By Ryan Miloshewski
November 17th
This week’s “Whitetail Weekly with Ryan Miloshewski” has a different tone. It’s time for a pump up. Many good bucks are being killed and happy hunters are beaming with success. But there are those of us who haven’t yet sniffed a chance at taking a mature buck during #Rut2016. Frustration can creep in easily. Second guessing our decisions, wondering where the bucks will be, and why it isn’t all coming together is commonplace. That’s hunting though, and it has not been for lack of effort or enjoyment. While it’s always nice to be out hunting, the ultimate goal remains for some of us. So it’s time for a pump up.
-Stick to your guns. Hunt, hunt, and hunt more. It will happen eventually. If your stands are set up in the correct places, a shooter is bound to come through at some point. Probability is in your favor!
-Peter Fidduccia, the Deer Doctor, had some “formulas” in his book I mentioned a few WW’s back that have stuck with me forever. I truly believe they are CRUCIAL to being a successful hunter. They go as follows: Concentration + Positive thinking + Confidence=Consistent success. And, Determination + Patience + Stamina + Comfort=Success.
-Envision the hunt taking place–where the mature buck will come from, what he will be doing, when he will present the shot opportunity, and what you will do when executing the shot. If you envision success, you’re much better off.
-Don’t fickle around when choosing a stand to hunt. My cousin calls me FF (fickle is the first word..you can guess the second) because I second guess my stand choice a lot. It’s something I’m working on. But you shouldn’t do it! It makes the aforementioned formula for success nearly impossible.
-Don’t sleep on the secondary rut. We are most likely winding down from peak breeding right now, with the main fervor of the rut slowly coming to an end. That doesn’t mean bucks won’t be looking for hot does, it just means the intensity is decreased. And when the young does come into estrus in a few weeks, the woods can explode again!
-It’s about to get cold..I think. At least historically, sitting out in the woods for longer than four hours is going to get harder and harder with temperatures getting lower and lower. If you’re cold, you will not be as focused on stand, and you will simply not be able to last out there. This clearly makes harvesting a shooter more difficult. Prepare yourself to be warm when you’re on stand and the likelihood of success increases.
-Let Herb get you focused..
-Don’t ignore food and water right now. Deer are run down and tired. They need to eat and drink, especially bucks, to survive.
-This is a good time to rattle–perhaps the best time, really. Bucks are looking for the last hot does and if they think a couple of boys are fighting for one, they’ll come investigate more times than not. Start out slow and quiet though–you don’t want to spook any bucks that are close by.
Random Thoughts
-When walking into the stand this time of year, don’t dress completely. Carry in your clothes and walk in with just base layers on. If you don’t, you will sweat your butt off. And if you sweat, you get cold–and if you’re cold, you won’t hunt.
-Morning thermals rise up a ridge, carrying your scent to the top. In the evening, your scent is pulled down the ridge into the valley below. Keep that in mind when sitting for a hunt.
-Mark Drury of Drury Outdoors has determined over the years a rising barometric pressure or one near 29-31.00 is the best for mature buck movement.
-All in all, it’s been a great season. I captured many great photos and videos. It is absolutely great to be back in the stand and hunting! Here are some pictures I shot sitting in the woods.
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