Show notes
We pick up where we left off, at Phase II of the rut, as described by Dr. Ken Nordberg. This show covers Phases II through V. Dr Nordberg wrote a book in the 1980s called Whitetail Hunter's Almanac that is considered by many as the deer hunting bible. Today there are 9 (soon to be 10) editions of the Almanac, each sharing some fascinating insight into the world of the whitetail deer and how to hunt them. Dr Nordberg, otherwise known as "Doc", used to spend over 4000 hours a year studying the whitetail. Interestingly enough, Dr. Nordberg's deer hunting strategy has changed over the years as he recognized new patterns in whitetail behavior relative to hunting. This show is for the beginner and the advanced hunter.
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DEER NEWS:
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- South Dakota Study Checks Survival of Young Deer
- 5 Common Myths About Whitetail Fawns
HERE'S WHAT WE DISCUSS:
HERE'S A LINK TO PART I: www.BigBuckRegistry.com/drnordbergpart1
Phase II - Breeding Range Establishment
- Mid- October and the First 32 Degree Day, Frost
- 90% of Antler Rubs and 100% of Ground Scrapes
- Not the Peak of the Rut, The Pecking Order
- Marking Their Territory, Wrinkles in the Neck
- 30 Antler Rubs in One Area = Buck Bedding Area
- 4-6 Inch Tree Rubs = Big Buck
- Scalp Musk, Ravaged Branches and Ground Scrapes
- Dominate Bucks Make the Biggest Scrapes and Rub the Biggest Trees
- End of Phase II Cruising Their Range
- Will Remain Until the End of Phase II, Keeping Young Bucks Away
- Lesser Scrapes Made by Lesser Bucks will Fade
- Looking for Does Where They Feed
- Range is About a Square Mile, Sometimes 2
- Spots to Hunt and Methods: Hunt Ground Scrapes, Don't Use Scents
- 1980s Big Bucks Came to Estrus, By End of 1990s Only Small Bucks
- Stay 20 Yards Away from the Buck Scrape Trail, Downwind or Crosswind
- Hunt 2 Days- If You Don't See Him, Move On, He Saw You
- Warmer Weather (40 Degrees), Bucks Sit Tight
Phase III - Primary Breeding Phase
- 85% of Does Bred During This Phase
- Buck Can Be Here One Day, And a Mile Away the Next
- 11 Antlerless Doe and 1 Buck
- Hard to Hunt Dominant Bucks During This Phase
- Nov 3rd to the 17th, Then Primary Breeding is Over, Bucks Return to Their Spots to Rest
- Look for the Doe Feeding Areas
- With 10 Days to Hunt, Hunt Just the Adult Does Feeding Areas, Forget the Rest
- Hunt Crosswind or Downwind of the Doe Feeding Area
- First Light is Best (30 Minutes Prior to Sunrise)
- 15-20 Yards Inside the Woodline
- Still Need to Hunt the Fresh Tracks and Fresh Droppings in the Area to Find the Mature Buck
Phase IV- Recovery
- Last 2 Weeks, Attitude Change Toward Other Bucks
- Nov 18 - Back to Normal Home Ranges
- Doe have 125 Acres, Bucks At Least 300
- Will Start to Feed With Does and Walk the Trails Again
- Done with Scrapes (Mostly)
- Non-Bred Does Will Have a Supplemental Breeding Time
- Don't Hunt Bucks in Bedding Areas - Hard to Get Close, They Lay Facing Downwind
- Noise and Beds- Buck will Move Quietly Away and May Be Gone for a Season or More
- Scouting- Find the Buck Bedding Areas and KEEP OUT
- Camo Blaze Orange
- Think of Your Clothing as A Blind, Hide Your Silohette
Phase V - Supplemental Breeding Phase
- 15% of Does Are Bred in December and January
- 1 Doe, 12 Bucks
- Gathering in Wintering Areas, Yarding
- Hard to Get Close with So Many Deer Watching
- Photographing Dominant Bucks and Hot Doe January 1
- A Buck and Potato Chips
- A Close Call with a Big Buck
- Changing Stand Sites Every Half Day
- Hunting Ground Level with a Stool
- $250 Second Edition Up to $1000
- www.DrNordbergOnDeerHunting.com
- Could have Talked for 4 Days
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CREDITS:
This Show was Written, Edited, and Produced by Jason "Jay" Scott Ammann
Deer News Written and Recorded by Jim Keller
Chubby Tines Tip of the Week Written by Dusty Phillips
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