The Breeding Phase of the Rut: We Call it the Lockdown

The breeding phase of the rut is the last of the three phases of the rut. Many hunters refer to this time as peak-rut. Some think it is a great time to hunt. I do not and here's why.

The problem with the breeding phase of the rut is that many of the bucks of breeding age are with an estrous doe. When a buck has a hot doe he will typically drive her into the nastiest cover available and keep her there for as long as she is receptive. Depending upon how far along the doe was in her estrous cycle when the two got together, that could be just a couple of hours or a full 24 hours, and in some cases even longer. We call it lockdown, and what it means is that a buck is occupied with a hot doe and you aren't likely to see him until the doe he is with is no longer receptive. Then the old (or young) stud will go off in search of another estrous doe. In places where the number of does of breeding age out-number breeding age bucks by a wide margin, that search will not take long. Then it's lockdown time again.

This is why you will often hear hunters complain that the bucks have just suddenly disappeared. They have not disappeared, they are just pre-occupied.

So what can you do about it? Well, you can't do anything really because nature is taking its course. Nothing you can do will make it go faster.

For me, when I hunt lockdown, mental attitude is the most important tool in my pack. I go into it knowing that it is going to be tough that there is not going to be much buck movement. I know that there will be days when I don't even see a buck. That's not giving up, it's just reality. Knowing this, I make every effort to hunt as well as I can and as often as I can. When the bucks are in lockdown, it is easy to say the-heck-with-it. Those that do are doomed, but those that tough it out at least have a chance.

Your best chance will come when a buck finishes with one doe and goes off searching for another. He covers ground relentlessly, day or night. Often he walks with his nose close to the ground so that he does not miss the scent of a hot doe. When he cuts the track of a hot doe, he will follow it until he finds her. Then there is always some cat-and-mouse as the doe plays hard-to-get. Eventually the buck gets his way and pushes the doe into a hell-hole swamp, briar tangle, blowdowns, a standing cornfield, or other thick cover. Or maybe, especially in farm country, he takes the opposite tact and takes the doe out into the middle of a wide-open section and stands over her there, all the while protecting her from rival bucks.

Lockdown is not my favorite time to hunt, but by putting in the hours and not giving up, I've taken some fine bucks during this last phase of the rut. There is no reason you cannot do the same.

Of course, if you happen to hunt one of those special places where does and bucks of breeding age are similar in numbers, lockdown won't hurt much because there are enough bucks seeking a hot doe, that you will likely see plenty of buck movement. But for most of us, this is not the case. So what do you do then? Well, you have a choice. You can go home, curse your bad timing and sulk for awhile, or you can make the best of a bad situation. I've chosen the latter many times and a few times it has paid off with a shot at a very nice buck.