Deer Hunt by Big Buck Registry: 153 DR KEN NORDBERG Part II - Whitetail Hunter's Almanac 2nd Edition

153 DR KEN NORDBERG Part II - Whitetail Hunter's Almanac 2nd Edition - The 5 Phases of the Rut

Jun 18, 2016

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:

Robinson Outdoors Responds to Jury Verdict in Court Case
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