There are too much emphasis placed on, “The rut,” by writers and professional deer hunters. Don’t take me wrong; almost every thing I have read about the rut is factual and extremely helpful information. A problem arises when the reader begins believing mature bucks are some sort of highly intelligent super animal that will never be seen unless they are caught in a compromising position during the rut. When we begin letting negative thoughts creep into our noggins and start telling ourselves that the rut is over, or, I guess it hadn’t happened yet, it hurts our chances of success. When our negative reasoning becomes our excuse for not seeing any bucks or we start scheduling our vacation around, “The peak of the rut” rather than around the peak of hunting pressure we are defeating our ownselves. The peak of the rut may in deed be the worst time to hunt the mature white tail buck. During the peak of the rut bucks and their mates don’t do much except fulfill their pro-creation desires. They rarely travel for any distance or for any length of time. It’s true, that during the rutting period, if you spend enough time in the woods your chances of seeing a mature buck are pretty good. I became disenchanted recently reading how, “Time in the woods,” is the key to killing a mature buck; allowing how you’re more likely to see a mature buck during the rut. Some writers believe that during the rut is the only time mature bucks don’t become nocturnal with hunting pressure. Time in the woods during the rut, will never replace hunting skills — skills that enable you to hunt where the bucks live — Just as a more powerful rifle will never replace bad shot placement. For the majority of deer hunters, who can’t have all the time in the woods they desire, the key to killing mature bucks is making what time you do have count. You can’t do that by fretting over whether or not the rut hasn’t happened, has already happened or when its peak will be! A quality hunt should have nothing to do with the rut. Before we examine rut facts, let me quantify my feelings about the rut. I may seem thus-far to be pro rut in hunting theory. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The most deadly combination for the hunter is being in the woods during the rut, with all the time in the world; be where the bucks live, having arrived on stand by applying highly polished hunting skills and be a crack shot with the rifle of his choice! Most things I’ve read tell me there are 5 specific phases of the rut and most biologists agree that each phase last from 5 to 7 days. That’s a total of 25 to 35 days and makes up one breeding cycle. Scientific facts tell me a small percentage of does that aren’t bread the first breeding cycle will come into estrus 28 days later. These breeding cycles continue until all the does that will take breeding, have been bred. The first two cycles are the ones of most concern to hunters and the two combined cycles last from 50 to 70 days. It’s true some phases of the rutting cycles are of little benefit to the hunter. The fact is: There’s some type of rutting activity going on for almost all of the entire hunting season. Where I hunt, there is another factor that comes into play. The first breeding cycle there is practically a girl on every street corner, maybe 20 does for every buck; and Mr. Buck as well as all the mature bucks is pared up with a doe. Exciting times if you're a young buck — not so exciting if you’re a hunter because the bucks don’t have to do much looking! By the time the second breeding cycle rolls around the buck doe ratios have reversed. There are a few does that failed to take breeding the first breeding cycle and some early born does from the year before for the bucks to chose from and on top of that some of the mature bucks may have been killed during the first go round. Exciting times if you are a hunter and want to kill Mr. Buck — not so exciting if you are a buck; because you may have to do a lot of looking! As If the rut isn’t enough to confuse the vacation calendar; let’s also try to schedule vacation around the moon! In conclusion: If you will hunt when you can, hunt the right time of the day, hunt where mature bucks live, and hunt in the correct manner; that is, submitting yourself to the buck and to his world and clear your mind of all the negatives — am I in the wrong place, have the bucks gone nocturnal, have I burned my stand out, Is the rut over, is the rut here yet — you can watch your success rate sky rocket! Happy Hunting!