Thoughts on post-rut for a first-time hunter?

[MidwestMatthew]

The Illinois firearm deer season opens next Friday. From what I can tell, that's after the rut in our area (west-central Illinois). As a first-time hunter, I was hoping some experienced folks could share some thoughts on how to best go about getting a deer during the three days of that season.

Just to be clear, I'm not after a trophy. I want venison and will happily shoot a doe or young buck - probably the first one I can get a good shot at. I'll be hunting from the ground on property that does have a high deer population.

Thanks for any ideas,

Matthew

 

[gspn]

I've hunted in Pike, Adams, and Brown counties in the past...if your area is similar to those then you should have some agricultural fields to hunt. If you're happy taking a doe, hunt the food sources. They'll come to food regularly.

You could hunt right on the food source, or find a well-used trail that leads to it. Is there snow yet? If you have snow, and can find a field with standing beans left in it...that's a very good situation.

With a three day season I'd plan on staying on the stand all day, every day.

How long ago did the rut end? Remember that roughly a month after the main rut, you'll have the secondary rut for any doe that didn't get bred the first go round...so you still may see some bucks chasing.

 

[buck460XVR]

Yep, for the most part, post rut, does and young bucks will be hungry and feeding. Big bucks, even being hungry, go back to being reclusive. Being close to their food source and bedding sites without busting them is your best bet.

 

[MidwestMatthew]

Thanks for those thoughts - I appreciate it a lot.

I'll be on 80 acres in Greene county, which borders the southeast end of Pike. The adjoining property (just shy of 2000 acres) charges big money for hunters to use their land, but only gives access to about 10 guys per year.

The rut is supposedly approaching peak right now. The predictions I've seen indicate it will be just wrapping up by next Friday (when I get to start hunting). I've been told the deer will probably be pretty quiet by that time, so I'm starting to get nervous that I won't see anything.

No chance of snow; it will likely be in the upper 50's and lower 60's. However, I will be at the edge of a harvested cornfield. The property I have access to consists of about 10 acres of woods and 70 acres of corn (all harvested). I've set up my stand at the edge of the trees near a corner of the field - woods on two sides. There's a small pond in the woods about 30 yards behind the spot I picked, with a well-established deer trail between it and the corner of the field. I won't have to cross that line on my way in, so hopefully scent won't be a problem. Other than that, I don't know much of what to do other than to sit quietly and watch closely.

Any further advice regarding this setup will continue to be appreciated!

 

[gspn]

I like that the corn has been cut...otherwise it would be 70 acres of hiding places for those deer.

The warm weather will likely slow things down some, but they still have to eat. On day 1 I'd concentrate on that corn field because it will provide a huge opportunity to see WHERE they are coming in to it. By the end of day 1 you'll have a good idea of how to set up for day 2.

your setup sounds great...you just need to be in it as much as you can. Bring some food, stay all day, and make your own luck.

 

[buck460XVR]

The rut is supposedly approaching peak right now. The predictions I've seen indicate it will be just wrapping up by next Friday (when I get to start hunting). I've been told the deer will probably be pretty quiet by that time, so I'm starting to get nervous that I won't see anything.

While folks can approximate the time of the rut, ain't no-one but the Lord that can tell you the exact day the last deer will come out of rut/estrus. It don't work that way. Every deer in the woods is not on the exact same biological clock. Along with amount of daylight, rut/estrus is influenced by diet, weather and hunter pressure. Why the deer will be not running all over Illinois chasing does the first day of deer season probably will have more to do with being shot at, than the rut ending the day before. Even if the hunt started during full rut, normal buck rutting activity during daylight hours will change dramatically once they feel pressured. Part of staying alive.

 

[J-Bar]

Regardless of the rut, I see more deer at sunset than at any other time. Don't leave your stand until legal shooting time is over.

 

[22-rimfire]

Hunt areas where there are acorns and you can see at least 75 yds. Stay at your spot all day. There are generally two rut cycles. One happens about now in my area and the other is in December-January.

 

[Kingcreek]

I've killed Illinois whitetails for over 30 years, mostly bow but plenty of shotgun tags too.
Main thing is dress for the weather and stay out. (Don't worry about the rut, its on now. You can use some doe pee if you want.)
Some (many?) gun hunters sit for awhile and don't see anything so they start thinking about coffee, beer, whatever and leave the woods too soon. Often they move deer without knowing it. I can't tell you how many deer I've shot after 10am and before 3pm.