00:00:02 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, your home for deer hunting news, stories and strategies, and now your host, Mark Kenyon. Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Podcast. I'm your host, Mark Kenyan, and this is episode number three five and today we're back with another episode of our rut Fresh radio miniseries which we're hearing from deer hunters all across the country on the latest deer activity, current conditions, and the tactics that are gonna help you right now. All right, welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, brought to you by Onyx, and welcome to November. It's here. We're here talking our rut Fresh radio episodes in which we're getting intel from all across the country and preparing you for the week ahead. And the week ahead is the first full week in November. Uh hopefully, hopefully good things ahead. Spencer, Um, have you started your rut trip? I think you did right. I did my uh my first hunt on my rut trip was on Halloween and I've been at it every morning and afternoon since. Do you do you want to to Voulte House going so far at all? Or is that for another time? You know what? I'll briefly touch on it, and it's, um, probably the same thing that you're gonna say about your Michigan hunting and a lot of the same stuff that you're gonna hear from our guests this week. Um, but it's been really warm, but it is still the rut. Weather be damned dear, you're gonna move. Moonbe damn dear, You're gonna move. Um, it's still the rut. This is still the best two week period of the year to be hunting. But maybe instead of it being like a smashing eleven out of ten for deep movement, it's right around like an eight or nine because it is so damn hot. And the last time it was this hot in the November. I looked it up, Mark, was last election day in I'm sure we talked about it on that episode as well. Um, But like I said, it's still the r This is still the best time of the year to be a white tail hunter. And the forecast looks promising for this coming weekend. And I think everybody right now in the Midwest in the East is talking about this warm spell that we have. And I know you've talked about this before, Mark, and you recently touched on it on an article on the mediator dot com where you were in Iowa and some warm weather rolled through and you packed up and headed home a little bit early. And that story kind of brings me some comfort for what I'm experiencing right now, and so I'd love for you to share that again, how that went and what happened. Well. Yeah, so this was back in my younger year, Spencer, when I was floating like a milk weed in the breeze and uh letting, letting the whims of the weather or other things get me too worried during the rut. And so I was out on an out of state trip to Iowa, like you mentioned, and had a big warm spell come through, and I was thinking, well, you know, maybe I should take this time and go home and you know, do some honey doo stuff or something. And it was like November. I don't remember the exact dates, but somewhere in November, and foolishly I took a couple of days off because of that warm weather and was gonna come right back two days later. And during those two days I was gone, three of my buddies all filled their tags on like seventy seventy degree days. And that just was the nail on the coffin for me to never let warm weather get me too depressed during the rut, because anything is possible. Sure, the middle of the day might be warm, but there's still gonna be activity, especially early morning and in the evening. Um, it's still gonna be happening. I think the one noticeable difference, at least the most noticeable difference I've seen, is that that midday period is much more suppressed than otherwise. It might be UM, but otherwise it's still going to be the rut. So yeah, I don't like this weather. Our our forecast in Michigan is is not really great until next week. We've got mid upper sixties all the way to seventy um, all the way until November nine, UM, so that takes us all the way to Tuesday. So not a very promising forecast. But I'm still gonna be out there. I would encourage everyone with a similar forecast to still be out there, because you know, it's magical time period. Even if we're not gonna have those crisp, cold mornings like we want. The bucks don't care. They've got one thing on their mind, and it's not the forecast. Honestly, Mark, this is maybe like the least important, the least helpful episode of the year that will have you. You're really good at selling this one. Man. Well, I'm saying off, folks, it's not that you could. You could in the podcast off right now and still into the woods this weekend and be really confident that the deer are going to be moving because it's that time of year. And that's just the point that I want to drive home about this other stuff that weather, moon, um, all that stuff. You can ignore it, look at it, and maybe it'll make you more confident when you hit the woods, but don't let it affect things too much. Now, tell me this, though, Spenser, Am I right that the people that we're gonna talk to here today, regardless of if they're gonna tell us some kind of conditioned thing that's gonna inspire us. More importantly, they're gonna give us some tactics that will help us regardless of warm weather. YadA, YadA, YadA. Right, So there is still a reason to listen. Definitely, the four people that we talked to you this week, uh In Nate Crick from Identical Draw in Kansas, John Teeter in New York from white Tail Landscapes, Josh Smith from Wild Carrot Deer Attracted in Kentucky, and then in South Dakota, Sam Sohold from Public Land. We should probably share our dear activity ratings spencer since we've both been out, why not add to the UH average across all these different states. Do you want to give me on a one to ten scale Spencer, how's the dear activity in South Dakota been? Like you had said before, Mark, I think it is still really strong in the mornings, in the evenings um where I would say it's like an eight or nine out of ten right now. But midday I'm just not seeing a lot of movement in person. I'm not seeing it on my trail cameras. It seems like the bucks for the most part are functioning like their crispuscular um and that it's very similar to what you'd see maybe in like the October range, which is okay. It's it's still great hunting, but because of that warm weather, you're just not getting like the crazy UH scenes that you would expect for the rut. I would give it here in Michigan in that eight eight range eight to nine range, um you know I've been seeing I have seen some midday activity. Um. I did see a mature buck move at eleven o'clock the other day. UM, a lot of chasing. I've seen bucks locked on. Does I saw buck brida dough? Uh? So all that stuff is happening. Um, it's it's just uh, you know, I wouldn't give it a full time out of ten yet because I haven't killed one. I guess. And something that I'm gonna ask each one of our guests this week, mark is what is your ideal rutt hunting setup? And and I haven't paid a picture for me as far as like what the terrain is like, why they're there, um, why they think a buck will show up there, all that kind of stuff. So you tell me what is like your ideal November four set up in Michigan. Man, I want the Venn diagram of rutt hunting setups, which would be a doe betting area and a pinch point combined, right, because you think of like those your two main types of rut setups that you would usually point folks towards. So I want the two of those together in the same place. So I want there to be a spot where I could be downwind of dough betting, but also for some reason, this place also pinches down, So there's a reason that dey're going to come through then to come through downwind of that betting area to check for doughs. So that's happening. But then there's gonna be some kind of constriction that forces all those bucks to pass through within range of my stand. So I don't know, Maybe that is uh a section where there's a steep ridge, maybe, and nothing's gonna go off to the one side because it's it's so steep. Everything's gonna come just within forty fifty yards on my up wind side where there's this dough betting area, and to get down wind of it, they have to be in this thirty wide swatch just above that ridge side. Is I don't know a random example I'm thinking of, but but something like that is that deal in my eyes. Um, being down one of a doe betting there is great. Being a pinch point is great. But when you can get it all there together, that's that's a recipe for success. This is like a really simplistic way to think about it, But I want there to be a reason to have like two way traffic for bucks that they could come from either direction down any trail morning or evening or midday. And you know, usually that means that there's, like you said, there's that bend diagram of of everything is there. You want like there to be a pinch point and doe betting, or you want there to be um an area that's lit up with sign and there's buck betting. You want there to be one area where all the deer cross the creek, plus some sort of hot food source or something like that. All that I mean by that is that like you're not hunting a field edge where traffic is gonna come from one direction, or you're not hunting this scrape line um that eats out to a field edge or something like that. So getting an area where sign is congregated, where betting is congregated, those sorts of things and marketing articles in the past, and I know you wrote one last year that was called the Rules of the Rut and basically you said, there's the kiss system. Keep it simple, stupid, uh and and just look for like these couple of things during the rut and you're gonna be totally fine. Um. And if you're still not feeling prepared for the rout if this podcast doesn't do it, uh, and whatever else you've consumed for this coming weekend, there's some other articles that you should go to the media dot com and read. We have three reasons why hunters failed during their route that Tony Peterson wrote, um, And when I was editing that, it felt like I had been seen by Tony for for the things that he talked about. So I think a lot of hunters can benefit from that. Something else that Tony had recently wrote for us was how to in season scout for deer. Uh. If you're not prepared for their rut and you're hitting the woods this weekend you're looking to kill a buck, that article can offer you some great advice. Are there any podcast mark that people should pay attention to for rudd hunting tips from Wired to Hunt? Yeah, we got a lot of them, but I'll tell you that the two that are that had one that just came out with Andrew de Quisto. Definitely listen to that one if you haven't already. And then tomorrow we've got a really good one coming out with Aaron Warburton and Greg Clements from the Hunting Public All about the rut, So be sure to tune in tomorrow for that one. Uh, and then some throwbacks if you go and search for Wired Hunting podcast. We had one with Will Primos. If you're hunt in the South at all, there's some great Southern run hunting tactics in that one. We had a really good one with Don Higgins a number of years ago. Great one with Jared Mills not too long ago. So if you just google Wired to Hunt and RUT podcast, you'll be able to find a whole bunch of episodes like that where we cover these details, lots of great strategies and tactics for you. UM, pump them all up, listen to them when you're driving to deer camp or wherever you're going, and uh, you'll be well armed to fill that tag. All right, Mark, Well, I think that is enough from us. Uh. Happy November, Happy rut sounds good. All of our interviews this week are presented by a Trophy Ridge. Make sure to check out their full line above sides featuring their React technology. After just two pin adjustments, React technology delivers dead certain accuracy at any distance. I have the React Trio. It's the favorite site that I've ever owned. It's perfect for when I'm out west or doing a traditional white tail haunt from a tree stand. Check out all of their sites at trophy Ridge dot com. Alright, and joining us on the line first is Nate Crick from Identical draw in Kansas. Now Nate in Kansas. What would you say the buck activity has been lately? On a scale of one to ten, I would say the buctivity has been a seven lately. I mean, you can't beat the first week in November getting into it. Um. But I would say these warm temps, I mean crazy warm temps have definitely demper the movement a little bit. So are you seeing any bucks moving in midday or is everything in the mornings and evenings nocturnal? Right now? Um? Right now? At least the last few days, things have really gone nocturnal. Today on cameras was probably the slowest day as far as daylight movement. We have cellular cameras so we're able to get that quick feed, and today was probably the slowest day we've had on trail camera for daylight movements since the beginning of October. We're just saying something, so yeah, um, we're still seeing buck movement, but a lot of it has turned nocked. Now. I know you have some destination food sources on your acres in Kansas. How did those destination food sources facts you're into your rut setups. We definitely pay attention to the food source right now. I don't think that's the number one thing on these Bucks minds, of course, um. But as far as picking the spot, we definitely, um think about the food sources on our property when picking the spot. If we can figure out, of course, the rut. Right now, we're focused on Buck travel and just figuring out those pinch points. But if we can find one of those places that also is closer to one of these food sources where a lot of doughs could possibly be hanging out, we're going to be hitting up that spot hunt in that area. Nate, tell me what the ideal rut set up looks like for you? Uh, what are you looking for in that area? Why do you think Bucks are going to be there? And if you're in a tree stand on November four, what does it look like? Yeah? So, I me and my brother actually just hung a stands out I think is one of our most ideal sets we've ever hung. And it goes like this, basically run a ridgeline um with oaks. Our stand is actually in an oak and directly bab beneath us to the east. We've got really great betting. Were actually hanging this set. We bumped a really nice buck out of it, just a light bump. Um. We're able to get into the tree without disturbing too much. But we know that area is going to be full of dos and there's also a pocket of buck betting where he's found sheds from previous year's shed hunting it. But the other thing that plays a role kind of like what I was talking about earlier, is one of our foot pots with beans in Braska's is only about seventy six seventy yard arts to the west, so you have food source there with the oak ridge line and also really thick bedding there. So um, it provides really good travel, food sources and bedding basically everything you need in a money red spot. You just mentioned your trail cameras. As we get into peak rot, where are you running most of your cameras? Yeah, right now, it's all about to travel, So I'm putting those places in just places that the funneled deer um ridgelines, but also pinch points on um on field edges, things like that, really good timber draws we have next to creek that runs next for a property that will keep dear from accessing that other side. Things like that on the edge of really thick bedding. Our best cameras right now are not on food sources, but they're on scrapes in timber and on those pinch points you just mentioned signmaking. How much longer is that going to be relevant for your setups in Kansas? Yeah, Like when I mentioned that most ideal rot set up, there aren't a ton There isn't a ton of sign in that area. There's a few um scrapes and a handful of routes that you could possibly see from the tree stand. But really, UM, that always plays a good role during this time of the year. But I'm I'm really trying to get away from that this time of the year. Not necessarily way, but I'm not focusing on as much. I'm really just focusing on those travel routes. You could throw a scrape or a rub in that area. That's great. UM. As far as crake camps go, we've seen scrape action continue really good it's un nocturnal with these warm temperatures. But I also walking the property in the last few days, I saw those first really big routs pop up. Um, which is a good sign. Bucks around move and making signs. In big egg country, the harvest status can positively or negatively affect the rought. What is that harvest status right now in Kansas for you? Um, basically all the beans around us seem to be picked. Um, there's still some corn standing that's actually up a little later than usual, it seems. But um, I think it's going to be just another normal year with the with the crops. Um. The biggest thing that we've seen it just these warm temps. I don't know. Um, the crops seem to be the just like normal. I mean when they're in, when the standing corners in, it's definitely attracting gear towards those areas. But um, it hasn't been anything more unusual than any other years. I say, the biggest thing is just these temps. I mean the first week in November today hit eighty degrees. So I think that's the biggest thing playing a role right now. Do you do any decoying during the rut? Uh? No, we haven't. Uh, it's interesting, but our part of our part of Kansas, we've we have never rattled in the mature bucks. So the decoy we've always we've never never had any success with it and never really used it a whole lot, just because, Um, we just haven't had success with the call and we have grunted bucks in but no, I haven't gotten into the decoy thing. Going forward. Then, in a sex week or so, what do you think that bucket activt is going to be on a scale of to ten in Kansas? The next week? The next four or five days look to be warm, which is not ideal. Um, you can't beat the first week in November. I mean that is usually prime time across the Midwest, especially Kansas. But I would say it's probably gonna be staying that seven seven out of ten. Um, right, I'd love to give it higher with it being the first week in November, but I mean, these warm TIMPs being in the seventy eight degrees, it's shut down trail camp activity and activity that we've seen out hunting. So next week temperatures are dropping. I expect you to be much better that time. All right, Nate, Well, good luck to you and your brother. I'll be following along at identical draw. Thanks for joining me alright and joining us on the line. Next is John Teeter from White Tail Landscapes in New York. Now, John in New York, what would you say the buck activities been lately on a scale of one to ten? Yeah, I'd say the past week there was definitely an intense change, and I'd say probably rolls up to maybe a seven or eight probably in the Scott d more appropriate based upon the volume movement, a lot of midday movement, transition stuff, see the changes where you know you're starting to do a lot of seeking and kind of working to their advantage at this point finding. Uh, you know where the dolls like to be. They're starting to seek things out, and you know the breedings be gone at this point. So, John, how can somebody identify a doll betting area if they're sort of new to a property and they're hitting it for the first time and doing some in season scouting during the rut. Yeah, in season scouting is is uh, definitely gives you the advantage to knowing what's going on. A lot of times you'll kick out dose in those specific areas. That's a that's a clear indication usually adjacent to food and and food tends to be less of a focus area. At this point, the does become a bit more scattered. Uh. You know, they're they're starting to get chased. The hunting pressure is a factor and some of that, but you're starting to see a decline in interest in food, and cover starts to become ing uh. And and you know, larger areas of cover that are a bit isolated, You'll start to see those frequent those areas a little bit more often than they normally do, just to kind of escape the pressure of the bucks that are after them. So that's probably the first step I would give. Now, do the same thing for buck betting. If somebody is just hitting the woods in a new area for the first time, how can they identify a buck's bed? You know, the buck betting intends to be isolated a lot of times. You know, with the leaf drop as of recent if you get a lot of change in thermals and the wind shifts in those areas, that penetrates a little bit deeper. So wind based betting and thermal betting is a huge component of kind of where the bucks are going to lay up posibly on hillsides and open terrain. They also want visual acuity, so they want to be able to see some distances away. Um, those things start to go away as the rut was fairing to creep into the ruts, so you know they're moving more frequently. You're almost on their feet, you know, twenty four hours a day to some degree depending on the intensity, and you know the available those that that they're seeking. So that's you'll start to see a change and shift to that. How deep into the rut is signmaking relevant for you in New York? You know, I try to be a little bit more predictive, so I'm not relying on that type of data. But if you're going in and you're you're hunting an area you know for the first time, you know, it's kind of good to start off looking even at the scrape to see what the available tracks and sizes of tracts. That's that's the first indicator, you know, the sign. Last week, you know, the scrape activity was kind of at an all time hi high and it's just going to start to decline. It'll have them flow. But the rub activities increased this week. I've seen many more rubs in the woods while I'm coming and going and and so that that's an indicator to me that they're they're they're kind of on the tails of transitioning in one area to the next and focusing on, you know, seeing what those are in instress and in stress ready ready to be read. So that's that's kind of the next phase of things. John. If somebody is looking to manipulate their property to have it be set up really really well for peak rot, what would that look like. What are some things that a landowner can do to get their property ready for November? Yeah, I think I think the big thing is, like I said earlier, when when you're starting to transition, you know, the cover type and habitat types are are critical. Having a lot of availability of food, uh and and food in an example, blackberries, um, you know, the BlackBerry leaves, um, those are those are good example, while plumb those type of sources of food within the betting areas are are really critical. So introduct introducing a component of food within these betting areas and betting areas, you know, and using the design process or anywhere between you know, one to three acres in size. Sometimes they're larger depending on their location, but having a larger pocket of cover uh. And and that it's beneficial because as the bucks go in, they don't they don't necessarily able to win check an entire area, so as they cruise, not necessarily having to use wind fully to assess what's going on in those areas, will actually actually have to work those areas and seek them out. And from a hunting perspective, you can take complete advantage of that. Defining their entry and exits in those areas are critical because at that point you'll be able to kind of pinpoint how they leave and enter a location. And and then that really makes the hunting that much easier. So that that's a that's a big component of it. John, What is your ideal RUT set up look like for the second weekend in November in New York. That's a good question. Um. An ideal set up for me would be, m I'm a fringe person. I'm always hunting in a bringe. So what that generally means to me is usually connection point between two betting areas. Usually as a key key focus point. UM. I like to be uh, you know, not within the betting uh, just on the edge. Of the betting. Uh and in a position where you know, I could potentially be you know that wind of deer and so as they're up when you know they're kind of penetrating these airs and and uh, you know, you know it's I'm able to to uh you know, either attract them from an identification standpoint, or call them or or relay you know, some type of calling to them. So sequencely they're able to come into the property and I'm able to get a shot at them. So that's that's kind of my ideal location. So just staying on the fringes and attacking the meter fringes, not necessarily penetrating the betting areas. So that's that's my ideal set up going forward. Then in the sex week or so, what do you think that bucket TV is going to be on the scale of one to ten in New York? I think, uh, it's start. It's gonna warm up, so you're gonna see a little less activity in the afternoons, a lot of intense activity in the morning. Um, you know, towards the later half of this week into the sixth, seventh, and eighth, I mean that's just peak time. Um, you know, deer coming off their usually they're there their second extra Still, uh, the intensity increases, the competition depending on her dynamics could go you know, through the roof. But they're going to get a lot of movement this weekend. So this weekend is gonna be gonna be primetime. All right, John, that's great info. Thanks to your time and good luck this year. Thanks man, you too, alright, and joining us on the line next is Josh Smith from Wildcare Deer Attractive in Kentucky. Now, Josh in Kentucky, what would you say the bucket activity is ben lately on a scale of one to ten, well as recently as this past weekend when I was hunting, I would I would say it was a six daytime activity. Wasn't super hot, it was we had high winds, it was a little warm until Monday morning we had frost and things cooled off, and uh, you know, you can kind of see the uptick and movement during the day. But also, um, this past weekend and the moonlight is shining bright all night, so I always, you know, tend to think that that has a little bit of an effect on daytime activity. And when it sat bright at night and I feel like they're a little more knock eternal, and uh, our cams would kind of suggest that we've been having obviously a lot more nighttime activity on them than daytime. But uh, you know, it's the ruts here, It's it's kicking off and and you never know what could happen. So anytime getting the trees a good time in Kentucky, when do you historically start seeing some midday movement from mature bucks? Oh, it could be anywhere from you know, I try to think of Halloween as kind of the jumping off point for where we're at at uh, and and that's kind of when you want to start spending as much time a tree as possible, because you know, you might be starting Halloween and the few days after that you might not see much daytime activity, or you might you just don't really know, And obviously kind of keep weather and and uh, moon phases in mind when you're making your decisions, but you know, Halloween through the middle of November, you just kind of not how in yourself if you're not in a tree. Now. As the owner of a scent company, I know you're a huge advocate for using sense during the rut, So tell me about what your strategy is with different urine during peak rut. Well, for in the peak of the run, I'd like to use I'll take one of our dough and estrus and one of our rutting buck, which is a dominant buck scent, and I'll clip both of them onto my drag and drag them in together to kind of simulate the chase. Is one of my favorite things to do. It's been proven to be effective. I shot a nice buck in Kentucky figures back doing that. UM came in nose down on my cent trail, and I've just always had good success, good luck with that, so it's kind of my go to. UM. You know, you're trying to shine away from cover sense this time of year. You want to be UH taking as much control as you can, kind of taken advantage of the situation where UH bucks are a little more aggressive and kind of use that to your advantage. You mentioned your trail cameras earlier. Where do you have a lot of your trail cameras as we get into early in mid November, primarily travel routes. UM, We're trying to locate any any corridors between betting h in any isolated food sources, which we still have standing beams and standing corn both on the Kentucky properties, So you're it makes it a little easier and a little tougher at the same time to kind of isolate those corridors because they've got a vast variety of food still. Um, they are also hitting acorns, which we have as well. So the key is just kind of figuring out what those travel corridors are, and we try to set up cams on sites that are producing, you know, just kind of using common sense and and locating as best we can the highest traveler UH the highest usage on travel routes to capitalize with our trail camera setups. Josh telling you about what your ideal RUTS set up is for the second weekend in November in Kentucky, Well, ideally I'd be doing a gripping grand right now, but since that's not on the table. Um. No, Just like I mentioned, you know, you want to work those travel corridors as much as possible. You want to stick tight to UH dough betting as much as you can. You know, you want to know where your doughs are and you'll know where your bucks are this time of year. So that's kind of what we do as a rule of thumb, you know, so just keeping in mind doe betting, where they're betting at, and also food sources and travel corridors and kind of uh putting all that together and make a plan going forward. Then in the sex week or so, what do you think that bucket activity is going to be on a scale of one to ten in Kentucky. Well, I'd say I think the breath's gonna be a little more progressed, so I feel like it'll be a little higher. We also are getting a kind of a warm front moving through. We had lows in the lower thirties this past weekend and this coming weekend the loads are going to be in the mid fifties. So it's a pretty significant jump in temperature. Um, so I feel like it will bump up. But I don't feel like it's going to bump up like crazy, you know. I normally I think if it weren't for the warm up, I would I would be more optimistic and say like a eight, but maybe seven, you know, so we'll see. I'm I'm still optimistic, and I think that activity is going to be up, So I just I'm just not sugure how much, but I would if I had to bet, I'd say not a ton. All right, Josh, Well, good luck and thanks for joining me. Yeah, man, thanks for having me Spencer alright and joining us on the line. Next is Sam sold in South Dakota from public Land Tease. Now, Sam in South Dakota, what would you say the bucket activity has been lately on a scale of one to ten, you know, I'd say right now, it's probably somewhere between a four and five. And it's typical in this state that I've seen if this is kind of really when it starts to kick off. So I have seen some younger bucks chasing pretty hard and saw one mature buck kind of follow a dough out into a field the other night. Um, but it's not all out. So there's there's definitely bucks moving, um that showed today, but it's not it's not all out yet. Now. Things changed fast during the rut and this morning, Sam, we were texting each other and at seven forty seven you said things were slow and you were going to be moving spots for the afternoon, And then at seven fifty three you texted me that you just killed one. So tell us about that set up and how that haunt went down. Yeah, So you and I are texted back and forth, and I had basically written off where I was sitting that morning, like everything about this everything about this morning was like it took me forever find the tree to hang in, just there wasn't a straight tree on the ridge. The wind was different than what was forecast, and so I was moving around and was just like to the point where I was like, oh, nothing's gonna roll into the spot. Well, I finally was finally got up in the tree after first light, and you and I were texting, and um, I sent that last message to ask if you were out hunting, and then I was like, God, it's kind of cool this morning. And I actually reached back and grabbed my bibs to put on, and I pulled him around and I was sitting down. I pulled him around in front of me, and I looked up and I saw him walking down the ridge, and so I just put the bibbs down between my feet on the tree stand and grabbed my bow, and uh, he ended up walking right down the ridge and a little bit I know, but I was there was a little bit of cover out on the end of this ridge, and he was just it must have been done, searching for chance, sent checking for dose or whatever for the night. And I was just coming back to bed and he walked into twenty two yards and I shot him. Um. So like better to be lucky than good sometimes I like it. Now, Sam, tell me about what your ideal RUTS setup is in South Dakota as we get into the second weekend of November. Yeah, so I'm really looking for stuff where I know that there are gonna be dose congregating. So looking for like thick betting cover, real nasty thickets, um, and transition lines between like bigger deciduous trees and say, you know, some sort of real thick cover, whether it be Russian olive, um, some more groundcover where I know there's probably gonna be does betting and bucks coming by to scent check is what I'm really looking for. Um. So it can be really small patches of that, but a lot of times I find bucks are you know, covering like big distances to go check these small pockets of cover, knowing that there's probably a dough or two in there. I know you have success using some really aggressive tactics this year you almost rattled in a buck recently. Um, a few years ago you decoyed one. And tell me about using decoys and calls during the rout. Yep, I love using both, um, and that you know, I figured I only have so many days to hunt each November, and if I'm if I'm going to get it done, sometimes you have to be You can't just always stand on the sideline looking in. Um. You gotta get really tight into stuff where you know there's gonna be bucks, and then you're using stuff like decoys. Has worked extremely well for me. I shot several deer over decoys and uh. Um, I think they can be in the right situations, can be in a very valuable tool. And I'm definitely not afraid to call rattling grunting. Um. You know, when the rut is really on, if you really get yourself into a situation where you're seeing a lot of running deer, it you know it can just be absolute madness where they're running around, grunting almost every breath, um and posturing to other deer and stuff. So I I find that you know it might see aggressive, but I'm basically mimic king like a deer being in like on fire rut activity. You're from North Dakota, you're hunting sal Dacota. You're headed to Kansas soon. What sort of food sources are you looking for in the Great Plane during November or is that not something that you focus on at all? Well, you know, I don't focus on food a ton other than finding food sources that are closed, like somewhat close to a bedding area where I know I'm going to be catching them coming back to bed. But because I hunt so much public ground, there's not typically a lot of food to focus on. And but if I am focusing on food, I'm typically looking for cornfield this time of year because it's a lot of them typically are getting harvested right now. Um, and so you know deer either we're living in them or are coming to them as they're cut fresh and eating stuff off the ground. Um. But yeah, definitely looking for cornfields when you do get to Kansas, it's gonna be mid November that time a year. What sort of stuff are you looking for when you're doing in season scouting? Yeah, so just looking for the freshest sign possible. Uh, going to be looking for you know, fresh rubs, fresh scrapes and you know, big big buck tracks, and yeah, I mean it's pretty much it like if I can find stuff that looks like you know, um, it seems like bucks down there typically like to rub bigger trees than I find up in up in the Midwest and are in the Great Plains, and so I'm looking for stuff that looks like it was just like really recently shredded up um in in thickets and stuff. Is kind of what I'm what I'm going off of, And obviously looking at pinch points and travel corridors where I know there's probably gonna be deer traveling through looking for does and estris and trying to find hot sign within those kind of small gaps to shoot through. Going forward. Then in the six week or so, what do you think that bucket ATV is going to be on a scale of one to ten in South Dakota. You know, I would say we are warmer than average weather right now, so uh, you know, typically it really kicks off here in the next few days, but with that cold front coming in kind of at the end of the weekend, I would say it's going to be you know, all the way maxed out by Monday or Tuesday next week, so probably like incrementally increasing over the next three to five days. All right, Sam, one jealous of your success, but congrats on the deer and good luck with the rest of your season. Thanks for joining me. Thanks man, And that concludes this week's episode of rut Fresh Radio. Thanks to Nate, John, Josh, and Sam for joining me, and thank you guys for listening. I'm stoked that the rut is here. Happy November to everyone listening. This only comes once a year, so I hope you hunt like it until next week, Stay wired to Hunt.