Ron Steffe

This past Saturday afternoon, the final day of the Pennsylvania season for hunting deer with rifles, found me in a climbing-stand on a hillside watching a flat bottom for the appearance of deer. 
It was a cloudy day, and when I parked my truck to head to the stand, the vehicle’s instrument panel read 48 degrees. A slight breeze moved from a southwest direction, meaning any deer I would see below would not be able to catch my scent. 

Over the past three weeks I’ve done a lot of archery hunting for whitetails, especially the past two weeks, which was that special period of time when love-worn bucks would be seeking females to spread their genetic makeup.  
I hunt with a companion who takes a week’s vacation from his job to pursue male deer during this heightened timeframe of encountering a roaming buck at any daylight hour.

Just about all deer experts, both hunters and the science-based research variety, agree that the breeding between female and male whitetails can be broken down into three separate phases.  
First is the “pre rut,” which is called by some as the chasing phase. This is not when bucks are following does that are close to their 24–36-hour estrous period, but rather a timeframe when days shorten, and bucks are first feeling the oncoming urge to secure the passing of their genetic makeup. This phase includes heavy rubbing, scape making, locking antlers with other bucks and chasing both younger deer and older females for short distances. These signs and actions may be noticed at any time now when afield.