Lile Outdoors: Hunting in rut means big bucks

  • Published
  • By Airman Daniel Lile
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  (Editor's note: This is the ninth article in a series about hunting.)

With Primitive Weapon season ending Jan. 31 in Mississippi, hunting season is nearing an end; however, there still is hope for those who have not bagged that big buck yet.

The "rut" is still in full swing in the local area, which makes big-game hunting ideal.

"The rut is the point in the year where the does go into estrus mode and are ready to mate, and the males' hormones also pick up and they start to chase the does," said Lt. Col. James Owen, 14th Flying Training Wing Director of Staff and avid hunter.

"Generally there are two smaller ruts within a winter, and it changes with each location."

With deer so focused on mating, they usually tend to take risks and do things they normally would not do.

"During the rut, deer are only thinking about mating. They don't care near as much about food or safety, and hunters use that to their advantage," said Staff Sgt. Cody Howk, 14th Operations Support Squadron Weather Forecaster and avid hunter.

"When they're crazy like that, those huge bucks you don't [normally] ever see start coming out."

One way to take advantage of bucks in the rut is by using a grunt call.

"A grunt call is a tubular call you use to bring deer back to you or to stop them," Owen said. "When bucks are in the rut, if they hear another male deer grunt, they will come to fight it."

Rattle bags are also very effective at bringing bucks in for a fight.

"Rattling antlers with a rattle pack or with real antlers, from a previously harvested buck, simulates the sound of two bucks fighting over a doe," Howk said. "So if you're another male deer and you hear two deer fighting, you think you can come in and swoop the doe away from the males because they are already tired. Simply put, it also attracts big bucks."

Attracting large bucks is the whole idea and hype of the rut, and smell is yet another way to utilize a buck's natural aggression.

"Estrus is the scent female deer give off to show males they are ready to mate," Howk said. "Bucks react to it so you can use it to your advantage by using that scent on your boots or on your clothes."

There is little time left this hunting season in Mississippi, however with the rut still happening, hunters have the opportunity to get that prized buck.