Hard mast is essential to a whitetail’s diet, so deer hunters must factor the mast crop into their hunt plan. Focus on the first and last falling mast to find the most concentrated deer activity. (Photo courtesy of Josh Honeycutt)
October 09, 2024
By Josh Honeycutt
The pre-rut is the early season with a shot of B12! The focus is still food; however, many of the bedding area and food source locations have shifted since the early season . And now, with testosterone levels on the rise, bucks are beginning to feel some starkly different feelings about the deer around them.
The Pre-Rut The Thick ‘N’ Nasty: As the early season gives way to the pre-rut, things change. Hunting pressure is mounting. Food sources are shifting. Bedding needs are altering, too. This leads deer into new areas, and these are commonly full of thick, nasty cover. Here, they get mast, browse, good bedding and security.
Heavy Buck Sign: Hunting over scrapes isn’t always advisable, especially on field edges. But don’t ignore rut sign. An abundance of rubs and scrapes indicates frequent travel. If it’s likely to be daylight movement, certainly keep that in mind for stand locations.
A Secluded Snack Bar: Whitetails are lovers of seclusion. They like being away from everything. This makes a small, secluded food source close to bedding an excellent daytime interception point, especially for mature bucks. Oftentimes, these become staging areas that deer feed in during afternoons before moving on to larger food sources closer to dark.
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The Oxbow Bed: Whitetails select bedding areas that offer quality bedding cover. Oftentimes, water adds a layer of security to certain bedding areas. This includes oxbows, which are peninsulas of land created by a U-shaped bend in a creek, river, stream or lake. Deer generally bed toward the base of the U. Rarely do predators come from the water side, but if they do, whitetails easily escape on land out of the mouth of the oxbow. If predators come from land, they bound across the water to safety. With the right wind direction, hunters can set up closer to the mouth of the oxbow and wait for deer to leave their bedroom.
Leeward Ridge Lines: A leeward ridge is best described as the downwind side of a ridge line. Here, the prevailing wind comes over the top of the ridge; in the morning, thermals rise from the valley below. This creates a wind tunneling effect that allows deer to catch scent from multiple directions. This helps bucks to detect danger as they return to their bedding areas. It also helps detect estrus does, which will bring us to the rut next month .
