When it comes to the rut, there are three main stages of the rut.
The first stage is the very end of October into the first week of November. This is commonly known as the pre-rut or early rut. In this stage, does aren’t quite ready to be bred yet, but bucks are getting fired up and are getting ready to breed. This can lead to a lot of confrontations between bucks and rattling can be particularly effective.
The middle part of November, somewhere around the 7th-18th in most areas is the seeking and chasing phase. This is when a bulk of the does are coming into estrus and bucks are breeding. Bucks could be chasing or seeking a doe at any time of the day and this can be the best time of year to hunt.
After the seeking and chasing stage is the post-rut. During the post rut which is the last week or so of November, young bucks are typically worn down. Mature bucks know this is their last chance to breed, so they will be out searching for that last doe to breed. I find this to be an underrated time to hunt and can produce some mega giants.
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