Why You Need RutCast to Track Deer Movement During the Rut

What if you had a tool to help you find the ideal timing for your hunt during the rutting season? Experienced hunters can tell you that deer movement during the rut can be wildly different than early or late-season behavior.

So, a rut hunt requires a combination of the right timing, insights into different movement patterns and behavior, and patience. How can you get an edge on other hunters trying to figure out when and where to hunt during this season?

RutCast!

While the name of this HuntWise app feature almost speaks for itself (forecast the rut), let's talk about why you need RutCust for a successful rut hunt.  

What is the Rut?

As we mentioned, the rut is the peak breeding season for deer. During this time, hunters will see heightened activity from bucks looking for does to mate with.

There are three distinct phases of the rut, and each one requires different strategies to improve your chances of bringing home a buck.

These phases are:
 

• Pre-rut: During this phase, bucks establish dominance and begin seeking does.
• Peak rut: Get ready for lots of activity. Bucks are actively chasing and breeding with does.
• Post-rut: Activity calms down while bucks begin recovering.

There's plenty of opportunity for successful hunts in each of these phases, but your best bet is to use a tool that helps do a lot of the research and forecasting for you! RutCast takes the guesswork out of wondering which phase of the rut bucks are in in your area and helps you plan specific days and times to be in the field for your best chances of tagging out.

The Tools You Need to Successfully Hunt the Rut

The rut forecast doesn't have to be a mystery. Using the right tools can help you solve the mysteries of the rut and have your best hunts.

Let's focus on two must-have tools for hunting the rut.

1. HuntWise (and RutCast)

We have to start with the best tool for hunters, no matter when you want to hunt or what game you're after.

The HuntWise hunting app helps you determine your hunt area, mark important features when scouting, and become familiar with land features using various map layers (including LiDAR). It also helps you plan around the weather with our HuntCast and WindCast features.

Those features apply to any hunt at any time of year. Get specific animal movement forecasting insights by toggling the species you want to hunt within the app.

Why RutCast is "Next Level"

However, RutCast is specific to deer movement during the three rut phases. It is "the" tool that adjusts forecasting based on movements specific to the rut — in your area.

With these insights on a county-by-county level, you can time your hunts perfectly to the behavioral differences driven by the mating season.

RutCast factors in:

• Temperature
• Rut Intensity
• Wind Conditions
• Barometric Pressure
• Front Movements
• Moon Phases

With these insights, the app tells you the best time to be in the field. You can also use these insights to adjust your hunting strategies and make your time in the field more efficient (and successful).

2. Trail Cameras

Along with the insights RutCast delivers, trail cameras make tracking deer movement through the rut easier.

Using trail cams through mid-season and rut hunts helps put visuals to the rut forecast delivered through RutCast. Cams allow you to monitor changes in behavior for deer in your area without the risk of spooking bucks if you were to hang out in the field just to watch.

It can be a good idea to reposition your cams for mid-season shots compared to where you placed them during the off-season for pre-season and early-season scouting. Since deer move differently during the rut (as we've mentioned), it makes sense that your cams may need to move, too.

Don't forget to adjust your cam markers or pins in HuntWise, too, if you shift or move their locations. Add notes about the locations and any notable information to help you find them or move them again for scouting throughout the year.

Does RutCast Really Help During the Rut?

I've talked about how RutCast works and how it helps hunters improve their hunts during the deer mating season, but let's also hear from our friend and HuntWise Field Team hunter Cody Barhorst.

He has some insights into why RutCast may be the best feature in HuntWise for whitetail hunters!

He says:

"Now, the HuntWise feature that I think most whitetail hunters will love is the RutCast feature.

Obviously, whitetails come into the rut at various times in the fall and winter, depending on what part of the country you're in. It seems like every year you're trying to guess when the pre-rut is going to start, and bucks will start traveling more and being a little more reckless.

Then, when is the peak of the rut, and when should everything be going crazy? What about the post-rut and the secondary rut?

Well, with HuntCast, they've made it pretty easy to dial in when you can take more chances and be more aggressive and what days you absolutely need to be handing in your PTO so you can be in the stand.

Then, RutCast will map out all of the stages of the rut so that you do not have to guess and potentially blow that big buck you've been hunting over to the neighbors. RutCast will factor into the overall HuntCast and boost the percentage chance a deer will be up moving around during the day.

This will give you a much better chance to arrow a buck during that second rut that you always miss because you think they are hunkering down for the rest of winter."

There are many more excellent reasons to let HuntWise help you plan your hunt, especially at the Elite user level with full access to RutCast and everything in the app!

Zero In on Deer Movement During the Rut With RutCast

If you're lamenting that you missed out on the rut this season or you tried but just couldn't bring home a buck during the peak rut, let HuntWise help!

You may even have some time left in the season to get out for a post-rut hunt, but there's no need to guess about it. Check out RutCast and let our real-time rut forecast help you plan and maximize your opportunities to bring home a buck for a late-season, post-rut hunt.

If you already have HuntWise, you'll need to upgrade to an Elite subscription to access RutCast. Or, if you're a new user and you're ready to download and try HuntWise for the first time, sign up for your free 7-Day trial of Elite to get immediate access to RutCast!