Deer Hunting The Rut Cruise Stage
As the rut nears, bucks will begin cruising the terrain in search of the first does to come into estrus. This time of the rut is known as the cruise stage.
The bucks will increase foot traffic during daytime hours. The bucks will often stay out longer during the morning and get on their feet earlier in the afternoon.
The rub lines and scrape lines will increase. The bucks will make the scrapes in areas that are frequented by the does. They will scent check these locations more often.
For the hunter, locating the rubs and active scrape lines while deer hunting will increase the odds for success. In most cases, these areas will be near doe food sources, bedding locations, and travel zones.
The use of decoys, grunt calls, and rattling antlers can also increase the chances of more buck sightings. The bucks will be more susceptible to responding to these types of setups.
Deer hunting during this early rut cruise stage of the rutting period can offer the hunter lots of excitement.
