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BY CY WEICHERT - Whitetail Slam

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A<br />

deer manager from New York once explained gun<br />

season to me this way: “Ever wonder where all the<br />

deer go after the guns start going off on opening<br />

day? They are hiding ... right in everyone’s freezers!” That<br />

quote caught my attention then, and it reminds me each<br />

season that for late-season success I need to plan better to<br />

make my days afield more successful.<br />

Statistics on the percentage of bucks killed on opening<br />

day and opening week are staggeringly high in my<br />

home state of New York. We shoot approximately 75<br />

percent of all the bucks on the land each season, and<br />

nearly 70 percent of those will be killed by the end of the<br />

first week of gun season. Couple that with the increasing<br />

reclusiveness of those remaining bucks, and it often<br />

seems like there are no bucks left going into the second<br />

week of gun season.<br />

Every hunter knows bucks seem to disappear late<br />

in the season. Whether they are shuddering in fear in<br />

thickets or indeed are in your neighbors’ freezers is<br />

irrelevant. The net result when you get past the rut and<br />

into late season is the same — your chance of success is<br />

greatly diminished the later it gets.<br />

Many hunters spend numerous days in the stand<br />

during the late season, often with limited success despite<br />

their efforts, specialty food plots and other strategies.<br />

It’s a tough game, especially in northern states where<br />

late November and early December cold can temper<br />

even the heartiest desire to hunt.<br />

Where<br />

Do They<br />

Go? <strong>BY</strong> <strong>CY</strong> <strong>WEICHERT</strong><br />

www.deeranddeerhunting.com ADVERTISEMENT<br />

December 2012 | 65


Prime time for my favorite practice<br />

of mouth-calling bucks into bow range<br />

is the pre-rut. In New York and many<br />

other northern states, that means the<br />

end of October through about Nov.<br />

7. After the rut hits its second week<br />

— when bucks are chasing hard and<br />

breeding does — calling becomes less<br />

effective. Then, after gun season starts<br />

in late November, I might as well take a<br />

throat lozenge and stay in bed.<br />

For decades, I wasted time hanging<br />

to the hope of that remnant buck stepping<br />

out in daylight in the late season.<br />

Last season, I devised a plan to get<br />

myself back in the game in a better way.<br />

I stopped trying to strategize how to<br />

find bucks that didn’t exist, and refocused<br />

on a foolproof plan for success:<br />

Get out of the Northeast and travel to<br />

states that have late ruts and season<br />

structures that ensure more bucks on<br />

the land after the seasons are diminished<br />

up North.<br />

I can hunt the pre-rut in New York<br />

in early November, and then pack my<br />

truck and drive to visit my brother-inlaw<br />

in Georgia. There, I hunt the rut<br />

after Thanksgiving. Or, I can hunt sparingly<br />

through the late season and save<br />

my time and money for a Christmas<br />

present of a reasonably-priced guided<br />

hunt in Alabama in January. That far<br />

south, I can still get peak rut thrills and<br />

enjoy one of the greatest deer populations<br />

in the country, with plenty of<br />

bucks on the land and harvest opportunities.<br />

Few hunters realize or ever consider<br />

the differences between whitetails from<br />

region to region, but the eight recognized<br />

whitetail sub-groups in North<br />

America showcase variances in rut<br />

times that allow you to plan to hunt the<br />

peak rut in your area, and one or more<br />

extra peak ruts in another area before<br />

or after the rut in your home state.<br />

This year, I used the HuntSwap<br />

concept of <strong>Whitetail</strong><strong>Slam</strong>.com to<br />

discuss trading a hunt with a fellow<br />

<strong>Slam</strong>mer from Alabama. If the stars<br />

align, I’ll be hunting in the Yellowhammer<br />

State in mid-January while my<br />

buddies are shoveling snow back home.<br />

Savvy buck hunters know there is<br />

a whitetail rut somewhere in North<br />

America every month from August to<br />

February. This allows traveling hunters<br />

unique opportunities to witness deer<br />

behavior and hunt during the best part<br />

of the season, for a much longer period<br />

than they would find in just their own<br />

back yards.<br />

Getting into these areas is the only<br />

foolproof method of being able to<br />

increase your odds on late season<br />

bucks.<br />

Here are some notes on Rut Timing<br />

for great late season hunts with high<br />

numbers of deer and tremendous hunting<br />

heritage and traditions:<br />

South-Central Plains <strong>Whitetail</strong>s<br />

Texas Late Rut: The Texas Parks and<br />

Wildlife Department has published<br />

peak breeding dates online for the<br />

state’s eight ecological zones. Breeding<br />

peaks range from as early as Nov. 7 to as<br />

late as Dec. 24 for Central Plains deer.<br />

The latest breeding peak was in South<br />

Texas. Definitely check the site when<br />

making plans for a Texas trip.<br />

Southeastern <strong>Whitetail</strong>s Mid- to<br />

Late Rut: Average breeding dates begin<br />

the second and third weeks of November.<br />

West Virginia begins as early as<br />

Nov. 8 and Georgia as late as Dec. 15,<br />

with heavy activity around Thanksgiving.<br />

In Alabama and Mississippi,<br />

breeding varies depending on specific<br />

geographic regions. Depending on the<br />

area, breeding peaks anywhere from<br />

late November through mid-January.<br />

Northern hunters can hunt the full<br />

season back home, and then enjoy a<br />

second rut and extended season in the<br />

South.<br />

Desert <strong>Whitetail</strong>s (Coues) Southwest<br />

Late Rut: Arizona and Mexico<br />

offer the most hunting opportunities<br />

where you can hunt public land without<br />

a guide. Arizona Coues deer hunts<br />

are “draw” hunts and Mexico’s private<br />

ranches require a guide. In New Mexico,<br />

resident and non-resident hunters can<br />

purchase tags online from New Mexico<br />

Fish and Game. Breeding occurs from<br />

December to February with the rut<br />

peak in January. They are much the<br />

same as other whitetails across North<br />

America with bucks becoming more<br />

vulnerable to hunters from the increase<br />

in daylight rut activity.<br />

Seminole <strong>Whitetail</strong>s Florida Variable<br />

Rut: Florida is a fascinating study<br />

of how deer have evolved to maximize<br />

survival. In states north of Florida, rut<br />

behavior of males is highly synchronized.<br />

In Florida and other tropical<br />

regions, breeding is not as synchronized<br />

and occurs in all months. Breeding<br />

dates for Seminole deer peak in<br />

August and September. This variability<br />

indicates the reproductive patterns of<br />

Florida’s deer have evolved to unique<br />

environmental pressures. For instance,<br />

peak periods of fawning in the Everglades<br />

in south Florida have been found<br />

to occur during the January-March dry<br />

season. Fawns from northern states are<br />

typically born during June, a period of<br />

heavy rainfall and seasonal flooding in<br />

south Florida.<br />

Gulf Coast <strong>Whitetail</strong>s Coastal Variable<br />

Rut: Perhaps the most striking<br />

differences among coastal deer are the<br />

variations in rut timing — which ultimately<br />

result in amazing opportunity<br />

for hunters to capitalize on peak ruts<br />

while only traveling short distances.<br />

Hunters can pursue bucks in southern<br />

parts of coastal Florida and catch the<br />

peak rut in August or September, then<br />

in other parts of the state through October<br />

or November, and in the Panhandle<br />

in February. Or, they can take a short<br />

ride to Alabama or Mississippi and<br />

catch the January Rut.<br />

<strong>Slam</strong>mers can hunt this area in<br />

steps. The Osceola subspecies in the<br />

Florida panhandle breeds in February<br />

and March with a peak of Feb. 21. The<br />

Osceola subspecies in coastal Alabama<br />

breeds from late December through<br />

February with a peak between Jan.<br />

18 and 23. In coastal Mississippi the<br />

coastal subspecies breeds from Jan. 16<br />

to Feb. 6 with a peak date of Jan. 24.<br />

The peak of coastal breeding in Louisiana<br />

is Dec. 14 to 29.<br />

IT’S NOT ALL<br />

ABOUT INCHES<br />

<strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> allows bucks of<br />

all sizes to qualify as part of your<br />

<strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong>. We also aim to<br />

educate people on how to manage<br />

for increased buck age structure.<br />

Most hunters dream of harvesting<br />

a whitetail buck with giant antlers<br />

— a monster buck. Yet today, deer<br />

hunting goals are changing. Quality<br />

deer management has led more<br />

hunters to realize that hunting is<br />

not really all about the rack. It’s<br />

about enjoying our resource and<br />

managing the herd for a more natural<br />

buck age structure by protecting<br />

immature bucks and balancing sex<br />

ratios.<br />

This modern understanding of<br />

deer has started a new wave of<br />

hunting and collecting mature<br />

whitetails, rather than those with<br />

the biggest racks.<br />

66 | December 2012 www.deeranddeerhunting.com


Full<br />

Swing<br />

<strong>BY</strong> TOM MIRANDA<br />

ScoutLook Weather DeerLog<br />

The Ultimate Weather + Log System<br />

I<br />

have been blessed to have a successful<br />

career doing what I love most, bowhunting<br />

and making television shows.<br />

Last year I successfully completed the harvest<br />

of all 29 North American big game animals, all<br />

with a bow and all on camera. It was a challenge<br />

for sure, taking 13 years to complete. It<br />

was filled with excitement, thrills and travels,<br />

but I remain just as passionate about my first<br />

love of hunting whitetails, whether in my home<br />

state of Ohio, or across the continent.<br />

Deer season is in full swing throughout<br />

North America and <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> TV season<br />

is midway through its fall run. Each season,<br />

approximately 12 million hunters take to the<br />

woods in one of our most cherished and exhilarating<br />

outdoor activities. Collectively, we are<br />

the men, women and children who are the<br />

stewards of the future of the wilderness, wild<br />

game, and our heritage.<br />

<strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> TV chronicles the adventures<br />

of the average hunter across North<br />

America in pursuit of their favorite game<br />

animal. It is not about guys like me who<br />

hunt professionally, or other big name celebrity<br />

hunters. It is about fellows like Jim Sisley<br />

(shown below) from western Pennsylvania<br />

who registered four<br />

bucks for a <strong>Whitetail</strong><br />

<strong>Slam</strong> last spring and<br />

is now featured in the<br />

opening segment of<br />

every show standing<br />

proudly with his four<br />

bucks surrounding<br />

him. It is about every<br />

hunter, their passion,<br />

their skills and their<br />

accomplishments.<br />

<strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong><br />

is about educating,<br />

inspiring and honoring<br />

hunters for their<br />

achievements afield.<br />

It is the only big<br />

game <strong>Slam</strong> attainable<br />

by anyone. Any<br />

legal buck from the<br />

past qualifies, and<br />

it’s simple to register<br />

on <strong>Whitetail</strong><strong>Slam</strong>.<br />

com.<br />

SCAN FOR iOS<br />

& ANDROID<br />

ScoutLook Weather<br />

DEERLOG<br />

“Hunting & Fishing Weather<br />

Like You’ve Never Seen It”<br />

www.deeranddeerhunting.com December 2012 | 67


Watch<br />

<strong>Whitetail</strong><br />

<strong>Slam</strong> TV<br />

Watch <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> TV,<br />

by award winning producer Tom<br />

Miranda, and experience the stunning<br />

imagery and action, featuring<br />

hunters who have registered their<br />

bucks on <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> while<br />

traveling the country in pursuit of<br />

the <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong>!<br />

This fall, <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> is filming<br />

2013 shows, with some hunters<br />

who have registered their bucks<br />

on whitetailslam.com and won<br />

our monthly hunt giveaways being<br />

featured on the show. Thousands<br />

of hunters who have seen <strong>Whitetail</strong><br />

<strong>Slam</strong> TV have immediately<br />

gone to the website and registered<br />

their buck(s), and entered<br />

the monthly hunt giveaways<br />

with world class outfitters. Hunt<br />

winners will be screened for filming<br />

for <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> TV! There<br />

are also weekly gear giveaways<br />

for Mathews bows, Cuddeback<br />

cameras and more. All drawings<br />

are completely free. All you<br />

have to do is register on the site<br />

and return each week or month to<br />

enter, using your email address.<br />

Tune in to <strong>Whitetail</strong> <strong>Slam</strong> TV<br />

to learn strategies for all eight<br />

subgroups of bucks, and also visit<br />

www.whitetailslam.com to register<br />

your bucks today for a chance<br />

to be featured on the show!<br />

Be a part of the ultimate deer<br />

hunting challenge! Create your<br />

personal <strong>Slam</strong> Page to showcase<br />

your favorite bucks, hunting methods<br />

or products. Post a Classified<br />

ad for a HuntSwap and trade for<br />

hunts with <strong>Slam</strong>mers from other<br />

regions.<br />

68 | December 2012 www.deeranddeerhunting.com

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