First off, I appreciate everyone who took the time last week to send in reports of the rut activity (or lack thereof) in your area. It is always fascinating to me to see how sometimes-small regional variations can make a huge difference in the level of rutting behavior that hunters witness.

Here in the upper Midwest, we are brink of an explosion. For the most part, the full-bore chase phase has not begun. But the bucks—including some of the mature deer—are getting very active. They are on their feet, roaming their core areas, hitting rubs and scrapes and looking for that first estrous doe. My good friend Mitch Hagen was hunting in southern Iowa over the weekend and reported several large bucks “shadowing” does. This is a fascinating behavior to me; the doe is clearly not “in” yet, but the buck senses she is getting close. The buck does not dog her or chase her, but simply follows and keeps track of her movements.

Mature bucks are highly adept at noting the signs of a soon-to-be estrous doe. He’s been down the breeding path before and can recognize whatever signals she’s sending (Scent? Body posture? Vocalization?) that indicate the doe will soon be receptive. These experienced breeder bucks are like that lady’s man we’ve all known; they do not waste time on females that they know are a low-odds endeavor!

So the chase phase is soon to begin, and when it kicks in, things will get very, very exciting! Not always the best time to kill a big buck, but for sheer viewing pleasure, it is a phase of the season that’s tough to top! So what’s happening with you guys?

By the way, the buck in the photo above was taken recently in Kentucky, one of the true B&C hotspots of recent years. Shot by the young lady in the picture (rumored to be 14 years old), the ginormous whitetail is supposed to sport 26 scorable points and gross around  230” B&C.

Minnesota bowhunter Eric Hendrickson knew he was looking at a special deer last summer. Hendrickson is a hard-working, self-employed plumber who trades farm labor for hunting privileges on a property near his home near Park Rapids. “I saw this buck feeding in the fields several times two summers ago on the farm, and again during this past summer. I even shot video footage of him a couple of times,” Eric says. “And then he disappeared for awhile.”

Hendrickson finally spotted the buck again once hunting season opened. “He came out to the same big field, where I have stands on the southwest and northwest corners,” he says. “He entered the field halfway between those stands, where there is no good tree for a setup. I wasn’t sure what to do. But one afternoon it just seemed like a great night to hunt, so I went to the southwest stand just to see if I could spot him.”

There were two does in the field when Eric arrived, but he was able to get in his stand without spooking them. And then at prime time the buck he was after appeared, walking on a trail that would put him at 25 steps. Eric made a perfect shot on a buck he’d been pursuing for two seasons. “I guess the best thing was I didn’t have too long to look at him or think about it,” he laughs. “He was just there. I had to shoot, or he’d have walked right into my wind.”

The monster 8 point sported a gross green score of 188” and should net in the high 160’s as a typical. I haven’t met a whitetail rack I don’t like…But massive antlers really trip my trigger and this buck is as beefy as they come. Congrats on a monster deer, Eric!

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!