Midwest Iowa Outdoors® & Outside Iowa®
With Thomas Allen
(November 14th, 2011)
No, lock down is not when my wife hides my truck keys so I can’t make it out the woods, however it would be to my advantage to find a solution to that problem. Lock down is the time period of the rut when the big mature bucks are keyed in on a hot doe and won’t leave her for anything. It can be an especially difficult time of the rut to kill a mature whitetail, but some of the action you might encounter can be breath taking.
A doe will be receptive to breeding for a 24-hour period, and the bucks know this. An interesting study shows that two and three and a half year old bucks do the majority of the breeding during the rut. The older bucks have learned through experience that it’s more about quality than quantity.
When a big buck finally finds a doe that is nearing the peak of her cycle, he will corral her and chase her until he has complete control of her movements. This will include fighting other bucks as they may challenge for breeding rights, therefore rattling can still be very effective during the peak of the rut. The mature bucks know the game and will push their does to a quiet, obscure, and greatly overlooked location and stay with her indefinitely.
You will hear of hunters not seeing big deer as often as they did the week before. But, as soon as that buck is done with that doe, he is off to find another. That, more often than not, takes place during the middle of the day. The movement patterns change from late October through the end of November and understanding this adjustment should greatly play into your strategy.
The hunting during the last week of October is typically better in the evenings, morning hunts are usually more productive during the first week to ten days of November and midday action is usually best the second eight to ten days of November. My suggestion for beating lock down is to sleep in, and make it to the stand by 9 AM at the latest and sit until dark. If you can manage an all day sit, that would be best, but long sits are not for everyone.
A buck decoy can be dynamite this time of year as well. As those bucks leave the does in search of the next lucky lady, any rutting activity will instantly grab their attention. If they see a smaller buck (decoy) that needs to have another lesson taught, he will quickly volunteer to knock the intruder back in place.
All calling and rattling should also continue through out the day. Mornings can be rocking for rattling and calling sequences, especially before the sun comes up – same with evenings. I like to rattle twice an hour before and after prime time periods, or more depending on what I am seeing. You never know when that doe is going to become unreceptive and he will be out to find a new girlfriend, hopefully you’re there waiting.
The last tip I have found valuable during lock down is getting back in the timber and hunt directly adjacent to security cover. The bucks will cruise during all hours of the day, especially right through these bedding areas or they might even swing by down wind to scent check these areas. This is a great time to also use scents and lures. My preference is Ol’ Drop Tyne (www.doetodoor.com), as they provide the freshest peak estrous scents available and I can tell you from personal experience how well they work!
Sit as long as you can, as often as you can and you will have more consistent encounters with mature whitetails. We wait all year for this time of year; don’t let it pass you by!
Live it Up!
(Thomas resides with his wife and two children in Guthrie Center, Iowa. He is a professional outdoor writer, photographer, videographer, and outdoor talk radio show host; for more information visit www.outdoorpursuitsradio.com. If you have questions or comments feel free to email Thomas at tha481@gmail.com)
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