The Rut in Pennsylvania

The rut has several different stages in Pennsylvania. It begins in September. The bucks will start bumping their antlers. This usually occurs shortly after they shed their velvet. This bumping of antlers is done in a playful manner. You will notice that while they’re bumping their antlers they will often pause and lick each other, you can see this is just the first stage of the rut.

When looking for buck rubs at this time they will mostly be next to fields and other places the bucks like to feed at nighttime. These are not the places you want to focus you scouting and stand placement on. When looking for a place to put your stand in the early bow season, look to place your tree-stand near a bedding area or feeding area. Your best bet would be to put your stand between the two.

Now by late September and early October the bucks and getting slightly more aggressive. You will notice that the bucks are banging their antlers a little more aggressive than they were at the being of September. You may find more rubs, but these rubs are mostly the buck rubbing off the rest of their velvet and these signs will not be the place you want to set up your archery stand. At this time I would still be focusing on bedding and feeding areas.

Ok now its mid October, if you been out in the woods in September and early October you would of noticed that buck rubs where hard too find. You may have been wondering if there were any bucks in you hunting area.

But now in mid OCTOBER the buck rubs are showing up everywhere. The bucks are getting very aggressive; they are polishing up their fighting skills on the trees and saplings. The most important thing is, they are marking their territory. Yes marking their territory. We got something now. When you find a bunch of rubs in a small area, you know that the buck spends lots of time in that area marking his territory, as to say to the other deer, this is my home.

You will also see scrapes showing up. Scrapes begin to appear when bucks become interested in does. The larger and more active the scrape, the more likely it is that bucks will return to them. By mid Oct is when I really start to see my deer calls get the most response. You can use your the doe call or your buck call. The fawn call may work but it is most effective to call in bucks at the begging of November prefer to use the buck grunt in mid Oct to late Oct. but I have and will this year call bucks in on all three calls. Buck, fawn and doe calls.

There is nothing like November. I just love November. Lets say it again NOVEMBER. If you can only get out 10 to 14 days to hunt in archery make them in November. This is it the full blown rut will begin around nov.15 but we don’t care its the days leading up to this is what makes archery the best. You will see deer all day long they will run to your calls. It doesn’t matter what call you use just start making some calls. Fawn bleats, Dow bleats, Doe grunts, Buck grunts, bang some antlers, Russell some leaves, it all works.

But I must tell you that if you want to give the biggest, deepest buck grunt you can, you will be limiting the bucks you will see. You may intimidate a nice buck from coming to you. Keep that in mind. If you have any doubt about deer calls please give it a try. Don’t worry about making the wrong sound, just get out there, and try it. You will be surprised. How often should you call? Well I call about every 10 to 15-min.