The whitetail rut is just around the corner, and you’re probably looking to spend some serious time in the woods in the coming weeks. Getting ready for the rut means something different for every bowhunter. For some, it’s all about spending hours studying trail camera pictures and videos so you can spend your time in the woods where you have the best chance of seeing the deer you’re hoping to harvest. Other bowhunters will be in “gear mode,” making sure they have all their gear ready to go and organized neatly so there’s no chance of forgetting that all-important gadget. And lastly, there are bowhunters who use this time to knock out his or her entire to-do list around the house so they can spend the entire month of November in the woods.
While all of these preparation strategies have their place, there may be a few other areas you’ll want to spend time preparing to ensure productive and trouble-free whitetail rut hunting. What else needs your attention?
If you’re lucky enough to have a hunting spot picked out and a treestand or blind setup and ready to go, half of your work may already be done. But possibly the most important aspect of this preparation is what comes after the treestand hanging. Take some time to climb up in your tree or into the blind and take a look around. Odds are the landscape has changed significantly since you initially selected this spot. There may be areas where early season foliage kept you concealed, but now that leaves have fallen, you’re sticking out like a sore thumb. Take a little bit of time to move some branches around to create more natural cover to break up your outline. Also consider shooting lanes. During the rut, deer are unpredictable, so having just one or two shooting lanes to the main deer trail may not serve you well. Try to clear a few more lanes in all directions so that you can be ready for the deer that comes within range from a different direction than usual.
Your bow was precisely tuned at the beginning of the season, but not too many folks take their equipment to the pro shop for a mid-season check-up. While you may not have been shooting your bow as much as you were in the pre-season, you’ve been dragging it through the woods and taking it into challenging conditions like heat, cold, and rain. With all of those changes, it’s possible that your equipment isn’t in the same condition it was in a month ago. String and cables can stretch, sights and rests can get bumped, and arrow fletchings can get damaged. Prepare for the rut by giving all your equipment a good visual inspection, and then go out to the range and shoot some broadheads. Not only is it good practice for you, but if your bow has come out of tune, the broadhead will likely show it. If you’re getting erratic arrow flight or you’re hitting way off from where you should be, consider taking your bow to your local pro shop to get it checked out. The technician should look at things like cam timing, nock height, centershot, and drop away rest setup. Working these out now will pay off when the moment of truth comes in the woods.
I’ll come right out and say it: Many bowhunters don’t practice enough, especially in-season. Even those who shoot a ton of arrows in the late summer months generally taper off their practice sessions as the season progresses. With that change, the solid form that was developed in the warmer months starts to deteriorate as we shoot less and put on more clothing that restricts movement. Take some time now to think about what clothing you will likely be wearing during your rut hunts. Put on that clothing and spend some time shooting. If you can get up in a treestand or sit down in a blind (whichever matches your hunting setup), that’s even better! Don’t forget the little things: Will you be wearing gloves or a neck warmer? Will you have your quiver on or off the bow? Shooting in these conditions now will make you a whole lot more comfortable when it’s time for the real deal.
Looking for some more tips and ideas of how you can get ready for the hunt, enjoy your time in the woods, or prepare an amazing wild game dinner? Check out bowhuntersunited.com for articles and videos for every type of bowhunter. While you’re there, join Bowhunters United to stay up to date on bowhunting news and make sure your voice is heard when issues arise that affect bowhunting and conservation of wild game and their habitat.
