed doe bleats will travel even further in a cold leafless forest than it does during the rut.
Don’t give up just yet! The post rut is an opportunity to perfect the strategies you have put in place all year. Dialing in on food sources and bedding areas is a great way to get close to deer. In the post-rut whitetail season, a little persistence can go a long way.