Outdoors Insider, with Dale Sunderlin: Rut a tut, tut!

DALE SUNDERLIN
Star Beacon

November 16, 2008 11:41 pm

— Many of my loyal readers have been clamoring for my rut predictions. I will apologize up front for not posting them earlier. I usually do it in enough time that those of you that want to take vacation during this frenzied time of the season can notify your employers in advance.
Well, this year, being as I’m late and time is short, if you anticipate problems with you job just don’t say anything and call in sick or make up an excuse. Hey, when I worked a real job I use to do it all the time.
Come to think of it, that may be one of the reasons I don’t work a real job anymore.
Anyway, here goes... enjoy!

Cheatin’
This year I’m going to cheat a little. Normally, I do all kind of research and calculations but all that has changed. Last Christmas, yes “Christmas,” I’m still a God-fearin’ redneck who believes that Christmas is Christmas, not some yuppie made up politically correct word that takes away from the true meaning of the season, “Christ and celebrating His birth. Ok back on track, last Christmas I received a calendar from “Deer & Deer Hunting” a gift from Janie, no big deal, right? Wrong answer. bubba, it is a big deal.
As many of you know, I go by the lunar (moon) phases to calculate the rut and am big follower of Charles Alsheimer who is the deer behavior editor for Deer & Deer Hunting magazine. Well, Charlie finally made it easy on me and put out a calendar with his ten years worth of documented research on it. It has been condensed into dates when the lunar phase will trigger the rut and the various phases of the rut, seeking, chasing, and tending.
Without further ado, I will try to decipher what I predict will be prime dates for this year’s rut.

Seeking
We’ve already seen the an early Seeking Phase during the middle of October, the 9th to the 15th, and from what I gather so far, some of the bow hunters that were out there made good use of this time period.
Without going into detail as in the past, this phase consists of the bucks being on the move looking for possible does in heat. During this time, bucks will travel into the wind flehmening, or lip curling, testing the air for the scent of a doe that may be coming into estrous. He will follow her trail as if a beagle on a rabbit track. Does will be running pretty much full bore in and effort to keep away from him. This is a very vulnerable time for the buck, using doe in heat lures and doe bleats can be very productive as well a rattling.

Chasing
Again, October gave us a taste of this action around the 16th to the 23rd. During this period, the buck’s behavioral pattern gets a little more aggressive towards the does and definitely less aware of his surrounding adversaries, us the hunter. Once he locates a doe near estrous he will be begin to dog her and chase her. She will run but not at full flight, occasionally looking back to see where the buck is. Several bucks may join in the chase making for heart pounding excitement on the hunters part. I once witnessed three buck of varying size come out of a swap chasing after the same doe that had exited seconds earlier. This phase to many hunters is the prime time of the entire rut period.

Tending
During this phase, the does are receptive and will stand and let the buck breed her. As she moves, he will move with her and follow her every step of the way, breeding her several time over the next 24- to 48-hour period. During this time frame, if you see a doe there’s a good chance a buck will be within a few yards behind her. This phase ends abruptly after the doe is bred at which time the buck will be in search of another hot doe. Early rut wise this phase hit around Oct. 24-29.

Prime Rut 2008
With all the phases explained and the dates from the early rut taken care of, you can compare notes to what you might have seen in the woods so far. As for the prime rut, my dates for the different phases are as follows:
n Seeking began between Nov. 8 and should peaked around Friday, then transitioned into the chasing phase.
n Chasing began right around Saturday and should last until about Thursday, then moving into the tending stage.
n The tending stage lasting from Thursday until about the 28th of November being the final stage of the rut.
After that comes a lull in the action when the feeding stage comes into play and both the bucks and does try to replenish their selves, especially the bucks who have run themselves ragged chasing does.

Do it again
Now remember not all of the does will be bred during the prime rut. Several will come back into estrous during the next lunar phase in December and the exact same scenario will take place. Hot dates for December will be, Seeking, Dec. 7-13. Chasing, Dec. 14-20. Tending, Dec. 21-28. Although not as intense as the prime rut, the action can get heated depending on your buck to doe ratio, hunting pressure and other limiting factors.

Limiting factors
Also, before you go to bed tonight pray to the hunting god’s for weather that is below 50 degrees or below with clear starry and moonlit nights as well as light hunting pressure in your area. Weather, buck to doe ratio, and hunting pressure all play a big role in how prevalent the rut will display itself in your area. Too little (except hunting pressure) or two much of any one of the factors and you’ll miss the entire match.

Opinions
Many hunters have a varying opinion on which phase of the rut is the best to hunt. In the past, I’ve chosen the chasing period as my favorite time because the action is powerful and frenzied. However… this year I think I’m going to concentrate on the Seeking phase.
Why, because of the vulnerability factor. The bucks a looking intently for any doe that may be coming into estrous and they aren’t in the frenzied state of chasing. . A doe bleat here and there, a rattle, or two, combined with some hot doe in heat on a scent pad my just lure that big boy in at a leisurely pace. No matter what phase you choose to hunt, the only way you’re going to make it happen is to be out there. So good luck and good hunting, get out there and do it!

Upland game season
I use to be an avid small game hunter but many years ago the deer and Bowhunting fever took over and unfortunately pushed this passion to the wayside. In an effort to keep you informed and give due space to the little furry hunters here’s a blip from the ODOW.
The season for three of Ohio’s most popular game species, ring-necked pheasant, cottontail rabbit, and bobwhite quail begins Friday, November 7, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
“The state’s rabbit population is at its highest level since 2003, so opportunities to take cottontails should be plentiful,” said Nathan Stricker, project leader with the division’s Olentangy Wildlife Research Station.
Two straight years of February snowstorms, cool wet springs, and dry summers has had a less positive impact on Ohio’s upland game birds, noted Stricker.
“Generally, that combination of weather conditions is not good for upland game birds. Quail and pheasant populations have declined in some areas, but there are still locations that will produce wild birds consistently.”
Cottontail rabbit hunting continues through February 28, 2009. Ring-necked pheasant hunting is open through Jan. 11, 2009. Both seasons are closed during the statewide 2008 deer-gun hunting season, Dec. 1 through Dec. 7, as well as the extra weekend of deer-gun hunting Dec.r 20-21.
Rabbits, pheasants, and quail may be hunted from sunrise to sunset. The daily bag limit for all three species remains unchanged from last year at four rabbits, two pheasants (roosters/males only) and four quail.
Hunters are reminded that snowshoe hares are not legal game in Ohio and may not be taken. Recently reintroduced to northeastern Ohio after nearly a century of absence, snowshoe hares are brown early in the season, resembling cottontail rabbits. To avoid confusion between cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares, portions of Geauga and Ashtabula counties will be closed to all rabbit hunting from November 7 through Dec. 7. The coats of most hares will have turned white by early December, allowing for proper distinction.

More
There are two restricted zones that cover portions of Geauga and Ashtabula counties. The first restricted area encompasses parts of Geauga and Ashtabula counties and is bordered by U.S. Route 6 to the north, U.S. Route 322 to the south, Kile Road to the west, and State Route 534 to the east. The second restricted area is in Ashtabula County bounded on the north by Cork-Cold Springs Road, on the west by Windsor-Mechanicsville Road, on the south by New Hudson Road and on the east by U.S. Route 45. A map of these two areas can be viewed in the 2008-09 Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations and on the Internet at wildohio.com.

Even more
The Division of Wildlife releases pheasants on selected public hunting areas throughout the state prior to opening day of the pheasant season, the second Saturday of the season, and Thanksgiving Day. Hunters may call 1-800-WILDLIFE for locations of specific release sites.
Bobwhite quail hunting is limited to 16 counties in southern Ohio: Adams, Athens, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Jackson, Meigs, Montgomery, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto, Vinton and Warren. The season continues through November 30.
Additional hunting information is contained in the 2008-2009 Ohio Hunting Regulations brochure, which is available where hunting licenses are sold, on the Internet at wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE. (Reprinted by permission of the Ohio Division of Wildlife).

Buck Fever Banquet
The Ashtabula County Wildlife Conservation League will be holding their annual “Buck Fever Night” banquet on Friday, Nov. 28 in the Expo building at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds in Jefferson. Individual tickets are $25 each and include a dinner, auction, door prizes, sporting equipment, guns, limited edition prints, and collectibles only available at WTU events.
Become a Table Captain, Purchase this $250 Table Captain package and you will receive 10 Dinner Tickets • Entry in Table Captain-Only Drawing for a Gun or WTU Life Membership! • Free WTU Cap • Table reserved in your name
Early Bird Drawing, purchase your banquet tickets by Nov. 20 and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 book of Hunters Raffle tickets!
Become a Sponsor, Donate $150 in cash or merchandise, and receive two dinner tickets, our WTU sponsor buck sculpture, lapel pin, & decal. Also, be entered into a Sponsor-Only Drawing for a Gun or WTU Life Membership!
Purchase a $100 Hunters Raffle Package and receive, 6 Gun Board Raffle tickets • 30 Bucket Raffle tickets • WTU gift • WTU 1-Year Membership Purchase by Nov. 26 and also receive a Bonus Gun Ticket and a $50 Hunters Raffle Book (2 gun board raffle tickets and 10 bucket raffle tickets). Items picked up at event. *Banquet ticket NOT included!
A portion of the proceeds will go toward local youth programs in cooperation with Ashtabula Wildlife Conservation League.
For tickets or information, call Ron Tusai at -563-3384, Dennis Malloy at (330) 876-0134, Paul at 992-7596, Candy at 478-2748, WTU National Headquarters at 1-800-274-5471, or go online at www.whitetailsunlimited.com.

It’s A COW!
Not really, but that’s what Vince Mathia IV said it looked like when he and his kids found the deer he harvested on Oct. 19 of this year.
Vince was hunting that Sunday night behind his house by the Indian Mound located on his neighbors property. This would be the sixth deer he has taken from this tree stand (all with a bow) and the third one with his bow this year.

10 minutes in
Ten minutes into the hunt, he had a large doe with a button buck walking under his stand. They hung around for 45 minutes to an hour until about 6 p.m. or after. They were attracted by the Golden Estrous and Docs Extreme Heat he had set out. Vince said, “They came in sniffing and eating and hung around for quite a while.”

Hang it up
It was getting late and almost to the point that Vince was getting ready to get out of his stand. During his indecision, he could hear something moving but couldn’t see it. Vince said he could hear him from about 50 yards out but just couldn’t tell what it was until he was 15 to 20 yards away. I mean it was dang near quitting time and the shooting light was quickly diminishing.

Hungry hippo
Vince said he walked right over the other deer’s tracks (that they had gone back and forth over the path he was walking several times) (probably high doe to buck ratio) and never even stopped to smell them or Vince’s scents. It was dinnertime and the big fella was hungry, he was headed toward the bean field that had just been cut.

The shot
When Vince drew back, he had to move his bow around, at full draw, he couldn’t find his sights, and even when he did, he was having a hard time seeing them. Vince was now hanging from his stand at 180 degree backwards in an effort to make the shot. Finally, a pin and it was on his vitals, he let loose. The monarch kicked and ran. Vince knew it was a good shot. He could hear him crashing through the woods like a bulldozer plowing over trees.

Get the trackers
Vince quietly descended from his perch and headed back to the house to get his ace trackers, his kids. They were getting pretty good at it and the more eyes the better. The buck had gone into some knarly stuff that was so thick they didn’t find him until they we were 3 feet from him. Vince had scored a double lung shot at 15 yards and the beast had only gone 50 yards before expiring. Vince said, “He was huge; he looked like a cow lying in the woods when we found him.”
This buck field dressed at 240 pounds…by far the largest (heaviest) deer Vince have ever seen or shot.

Vince’s stats
Vince Mathia IV harvested his 9-point, 240-pound buck on Oct. 19, in Kinsman. He was using an Indian XI Myles Keller Legend 62 pounds draw weight bow with a 32” draw length. He also used a finger draw (no release) and the bow is fitted with a pendulum sight, has a 40-percent let off, and is pushing 32 inches 2514 Easton Aluminum arrows, tipped with 125 grain Thunderhead 3 blade fixed broad heads. His buck was at 15 yards when he arrowed it and went 50 yards afterwards. He was hunting from a Loc-On brand tree stand using six Rapid Rails to get 30 feet up while using a Fall Guy retractable safety harness system. He was wearing Scent Lock clothes in Mossy Oak pattern and using Docs Extreme Heat as attractant and raccoon urine for cover scent.

My call
As you can determine by the date, Vince harvested his “COW” buck during the chasing stage of the early rut. Although he wasn’t hard chasing the doe, he was in the same area they were. Probably with a high doe to buck ration he was just lookin’ for food. Good choice, feeding area with does what more could a big ol’ bruiser buck want.
Way to go. Vince. Sure glad that safety system held, my friend!
Remember, pass it on or it will surely pass on.

Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.