Thursday, October 27, 2005
The Unpredictability Of Rutting Whitetail Bucks
One of the hardest things to do is predict the actions of a rutting whitetail buck. They are very intense, somewhat erratic and flighty, and trying to predict what they will do is like flipping a coin.
Heads or tails? Forward or backward? Right or left? A buck can do any of these things but the bottom line is a buck is going to head for where the doe is. That’s it!
If that doe is in estrus, and she shows herself to the buck, hunters know the buck will head her way. The next question is: at what speed? Will he move fast, slow or in the stop-go-stop, herky-jerky manner of rutting bucks?
Shooting a rutting buck is a bit different than a buck as other times of the season. Young bucks are more predictable than an older animal, and it’s not uncommon for a young buck to stand motionless and get himself shot.
Rutting bucks, even when still, always seem to be in motion. Their body is moving, the head is up and then down or sideways, and they often move when they first spot the doe. Hunters, especially when in a tree stand, may spot the doe before the buck and get ready for a shot.
Guessing a buck’s actions opens a hunter up to making errors. I once watched a buck dogging a doe across a field to a hole in the fence. She jumped right through without stopping. I thought he’d do the same and made my release when his nose entered the hole.
The buck stopped instead of coming through and the arrow sliced harmlessly through the air and stuck in the ground. The buck then jumped through the hole, sniffed the arrow and took off after the doe.
Some bucks act somewhat predictably and others do not. Study the buck, and it helps to be at full draw when the buck comes into sight. If the buck takes two or three steps and then stops, shoot the instant he stops if it offers a high percentage shot.
Sometimes a buck will head into the brush on a doe’s trail, and stop before committing himself to the move. Be ready if he hesitates, but this isn’t something a hunter can count on a buck doing.
A buck tending an estrus doe will often grunt as he trails along behind. Once the grunt is within bow range, come to full draw and be ready to shoot once he steps out. Often, a buck will stop just inside a clearing or wide spot in the trail to look around, and that may offer an opportunity.
Hunters who hunt over bait may find an estrus doe will stop to feed, and the buck may approach as she feeds. I’ve seen bucks stop on bait piles, but it’s not something a hunter can bank on.
The one thing that decades of deer hunting has taught me is to be prepared. Rutting bucks can approach quietly or with noise. A hunter who sits with his bow hanging off a tree branch usually doesn’t have time to pick it up, come to full draw, aim and shoot.
All too often a buck moves past a motionless hunter without stopping. Of if he stops, it is just for an instant and then he is off again.
One trick that works on occasion is to wait until the buck is in a perfect spot, and then grunt loud and guttural. A harsh grunt may stop a buck for an instant, but it fails as often as it works. Of course, the hunter can’t grunt, raise the bow and shoot. He must be at full draw when he grunts to stop the animal.
The Boy Scouts of America has a motto: Be Prepared. It works for BSA members, and it certainly will pay off when bow hunting rutting bucks. Hunters who are not prepared, both mentally and physically, often miss their golden opportunity.