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10/11/2002
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Article/Press
Release
Deer Hunting Tips from T.R.
Michels
T.R.'s Tips:
Breeding Phase Scent Setups
When you use scents to
attract bucks remember that adult bucks generally try to stay in
cover and come in downwind to check the scent and to detect
danger. To lure bucks in I place several scent dispensers or
drippers, spread ten to fifteen yards apart, upwind of where I
expect the bucks to be traveling. Since bucks are looking for does
and are trying to protect their breeding rights both
territorial/dominance scents (buck urine, buck in rut and forehead
scent) and sexual attraction (doe urine and doe in estrus) lures
may work to attract bucks. But, don’t limit yourself to scents
designed primarily to attract bucks. Interdigital, tarsal and food
scents may attract does to your area, and the does may attract the
bucks.
T.R.’s Tips: Mock
Rubs and Scrapes
Mock rubs and scrapes are
a good way to attract bucks, especially if you make them in areas
used by the bucks. After you have located an area containing
numerous rubs or scrapes, make a mock rub or scrape where it will
be found by the bucks. To make a mock rub remove the bark from the
tree with a wood rasp, then drip forehead scent or urine on the
rub. To make a mock scrape choose a tree with an overhanging
branch in a buck travel corridor. Then, break the tip of the
overhanging branch with your gloved hands, and drip forehead or
other scent on the branch. Next, use a stick to create a scrape
by raking the ground to remove the vegetation and expose fresh
dirt. Then place several drops of interdigital, tarsal or urine
scent in the scrape. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and boots while
you are doing this so you don't contaminate the area. When you are
done making your mock rub or scrape drip a line of interdigital or
urine scent from the trail the buck uses to the mock rub or
scrape.
T.R.'s Tips: What
Call For Which Deer
Using a call is a good way
to bring in a buck, or to get it to stop long enough for a shot.
Determining what deer sound to imitate is not a matter of which
rut phase you are hunting, but which sex and age class of deer you
want to attract. Does respond to fawn and distress calls primarily
out of maternal instinct. Most bucks will respond to any call
which may lead them to an estrus doe; a long Social Grunt (some
people refer to this as an estrous bleat) or soft Low Grunt.
Dominant bucks may respond to aggressive calls such as a low buck
grunt, a grunt-snort, a grunt-snort-wheeze, a tending grunt, or a
flehmen sniff, out of the desire to exert dominance. Subdominant
bucks may respond to these same calls prior to the breeding phase,
but may not respond to them during the breeding phase, because
they are afraid of encountering a dominant. If you are hunting for
any legal buck it may best not to use aggressive buck calls.
There are four different
techniques for calling deer that can be used anytime during the
rut. The fourth technique is not as effective during the Rest
Phase (between the primary and late breeding phases) or the Post
Rut (after breeding is done) because the bucks are exhausted, not
as aggressive, and not as interested in breeding.
1. Distress Call or Fawn
Bawl for does and young bucks.
2. Social or Low Grunt for
any deer.
3. Social/Low/Tending
Grunt for all bucks.
4. Social/Low/Tending
Grunt or Grunt Snort for dominant bucks.
T.R.’s Tips:
Rattling
Prior to and during the
rut bucks rub on trees, thrash brush and participate in sparring
to establish dominance. Dominant bucks encountering each other,
especially if an estrus doe is near, may fight for breeding
rights. The sounds of any of these activities (rubbing, thrashing,
sparring, fighting) may attract other bucks in the area,
particularly dominants. Subdominants that have previously been
beaten in a fight may immediately leave the area.
I have rattled bucks from
as far away as a half mile using loud, long sequences. It took the
bucks an average of twenty minutes to come in from downwind. I
have also had bucks forty yards away run all the way to my stand
when I rattled, and I brought the bucks back by rattling again
when they started to leave. However, I found that if a buck
doesn't find a deer when it responds to rattling it may not
respond to rattling in the same location more than twice. Don't
rattle the same buck from the same stand twice on successive days.
If he comes in but you didn't get him wait three to four days
before trying again. I also found that if a buck doesn’t see a
deer (or a decoy) when it responds to rattling, it probably won’t
come in more than three times. For that reason I suggest you use a
decoy when you are rattling and after a particular buck.
T.R.’s Tips: Total
Attraction
Once you have decided
where to setup you can use scents, calls and rattling to attract
bucks. Calls and rattling may bring in deer from as far as a half
mile. Scents may bring deer in from several hundred yards,
especially if you leave a scent trail to your stand. After deer
have been attracted to your position they may hang up because they
detect you, or they hear and smell a deer, but they don't see one.
Because decoys add a visual sense of security, they can bring deer
in close and position them for a shot. By using a combination of
sight, scent and sound to attract deer you can convince them there
is a real deer near you.
T.R.’s Tips:
Decoying Deer
Although decoys are used
most often by archery hunters, they can provide the final needed
stimulus to bring a buck into range for a hunter using any weapon.
1. For safety use a decoy
with blaze orange, hang fluorescent tape nearby, or hunt from an
elevated stand.
2. Don't get human or
unnatural scent on the decoy. Use gloves when carrying and
positioning the decoy, then spray it with cover-up scent.
3. Place the decoy in a
high use area; near trails, rubs, scrapes, bedding, staging or
feeding areas with nearby cover.
4. Don't place bedded
decoys directly on trails. Deer don't usually bed on trails.
5. Place decoys upwind of
where you expect the deer to appear. Bucks like to approach
downwind from cover if they can.
6. Place decoys within
your personal shooting distance in a clear shooting lane.
7. Place a doe decoy with
it's rump toward you. Bucks often approach does from the rear or
side, presenting you with a shot.
8. Place a buck decoy with
it's head toward you for a shot. Bucks generally approach another
buck cautiously from the front.
9. Don't place the decoy
in a direct line between you and where you expect the deer to come
from, the deer may see you. Place the decoy off to one side of
your stand to distract the deer's attention from your position.
10. To get the buck’s
attention on the decoy, tape a small piece of white plastic to the
tail area, so that it can blow in the wind, or use one of the new
tail motion decoys.
11. To keep the bucks
attention focused on the decoy place a few drops of deer urine on
it, doe in estrus for doe decoys, buck in rut for buck decoys.
12. Use buck or doe
scents, and calling or rattling to create the illusion of another
deer in the area, and to initially attract bucks to the decoy.
T.R. Michels is a
nationally recognized big game researcher, speaker and writer. He
is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Turkey and Goose Addict’s
Manuals; and the Deer Addict’s Manuals. He is also the innovator
of the Moon Indicator, which predicts peak monthly movement of
deer and elk, based on the forces of the moon; the Daily Deer
Movement Indicator, which helps hunters decide when and where to
hunt, based on current meteorological conditions; the Rut
Indicator, which predicts peak rut activity, based on the forces
of the moon; and the Rut Phase Indicator, which helps hunters
determine the stage of the rut, and when and where to hunt, by the
current deer activity and sign. T.R.’s latest books, available for
2000, are the Deer Addict’s Manual, Volume 7: Hunting Tactics; the
Scrape Hunter’s Manual; and the Outdoorsman’s Cookbook, Volume 2.
For a catalog of books and other hunting aids contact: T.R.
Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, 41267 Hwy. 56 Boulevard,
Nerstrand, MN 55053. Phone: 507-789-8808 E-mail: trmichels@www.yahoo.com
Website: www.trmichels.com |
