Stories by the Campfire

Yes, the rut is mating season, and the deer's senses are at their weakest. Whitetail bucks tend to be more active and venture out more often looking for does, and competing with other bucks for the doe's attention. This makes for prime hunting time, as that prized deer is more likely to be seen by hunters.

Find areas where there are a lot of whitetail does, these areas are great for hunting prize whitetail bucks. Make sure you place yourself where you have good viability. The more hunting ground you see, the more likely you are to see a trophy buck. If he's out of range, work your way to him.

It is important that the hunter keep his or her movements to the bare minimum, and he or she must make the least noise possible to avoid alerting the whitetail dear.

But most important is the whitetail deer hunters scent. The scent is what, more often than not, gives the hunter away. You have very little control of your scent, and no control of the wind, so it is nessicery to try to stay downwind from any possible venison activity. The most valuable weapon nature has put in a whitetail's defensive arsenal is it's ability to pick up the slightest scent. Because man has a very distinct odor, a whitetail can pick up on a hunter presence very easily.

Sometimes you can rattle and it seems not to be working, especially during the peak of the whitetail's rut. Bucks are busy during the rut chasing doe, and this slow hunting period can last a bit after the rut as the whitetail bucks are worn out from chasing the doe.

I've experienced this many times in the past while deer hunting. Sometimes a doe would respond. I learned that the whitetail doe will respond to the sound of the antlers hoping a whitetail buck that was trailing her would be diverted by the battle that the rattling of my antlers was duplicating. Whitetail doe get chased a lot especially during the start of the rut, and this is how they cope.

Some of the most important things a whitetail deer hunter needs to learn is tactics for adapting to the environment he is hunting in. No situation will be the same and you must adjust tactics for each situation on the fly while whitetail hunting. The deer adapt with the changes each day brings, and to be successful, the deer hunter must do the same. For example, it is common knowledge that deer tend to bed down in high winds. Which is true as the winds affect the whitetail's senses. It can't hear, smell, or see as well in high winds. But, even though they are bedded down, the deer's senses are on high alert. So the slightest thing might make them stand up. And such moments is something a whitetail deer hunter must have his senses alert for.