
Rutting
Terms
Rut - This is the time when deer are breeding. Bucks come out of hiding and start chasing Does. Bucks separate from their groups and start making scrapes and rubs. They also get into little battles. It really depends on what the Buck to Doe Ratio is . If there are a lot of Bucks and very few does the Bucks will battle big time. if there are a lot of Does and Few bucks the sparing will just be light. Scrapes - A scrape is when a Buck paws at the ground and gets the soil worked up. The buck leaves his scent at the the scrape by urinating in the scrape and rubbing his face on and mouthing the overhanging and nearby branches and leaves. They use scrapes for breeding and to mark territory. A Hot Doe will sometimes visit a scrape to locate a Buck that wants to breed. She also will sometimes urinate in the scrape and rub her face on nearby branches and leaves to leave her scent. Rub - A Rub is when a buck rubs the bark off trees and saplings
with his antlers. He does this as he walks around his territory. This Rubbing
strengthens the buck's neck muscles, gets him ready to fight and marks
it's territory.
Scents and Lures - These are Buck and Doe Urines. They are collected when a Doe goes into estrus or When a buck starts making scrapes. You can sprinkle these down during the Rut and hope a Buck gets a whiff and may come right to your stand.
Well those are the basics terms of the rut. . . . . . . . . brian@bowhunting.net |