Five Rut Essentials You Need To Have On Hand This Season
OutdoorHub Reporters 10.22.20
Don’t look now, but the whitetail rut is right around the corner. According to DeerCast this ‘pre-lock’ period is the time when opportunities for aggressive calling will be most prevalent because bucks are looking for that first available doe to lock down for the remainder of the rut. But, depending on the situation you find yourself in on a given hunt, you’ll have to gauge their demeanor and reach for the proper call in that scenario. Below are five basic calls, and other rut essentials that will fit the bill for any situation you run into during this exciting time of year in the whitetail woods.
First, allow me to emphasize I’m not saying you should go out and blow on your grunt tube until you’re blue in the face. Unless you’re laying down a rattle sequence, you should have eyes on a deer, and be able to confirm it’s a buck before you even think about hitting a call. Then, you need to try and get an idea of how the buck is acting. If he seems like he’s looking for a fight, you might want to give him the old snort-wheeze to get him fired up and on the look out for that other buck in his territory. This is what makes older mature bucks more vulnerable during this time, because they usually get first pick of the hot does and they’re up on their feet searching them out.
Make sure you have these rut essentials on hand this season:
Snort-Wheeze
This is one of those calls you won’t use very often, so there’s no need to go out and spend a ton of money on it. But in the right situation, a snort-wheeze cannot be replaced and might just be the difference between getting that buck to cross the field or come search the finger of woods you’re sitting in. If you entice a mature buck with one of these calls, you better grab your bow and hang on because he’s going to be coming your way looking to smash antlers with the ‘intruder’ in his neck of the woods.
Rattle Bag
Speaking of smashing antlers, this is another call you’ll want to have on hand during the rut. The sound of antlers clashing together sounds like competition to a mature whitetail, and if there’s a fight going down in his woods, chances are he’s going to want to be a part of it.
Doe Bleat
I might be on an island with this one, but I just prefer not to carry a bleat call when I’m hunting. I can’t even count the number of times those bleat cans have scared the living daylights out of me after tipping over in my bag, and it’s just another piece of gear to keep track of. Like I said, though, I’m sure there are some hunters who swear by bleat calls and if I had to choose one, it would probably be this one from Bone Collector. Simple, compact and no risk of it going off in your bag.
Code Blue Doe Estrous
The rut isn’t just about making the right sounds. Having the proper aroma around your woods could be crucial to luring that buck to your treestand, and Code Blue makes a great product for this very occasion.
- Doe Estrous is urine taken from a single doe in heat for “true to life” effectiveness.
- Certified by an independent organization
- Marked with deer’s registration number
- Ideal usage during whitetail rut
- 1 oz. bottle
Tink’s Power Scrape
- TINK’S POWER SCRAPE: This Tink’s power pack comes with the necessities for fall. Includes a Scrape Bomb Dripper and a 4 Fl Oz. bottle of the Power Scrape Mock Scrape Starter. For use on natural or mock scrapes.
- SYNTHETIC DEER LURE: Send a dominant buck into a territorial rage with Tink’s Power Scrape Mock Scrape Starter Deer Lure. A powerful synthetic deer lure, Power Scrape Mock Scrape Starter provides the wonderful lasting ability.
- USE ON MOCK AND ACTIVE SCRAPES: Appealing to a buck’s social ranking and dominance, this lure can influence travel patterns when used on mock and active scrapes.
- 4 OUNCE BOTTLE: Includes one 4 ounce bottle of deer attractant and that are easy to use and fit into hunting packs, backpacks, jacket pockets for convenience.
- SCRAPE BOMB: Includes a string to hang on trees and branches in the woods. The Tink’s scent bomb only drips during hunting hours. A necessity for your deer hunting accessories.
