The Traditional first week of November rut was foreign to me until I actually hunted the Midwest. As a resident Mississippian, that hallowed week looks a lot like the month of October. Unless we get a cold front, temps might even reach the mid-80s. For me and my southern counterparts, New Year’s Day typically aligns with peak rut activity. Of course, the South is a weird place, and that includes deer hunting.
Depending on where you’re at, you might see peak rut activity in Mississippi or Alabama anywhere from Thanksgiving Day to early February. While most folks in deer country have put a bow on their season by then, things are just heating up down South. Whether you’re looking to escape cabin fever or prolong your deer season, here’s a few things to consider about chasing the rut down South.
Pin Down Rut Dates
Depending on when and where you travel will determine which part of the rut you hit. Some states put out maps with approximate regional rut dates. You can also call the lead biologists for specific public lands to figure out the breeding dates.
This is important because peak rut times can vary as much as a few weeks in places that lie just thirty minutes apart. This means that resident hunters can find rutting activity within driving distance from the end of November to the beginning of February. But that’s good news for all you snowbirds, too. You’ll have plenty of flexible dates if you decide to head south for some extended rut hunting this winter.
The Wild, Wild, South?
Because the rut runs so late in southern states, it usually coincides with most gun seasons. This might come as a shocker to die-hard bow hunters. Gun hunting culture in the South differs in this way. Other than a few “primitive weapon” seasons here and there, gun season largely dominates late November through the end of the season, almost two months.
Of course, you can target archery-only areas, but most places are open for gun season during peak rut activity. Some public grounds even allow deer hunting with dogs. This doesn’t mean you can’t find bowhunting success in the midst of the orange sea, just make sure you check the local regulations before planning your trip.
Same Rules Apply, Just Differently
Other than the time of year, the rut down South follows (mostly) the same rules. You’ll want to apply similar tactics to kill a cruising buck as you would anywhere else in the country. When you start e-scouting, look for funnels, potential bedding areas, and places where you can get away from the crowds, or that might be grossly overlooked.
In flat, monotonous regions, you’ll want to focus on edges. These can be tricky to find on maps, so get ready to burn some boot leather or try still-hunting your way through a large piece of public.
Unlike most of the country, the South’s rut heats up in winter, not early fall. While the temps might resemble the fall days of the Midwest, you’ll still deal with leaf-off conditions and late-season food sources.
In a bumper crop year, you might be able to target red oak and any remaining water oak acorns during the month of December. During scarce years or January hunts, most deer resort to natural browse or, yes, even food plots. So while this won’t drastically alter how you approach buck hunting, it can alter how you target doe groups. If you locate fresh feeding sign this time of year, it’s worth noting. If not, you should focus on bedding, which can be a failsafe tactic during the rut.
Cover is King
If you’ve never hunted below the Mason-Dixon, just know there’s no shortage of cover. This double-edged sword means that deer have ample bedding and browse, which also makes it hard to locate specific bucks, if you’re into that kind of thing. This also makes it challenging to see deer, even though a lot of southern states have high deer densities.
For instance, Mississippi boasts the largest deer density in the country, with somewhere between 36 to 38 deer per square mile. But, if you’ve ever driven through the state, you know you’re lucky if you can see more than thirty yards off the road unless you’re in the famed delta region.
A lot of the Gulf Coast states have similar issues thanks to the thick vegetation and understory in much of the pine country. In that regard, the South serves as the antithesis of typical Midwestern ag country.
Think of it this way, in ag country, cover is the limiting factor, while the majority of the landscape consists of large, open crop fields. In the South, it’s just the opposite. There is no glassing from the roads. Sure, you might watch a buck cross a pasture, but good luck trying to pin down which bedding area he’s heading to. Still, the state boasts one of the nation’s largest deer populations, and those deer have to bed somewhere.
Yes, you can take the downwind-of-bedding approach and set up on the outskirts of a young (two to four year-old) pine stand. Most does hunker down in these clear cuts during this time of year. Bucks will cruise downwind of these stands or use an SMZ to travel through them. You can read more about an SMZ here, but they’re dynamite rut spots down South. They’re essentially pinch points that offer food in the middle of prime bedding areas.
Either way, locate the thickest cover with the freshest sign, and you’ll put yourself in a good position. And that tactic applies no matter where you hunt.
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