November NEWSLETTER 2008 |
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have topic you would wish to be discussed in a future newsletter, let us know and we will
consider it.
If you do not want future newsletters, please email or write us advising so and you will be
removed from the list.
Write to: Disappear Hunting Products Inc., 163 College Street, Wadsworth, OH 44281
Email: discoverscent@disappearhp.com
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HUNTERS,
Well, November is finally here. This is the month I have waited on all year. I really enjoy hunting during the rut,
as buck sightings are at an all time high. The beauty of this time of year, is the natural drive created by the urge to
mate, produces the most daytime activity by big bucks, other than organized drives or extreme hunting pressure.
Hunting during the rut, assuming the hunter has done his or her homework, will generally produce the best
opportunity to harvest a big buck. Also as long as time permits, I stay in my stand all day. It is just as likely, that
you will see a big buck at 10:00 am, high noon or 2:00 pm, as early morning or late evening. If I have limited time to
hunt, I prefer the mornings, as bucks will range far and wide during the night, and if they have not hooked up with
a hot doe, will generally come back to their favorite bedding area. This generally brings them back after daylight has
come.
Starting at the end of September and through October, bucks will rub a lot of trees and start making scrapes.
Let’s talk about rubs for a bit. Big bucks can and will rub small trees, however only a big buck can tear up a tree,
that is 5 to 6 inches in diameter or even up to 10 to 12 inches. What I look for are rubs that occur in areas, that
were heavily rubbed in past years. This indicates an area that will receive repeat visits, thus allowing an opportunity
for the chance to harvest that deer. Some of the places I hunt, have areas that have been rubbed for up to 10 years
ago. Next, when following a rub line, if it leads to a bedding area, you want to hunt that trail or area during the
morning. Conversely, if it is closer to or leads to a feeding area, that is best hunted in the evening. I generally don’t
concentrate on a specific trail or rub line, but decipher the pattern of travel and look for a spot to set up an ambush.
What I want, is a location due to natural terrain, cover or the deer’s choice that concentrates their movement,
similar to the center of an hourglass.
Ah scrapes. I have had some interesting feedback over the years about scrapes. Some hunters will only hunt,
when they can set up over or near a scrape and at the other end, some scoff at them and pay little or no attention to
them. If you have hunted scrapes in the past, at some point you probable have experienced what I have years ago. I
found a good looking scrape, got excited and set up a stand. The scrape, maybe got hit a few more times, then slowly
went dead and I never saw a thing. What you must realize, bucks make a ton of scrapes for different reasons. If you
want to successfully hunt scrapes, you want to find, as generally they are known by, primary breeding scrapes. This
is where the action is. These will be generally located near concentrations of does, believe it or not, the does are the
ones that make the final choice of what will be the primaries. As they start to come into estrous, they will seek out a
scrape and urinate in it. This primes the scrape and as the bucks keep checking, they will then, locate that scrape
and then track the doe down. The scrapes that are hit by the first does coming into heat, are what I call “lit up” and
seem to get continues use, by all the deer in the area, over the next few weeks. More likely than not, they are
located in some pretty decent cover and as has been written many times over the years, the truly big bucks will
scent check them from downwind and stay out of sight as much as possible. So, look for the faint trails downwind
and set up there, rather than right on top of the scrape. These scrapes will continue to grow in size as the rut wears
on. PAY ATTENTION. If you find this situation, only hunt it when your setup is right with the wind. If you blow it,
you might not have that buck or any others, come back. Having several different stands, for wind changes is not a
bad idea, if the terrain permits.
Be careful with your scouting this time of year, as you do NOT want to alert the deer of your presence, if you can
help it. What I am always searching for, are the connections of feeding to bedding areas, precisely the rub and
scrape lines that connect the two, as this where I will find the primary scrapes at some point.
If you want to rattle, now is the time to go at it with full force. The best set up I have used, over the years, is to
hunt with a partner, and set the shooter up, from 20 to a 100 yards downwind of the one doing the rattling. It has
always amazed me, of the bucks responding, how few the person doing the rattling sees. As they come in, they are
on high alert and it does not take much, to have them quietly turn and slip away unseen. As always, there are
exceptions, as one morning proved to me. I was nestled on the ground and let go with a series of antler clashes. The
next thing I knew, a large 8 point, came crashing through the under brush and skidded to stop, 3 feet from me. I
don’t know who was more surprised, me or that buck. Before I could gather my wits, he spun and was gone. I have
had the best success, when setting up in fairly thick cover as opposed to more open areas. I have done 90% of my
rattling during bow seasons and found that working from a tree stand is more productive. Had I been hunting during
gun season, the above described buck would have been an easy shot. A running deer through brush is a tough shot
with a bow.
Congratulations to those of you that have already been successful and best of success to the rest of you.
Please let me know with email's and pictures, how it is going for you.
Keith Dotterer
Well, November is finally here. This is the month I have waited on all year. I really enjoy hunting during the rut,
as buck sightings are at an all time high. The beauty of this time of year, is the natural drive created by the urge to
mate, produces the most daytime activity by big bucks, other than organized drives or extreme hunting pressure.
Hunting during the rut, assuming the hunter has done his or her homework, will generally produce the best
opportunity to harvest a big buck. Also as long as time permits, I stay in my stand all day. It is just as likely, that
you will see a big buck at 10:00 am, high noon or 2:00 pm, as early morning or late evening. If I have limited time to
hunt, I prefer the mornings, as bucks will range far and wide during the night, and if they have not hooked up with
a hot doe, will generally come back to their favorite bedding area. This generally brings them back after daylight has
come.
Starting at the end of September and through October, bucks will rub a lot of trees and start making scrapes.
Let’s talk about rubs for a bit. Big bucks can and will rub small trees, however only a big buck can tear up a tree,
that is 5 to 6 inches in diameter or even up to 10 to 12 inches. What I look for are rubs that occur in areas, that
were heavily rubbed in past years. This indicates an area that will receive repeat visits, thus allowing an opportunity
for the chance to harvest that deer. Some of the places I hunt, have areas that have been rubbed for up to 10 years
ago. Next, when following a rub line, if it leads to a bedding area, you want to hunt that trail or area during the
morning. Conversely, if it is closer to or leads to a feeding area, that is best hunted in the evening. I generally don’t
concentrate on a specific trail or rub line, but decipher the pattern of travel and look for a spot to set up an ambush.
What I want, is a location due to natural terrain, cover or the deer’s choice that concentrates their movement,
similar to the center of an hourglass.
Ah scrapes. I have had some interesting feedback over the years about scrapes. Some hunters will only hunt,
when they can set up over or near a scrape and at the other end, some scoff at them and pay little or no attention to
them. If you have hunted scrapes in the past, at some point you probable have experienced what I have years ago. I
found a good looking scrape, got excited and set up a stand. The scrape, maybe got hit a few more times, then slowly
went dead and I never saw a thing. What you must realize, bucks make a ton of scrapes for different reasons. If you
want to successfully hunt scrapes, you want to find, as generally they are known by, primary breeding scrapes. This
is where the action is. These will be generally located near concentrations of does, believe it or not, the does are the
ones that make the final choice of what will be the primaries. As they start to come into estrous, they will seek out a
scrape and urinate in it. This primes the scrape and as the bucks keep checking, they will then, locate that scrape
and then track the doe down. The scrapes that are hit by the first does coming into heat, are what I call “lit up” and
seem to get continues use, by all the deer in the area, over the next few weeks. More likely than not, they are
located in some pretty decent cover and as has been written many times over the years, the truly big bucks will
scent check them from downwind and stay out of sight as much as possible. So, look for the faint trails downwind
and set up there, rather than right on top of the scrape. These scrapes will continue to grow in size as the rut wears
on. PAY ATTENTION. If you find this situation, only hunt it when your setup is right with the wind. If you blow it,
you might not have that buck or any others, come back. Having several different stands, for wind changes is not a
bad idea, if the terrain permits.
Be careful with your scouting this time of year, as you do NOT want to alert the deer of your presence, if you can
help it. What I am always searching for, are the connections of feeding to bedding areas, precisely the rub and
scrape lines that connect the two, as this where I will find the primary scrapes at some point.
If you want to rattle, now is the time to go at it with full force. The best set up I have used, over the years, is to
hunt with a partner, and set the shooter up, from 20 to a 100 yards downwind of the one doing the rattling. It has
always amazed me, of the bucks responding, how few the person doing the rattling sees. As they come in, they are
on high alert and it does not take much, to have them quietly turn and slip away unseen. As always, there are
exceptions, as one morning proved to me. I was nestled on the ground and let go with a series of antler clashes. The
next thing I knew, a large 8 point, came crashing through the under brush and skidded to stop, 3 feet from me. I
don’t know who was more surprised, me or that buck. Before I could gather my wits, he spun and was gone. I have
had the best success, when setting up in fairly thick cover as opposed to more open areas. I have done 90% of my
rattling during bow seasons and found that working from a tree stand is more productive. Had I been hunting during
gun season, the above described buck would have been an easy shot. A running deer through brush is a tough shot
with a bow.
Congratulations to those of you that have already been successful and best of success to the rest of you.
Please let me know with email's and pictures, how it is going for you.
Keith Dotterer
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