HOW TO KILL A MATURE BUCK DURING THE PRE-RUT

By Tony J. Peterson / MeatEater

The rut gets all of the love. Everyone wants to be in a tree when a hot doe could bring all of the neighborhood bucks into their lap. The truth is, that hot doe can just as easily pull all of the neighborhood bucks into someone else’s lap. Given this, rut hunting is a gamble.

Pre-rut hunting isn’t. At least it can involve a more calculated approach to hitting pay dirt. It’s kind of like going to the casino and playing slots or blackjack. You’re mostly destined to lose with either game, but your odds are much better of getting dealt a 21 versus seeing three lemons line up in a row.

I personally think for most folks, the pre-rut is actually a better time to kill a mature buck than during the heart of the rut, but that comes with a big caveat—you have to first understand why, when, and where, big deer are likely to move. READ ON