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Rutcation

So when is everyone taking there vacation time for the rut? I'm hoping to get off Nov 3-10.

October 21 through November 24 this year.

Trying something different this year by taking every Friday Monday off starting Oct 23-Nov 9th. Might try to get a Thursday as well if weather is correct during that time period and switch a Monday out. Will let weather impact that.

One week has been my MO for last 5-6 years and usually first week of November, so I would get 10 days.

Sometimes weather, and activity is great but other times I miss a good chase phase Or the weather was too hot or something. .

With this plan, I just use one extra vacation day but get 12 days to hunt instead of 10. I like spreading the pressure out some also.

Last year I also got very sick on Wednesday of my week off and then missed Wednesday-Sunday (1/2 of my vacation).

Curious as to what everyone's thoughts are for the peak days this year? I have not taken any days yet, but will plan on a couple of days. Just waiting to get feedback and then will plan accordingly.

I'm doing the last week of October this year. Too many non-bowhunters in the woods during the first week of November. I believe the peak happens the same time every year at the different latitudes. If it's too warm, most activity will be at night.

What L2H said about rut. It is due to fawning. The spring is what indicates when deer need to have their young. End of October in my opinion is the best chance at a cruising buck who isn't glued to a doe's tail.

I have the last week of Oct. off. Wanted the first week of Nov. because my cameras last year told me this was the peak time for chasing.

But my boss and another person in the department are gone that week already. Who the frock goes to Mexico in Nov?

From now till ever. Nice to be retired :).

I`m in the "Oct. 20th on" crowd....the last 2 weeks of Oct. and the first week of Nov. is the golden period. Last year I put in 22 out of 24 straight days in that period and it was epic.

If I remember correctly last year we were blessed with cold weather during that period, it actually got warmer in November.

You earned it xtroutx, but still pretty uncool lol. Rub it in....or should I say rut it in?

I'm kinda thinking of the same thing Doug, spread it out a bit.

October 25-31 is probably the most accurate best chance to kill a big buck in a local spot. Nov 1-5 is a great time and historically I see bucks still roaming for their first available, checking scrapes right out of bed, and responding to calling. Nov. 6-12 "Lockdown" those days are random but some of the most epic days of hunting a hunter can see, and when most of the biggest bucks are taken. Scrape activity falls way off and so does calling. I shift my focus into known doe bedding areas and am learning that big bucks like to take does in random safe areas. I think hunters should really pay attention to the most overlooked areas this time. Nov. 13-21 is when I think is the next best opportunity to see mature bucks back on their feet and cruising more. Looking for the last available doe. Dec. 7-14 is what I view as the second rut. Dec. 4 scapes begin to pop back up along doe bedding areas. My favorite rut areas I look for are in between 2 or more doe bedding areas.

Without a doubt hands down. I strongly feel that the best time to kill a big buck on purpose is right now. But doing it during the rut phase is the latter days of October. Say 26-31

Oct 28-Nov 1 then Nov. 4-8 is what I have on the calendar. Last year I think 10/26 was the best day in stand, so I think I'm going to take the 23rd off as well and have a 3 day.

Note books & experience tell me the following .

Last week in Oct . Hunt the feeding areas.

1st week of Nov. Hunt the exit of the bedding areas .

2 nd week of Nov hunt the most active transition trails.

So many factors influence where an individual buck is going to be on a specific day. Human intrusion will bring a mature buck back to reality in a hurry regardless of the date. Im seeing less mature buck activity during the daylight than years ago, which I think is the result of more people. I think the last part of October with the right weather gives you the best odds at catching a good one in the daylight. Everybody and there brother is out there the first week in November. And the mature bucks adjust accordingly in my experience. Ill take the last few days before gun season next because hunting pressure seems to lessen versus the circus that early November brings.

I'm taking the first full November weekend. Go up Thursday night through Monday night.

What saddens me the most, is hearing how limited some people are for time? I have hunted 21 day vacation for several years. To think how limited you'd be to only have but just a few days to a week to get it done? My standards would be much lower from the very start, if that was the case. I wish you guts that are so limited on time, the best luck.

I used to take a two week or slightly longer vacation for the rut. The first year I retired I had all fall. Then I needed to bring in some extra money to makes ends meet and that job ends Thursday before gun season. I get a couple of days off in the rut (without pay) so it is a long weekend to hunt then. I hope that this is the last year for that job and back to retirement. The situation this year, my photo sales are way down with all the art shows being cancelled. Not selling much through the website either.

I’ve never really taken any time off for the rut. The last four years I take a week or two off to hunt west in September. This year I will take off a Friday and Monday the last weekend in October to hunt Burnett county.

Other than that I will hunt a farm near the twin cities after work and weekends once the leaves drop.

I am lucky to have two deer in the freezer already so I don’t feel the urgency to hunt early season in mn or WI .

I would love to some day to take a week or two off for the rut.

I have the first week of November set aside to hunt but think I will change that and move it into the last week of October.

Semi-retired. Taking Oct 28-Nov 18 this year in usual big woods area.

Semi-retired. I will hunt seriously October 26th through November 10th.

Semi-retired. I will hunt seriously October 26th through November 10th.

Fully retired. Will likely venture into the woods late-Oct (based on the suggestions here) to mid-Nov. Good luck to all

September 10th-20th. Oh wait, you guys are probably talking about whitetails, I don't take any time off for deer.

Two 3-day weekends and a 4-day weekend and that's probably it for bow. I'm pretty patient so most of the hunts will be all-day sits, so I should get around 70 hours in stand.

From my past experience, the big bucks I've shot, seen or show up on trail cams during daylight, are October 19-28, then again, Nov 12-19. Obviously, there's the occasion when a nice buck will show up randomly between that Oct 28th and Nov 12 time, but it's very hit or miss. I've even been to NE during that that first week in November a couple times and have it be dead because they're in lock-down, where you only see the lone yearling doe and some small bucks wandering around, with trail cam photos showing there were good bucks cruising during daylight in that Oct 20th-28th time frame. My buddy went back during their gun opener one year, around Nov 12th or 14th that year, but hunted with his bow, and got a nice buck the first morning.

My dilemma this year is, my dates don't fit into a one week stretch and I'm trying to decide whether or not take 2 full weeks or split them up; I have 10-12 days to work with. I have a job where I like to get my dates on the calendar in advance, in case others start taking time off.

I would split them up and hunt the higher probability days if possible unless you live a long distance from where you hunt or don't have the flexibility at work to change your vacation days last minute. Most of us don't have that flexibility unless self-employed or have an extremely understanding boss (or wife). lol

The 3 weeks either side of November 6th.

I usually take time the first week of November but I’m not going to this year... people everywhere that week

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