Summer has passed; the leaves are in peak color and hunters are choosing their targets during what is called the pre-rut. The bucks become less nocturnal, and it is the smart time to start learning their routine before things start to heat up. If you’ve been sitting back, waiting for the right time to get in the hunt, now is the time to study your targets and set a strategy for success.
Pre-rut is a bow hunter’s favorite time to be in the woods. If you’ve found yourself in a downturn lately, follow the lead of the bow hunter and use this time to observe and gather intelligence from the activity going on around you. Information taken from reading the signs of the woods around you can be the difference between a walk among the trees and a successful hunt.
I have my pre-rut rituals, the gear I always wear, the way I pack my cooler, when I head out and when I head home. This year, I’m mixing it up. New bow. New arrows. New camo. I am a hunter reborn, ready to pivot on my old plan and embrace something new.
As the leaves continue to drop, this is the right time to adjust your plan, tighten up your strategy and get focused on your Desired Outcome. My DO this weekend, instead of watching Star Wars with my boys, I’m headed north with my oldest son, Hunter, to get into the woods and do some scouting in the beautiful but hard-to-hunt northern Michigan. We will watch for grey ghosts and set the stage for what I hope is our first shared trophy. I will use my time in the tree stand to connect with Hunter and consider how I can use this late fall time to maximize tracking skills across all areas of my life. The hunt is on!
