Over the course of the next several weeks, I’m going to devote one post per week to report on the status of the rut in the area I’m hunting. I’ll discuss the deer behavior I’m seeing and how I interpret it, and also share some of the tactics I’m using. Hopefully you’ll chime in and use this space for the same purpose…and we can all learn from each other, as well as share some hunting tales.

With my Minnesota tag filled, I headed across the river to Wisconsin, where a friend lets me hunt his 280-acre farm. My first hunt was an evening sit, and I was in the stand about 2:40. As I was prepping gear and settling in, I glanced downhill and spotted what looked like a white antler against dark brush. My binocular confirmed it was a buck, but I couldn’t judge age/size at all. I grunted several times to the deer, but he gave no indication he’d heard me. So I amped things up some and tickled my rattling antlers. Two minutes later the buck was 10 yards from my stand! He was a handsome 2-1/2 year old, with a nice 4-point side, but the other beam was snapped off (from fighting, I assume) and was nothing more than a fork! I passed this deer, knowing there are much bigger on the farm.

I saw no other deer until nearly dusk, when a young 6-point appeared, made a rub, and walked past my set. To me, this type of buck behavior—bucks on their feet throughout the afternoon—indicates the late stages of the pre-rut; I have seen no signs of chasing, but older bucks are on their feet, nosing around and checking does, but with little sense of urgency….yet.

Right now, I find grunt calls and rattling antlers very effective. But if I’m hunting an older buck, I use them very carefully. I prefer to call to deer I can see so I can read body language to see how the buck is responding. If I’m blind calling (to deer I haven’t seen) I only do so when I know the wind is perfect for me. Older bucks will still use caution when approaching a call now, and I don’t want to educate anything I don’t have to! Scent drags and mock scrapes can also be highly effective in grabbing the curiosity of a cruising buck.

The buck pictured above was shot by my friend Billy Jerowski in Wisconsin this week, a full two hours before dusk. When mature bucks like this are moving that early, it proves that the tension (and testosterone) is building! So what are you guys seeing? Stories to share?

The January issue of Outdoors Magazine—a periodical covering hunting and fishing in the Northeast—asks the question “Can the beautiful women we see on television really hunt, or are they just selling sex appeal?” The magazine also promises to “shine a spotlight on the steamy world of women and whitetails.”

I’m a little confused about this question. “Can these women hunt?” Of course they can hunt! They are on camera, in the field, pursuing and killing deer.

The implied question is a little more troublesome. “Do these women actually have hunting skills, or is the camera just on them because the producers know pretty women will attract male viewers?” I happen to know a couple of the attractive women featured on outdoor TV and they are both serious and highly successful. They may have been introduced to hunting by their husbands relatively recently, but what does that matter? Do we require the men we see on these shows to submit a 30-year resume of hunting accomplishments before we’ll watch them?

No we do not. We watch them if they are engaging personalities who portray hunting in what (to us) is a positive light and entertaining. If they do not, we tune them out.

But, as I’ve noted in previous posts, I’m no big watcher of outdoor programming, so maybe I’m the naive one here. Are there women on these shows that insult your sensibilities? Do you feel blatant babe-ism is a problem in the world of deer hunting tv? I’m anxious to hear your thoughts!

I’ll start with a confession; I have watched very little outdoor television. That’s partly design, but mostly accident. When we moved into our current home our twins were just babies; when Shari and I weren’t too darn busy tending kids, we were just too tired to tune in. So we put off ordering cable or satellite, and our rabbit ears pick up nothing but local stations, and poorly (we live in the country). By the time we had baby-raising under control (assuming that’s possible) we realized we didn’t miss television much and just never got back to it. We’ve got a tv, but it’s little more than a movie-watching tool

But I realize there’s an abundance of outdoor shows on the tube these days, and if they’re anything like the hunting DVD’s I do watch (and often enjoy), they’re fairly similar. The star of the show (and/or team members) go on hunts that are usually successful, and we appreciate their expertise at finding deer and shooting them.

The other day a friend sent me a link to a different kind of outdoor TV. The show is titled “Jimmy Big Time” and it is a tongue-in-cheek peek at an outdoor anti-hero; a relatively clueless dolt who spooks game, mangles equipment and generally makes a fool of himself. Definitely not the typical approach to the genre.

Take a look at the attached clips and share your critique. Though I’ve not watched an entire episode—for obvious reasons—I found the clips available on the website pretty amusing. What are your thoughts? Have you already tuned in to “Jimmy Big Time”? If not, does this sample motivate you to do so?

I was lucky enough to shoot my first buck in my first hunting season. I was 12 years old, and I remember that opening morning as clearly as—please don’t tell my wife—my wedding day. I wanted to be a deer hunter long before the state (Wisconsin) said it was legal, so a lot of anticipation preceded that hunt.

These days, we hear a lot about “breaking down barriers” that hamper “recruitment” of young hunters. The most common remedy is the creation of special youth seasons, where adults are only present for a mentoring role. Lowering the minimum hunting age is another action finding favor among lawmakers in some states.

What are the rules for young hunters in your state? Do you have a special youth season, and if so, how liberal are the regs? Do you think these measures result in more young hunters afield?

The buck pictured above, by the way, was shot during Wisconsin’s recently-completed youth hunt. The monster was killed by Seth Williams, who reportedly made a 200-yard shot to down the buck in southwestern Wisconsin. Many congrats to Seth on an outstanding buck!