Buck myths don't die easy such as the one that the pre-rut is the best time of the year to hunt. (Hint: it's a good time, but certainly not the best.)

Deer Always Do This, Never Do That
Let's start with the always/never syndrome. Like "deer never look up." Though the animal's last natural enemy from above was likely the flying dinosaur, pterodactyl, to say that deer never raise their heads to study the landscape is a stretch. Does are especially "high-minded" and have learned to associate danger with elevation. As hunting pressure intensifies, the more deer look up; it's a good idea to inch up that tree higher than normal wherever deer are accustomed to human intervention in their back yard -- 25 feet, or more, might be necessary.

How about the old "deer always/never respond" to deer lures? There is no cut-and-dried generalization touching this popular topic. It all depends on the particular animal's age and experience, not to mention its disposition. A classic example is the sporadic results hunters experience with so-called curiosity lures. In an effort to tempt whitetails within bow range, enterprising manufacturers have bottled deer urine with everything from vanilla extract to anise oil, from beaver castor tincture to tonquin. Reactions are going to range the gamut regardless of the efficacy of the deer lure in question.

A big factor, alluded to earlier, is the kind of associations an animal might have made with a particular scent. For example, couple of decades ago, I experimented heavily with skunk essence as a cover lure. At first, deer didn't seem to care one way or another. But after the practice came in vogue in my neck of the woods, every deer I encountered over a month-long spell bolted the instant it picked up my "cover up." No question, deer learn to associate neutral or even alluring odors with danger, necessitating constant experimentation.

Another favorite "never" is the popular axiom governing urinating near a treestand or ground blind. For longer than I care to admit, I used to tote a "pee bottle" religiously on every hunt. Not anymore! While it's always a good idea to err on the conservative side when in doubt, I've had ample opportunities in recent years to experiment on enough deer to conclude that the odor of human urine is not an automatic alarm signal. What is, no doubt, is body odor associated with one's urine. Point being, watch where you step and what you touch when nature calls.

But my all-time favorite "always/never" involves wounded deer. Like "wounded deer always head for water" and "deer never backtrack." If you always double-lung your whitetails, you won't learn much about trailing wounded whitetails. I don't seem to have that problem, given my inclination for liver shots. One observation that really stands out with this tricky tracking ordeal (the animal's a goner, but you'd never know by the scant blood trail) is that these deer rarely head for water. On the other hand, there's a near-constant "always": A liver-shot whitetail almost always favors the side of the entry wound. In other words, a buck arrowed while traveling left to right will tend to circle to his right. It's uncanny to the point that it seems to be instinctive.

Whitetail Ruth Myths
Myths and misconceptions abound on whitetail rutting behavior. Those affecting practical hunting strategies might just cost you a buck. Topping my list is the notion that whitetails are territorial during the fall -- or aren't territorial, depending on the source. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. A mature buck will indeed defend a particular piece of real estate ... if it's home to an estrus doe or two. On the other hand, a buck won't necessarily defend a preferred bedding area, feeding area or staging area. To the contrary, bucks are largely nomadic except when they encounter does in heat. Then they morph into junkyard dogs. Translation: Bowhunters ought go all out to identify the bedding areas of hot does, and concentrate hunting these spots to the exclusion of all others. Dominant breeding bucks, which've earned their place in the pecking order, won't be far behind.

Rattling is not a subject immune from whitetail mythology. No doubt you've read or heard the maxim, "rattle conservatively to avoid spooking reclusive bucks." If you're well-traveled, you've also heard, "rattle hard and rattle often during the rut." Both research and hard-core experience suggest that once again the truth is in the middle. The best calendar period to rattle is when bucks are on the move and aggressively pursuing does. The best time is in the morning -- from daybreak till 9:30 a.m. or so. During this prime stretch, any bowhunter holding back is only hamstringing himself, since this is when bucks are tuning their ears to the frequency of antler echoes. Naturally, aggressive rattling outside this narrow window could spook some deer, and therefore must be approached on a case-by-case basis. The bottom line is that nothing beats being observant and responding to the conditions at hand. Forget what you hear others say, and go by what you see.

Perhaps the No. 1 rut myth is "the best time to bowhunt is during the pre-rut." I couldn't disagree more. This is a good time to bowhunt, but the period immediately following peek breeding, which is synonymous with a marked lull in courtship behavior and a concomitant reduction in hunter efficiency, is as good as it gets. Though this "second hunters' peak" is hard to pinpoint, it can pay huge dividends. It's the only time of the year when top-end bucks are both hyperactive and often caught out of their home range as they seek out the last remaining estrus does of the primary breeding season; even normally ultra-standoffish bucks occasionally engage in frantic behavior.

Human nature intuitively resists change. But bucking tradition might be a prerequisite for success. These myths are a good place to start.

Story courtesy of Sportsmansguide.com

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