Hunting November – The Glory Days

LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015

The glory days are upon us, November is the Rut month here in western New York. Based on all visual data I have been seeing and comparing with other hunters and property managers like Craig and Neil Dougherty, this is the week to be in the woods!

The mature bucks are starting to get on their feet and look for estrus does. The doe family groups are busting up and bucks are seeking them out in transition areas, and thick corridors.

I myself have been watching a nice 150” class 10 pointer tend a doe for the last two days. He won’t leave her side for anything, not even the tender greens of the brassica food plot not even 50 yards from where he is holding her.

This Imperial Whitetail Winter Greens Brassica plot was put in on August 1, 2008 and is under-seeded with Imperial Whitetail Clover. The plot came up well this fall given the amount of rain we had in western New York. Successful plots like this help keep that big buck centralized on your property.  

There are a couple of nice rubs in this direct area.

This rub is found on the edge of a travel corridor next to a creek bottom. Rubs like this are common clues to where a buck is traveling from food source to bedding area.

I have seen him chase away a few nice other bucks that are shooters as well.

I am off to hit the stand for a long afternoon sit…in hopes that the glory days will pay off for me. Plus if I get extremely lucky, mabey this guy will happen by.

 

 

 

This trail cam photo was taken along the same Imperial Brassica field back in early October. Black Bears have been expanding their range so much in New York State that this year the state opened up new hunting zones for them.