For whitetail hunters, there is no more exciting time to be in the woods than during the rut. As you are reading this, the northern latitudes are approaching the peak of the rut and there is a chance that some of you are actually reading this from your blind or tree stand. But is simply being in the woods during the rut a sure bet to get you an opportunity at the buck of a lifetime? Strategic use of trail cameras during this time can help increase your odds of honing in on your trophy.
A big advantage hunters have this time of year is the bucks do a fine job of letting you know where they are hanging out. Rubbing and scraping activity is continually intensifying, and just about every buck in the woods spends a lot of time and effort leaving his calling card everywhere he can. While his intention is to arrange a “business meeting” with a receptive doe, hunters can also look the buck up and “arrange a blind date with trouble”.
When you encounter a fresh scrape, place a trail camera directly over it and plan to check it as often as possible to see who is using it. Contrary to popular belief, scrapes are typically visited by multiple bucks and if you are lucky enough to encounter a large primary scrape and licking branch, you are in business. It is not unusual to see several bucks using the same scrape, which allows you to better understand the quality of bucks in your area. It is also common to get photographs of bucks you have not seen before as they will begin expanding their travel patterns in an effort to meet up with estrous does (those in heat).
Unlike early season scouting, you should check your cameras during the rut as much as possible. Every bit of information you can gain will be an important piece of the puzzle. If you have multiple cameras, place one or two along travel corridors to and from the scrape to get a better idea of which direction the buck you are looking for is coming from. While bucks can become very difficult to pattern once the peak rut is on, they can be quite predictable during the seeking phase, which is typically a week to 10 day period that starts around Halloween. If you are diligent, it is very possible to learn where a particular buck is coming from, when he is traveling and where he is going. Assuming you have located your ambush point properly and are accounting for wind direction, you will have a very good chance of at least laying eyes on your quarry.
Now that digital trail cameras have been on the market for several years and hunters have a lot more experience to share, you can use them in much more creative ways to increase your odds of scoring on the buck of a lifetime. To learn even more about effective trail camera use, we recommend Deer Cameras: The Science of Scouting, which is a publication from our friends at the Quality Deer Management Association. Please visit QDMA.com and click “Shop the Shed” to find the book as well as a number of other exceptional whitetail resources.
