The only thing consistent about the whitetail rut
is that it is inconsistent.
I’ve seen good rut years where we’ve got inches of snow, and others where I’m hunting in a t-shirt. I’ve seen full blown aggressive ruts that last the first two weeks of November, and I’ve seen some weaker years stretch from late October through early December. Hunt long enough and you’ll eventually see it all. Regardless of what this years rut has in store for us, one thing is certain, ScentBlocker has gear for it.
Warm Rut
First and foremost, safety is crucial . If this years rut is warm, I’ll be wearing my Featherlite SpiderWeb safety apparel. With a 1.5 baselayer pant and shirt combination, the Featherlite bibs will effortlessly be worn for maximum range of movement with absolutely no noise. Another cool thing about the Featherlite SpiderWeb is that it can be used as a baselayer allowing for a safe hunt regardless of the weather. I also plan to hunt in the new Beast Ghillie Suit as often as possible. The Beast has generous enough room in it to be worn over anything, or used alone. Top off this warm scent control gear package with Versa headgear/facemask and some Trinity gloves, and you’ll be invisible in the woods while others are stinking like a high school football locker room.
ScentBlocker President Scott Shultz killed this gigantic Iowa whitetail buck during ideal cool rut conditions.Ideal Rut
Ideally, the end of October will bring nice, cold fall weather with it. I love to hunt the rut where the daytime highs are in the 40’s, and the evenings are dropping into the 20’s and 30’s. In this type of weather scenario, the deer don’t have any issues moving all day long. Generally when the weather is too warm or humid, they tend to move at night more often. Come November, the deer have their winter coats on and I equate their rut to me running a marathon. I’d rather not run a marathon in 70 degree weather wearing my cold weather gear.
For the ideal rut weather, I like to start with my Merino wool baselayers for a few reasons. First, they are incredibly comfortable, and second, Merino wool is naturally antibacterial. Also the Merino wool baselayers have S3 antimicrobial treatment as a one-two punch against odors forming. All day sits on the stand tend to make a hunter smell like a truck-stop, so not only will the wool keep me warm, but it helps fight the war on stink at the front-lines.
Next, I’ll throw on some of my scent free underclothes like a pair of jeans or my Lifestyle Recon pants, and a hooded sweatshirt. After that, I will wear my Outfitter SpiderWeb, and generally my Outfitter jacket. If it’s raining, windy, or both, ScentBlocker Outfitter gear is also rain and wind proof.
I haven’t had a chance yet to kill a buck in my Northern Extreme gear… but it works great for winter coyote hunting.Cold Rut
Now this is a delicate situation. When it is the rut, and the daytime temps are running below the 20’s, I like to pull out my Northern Extreme gear. I love this gear for many reasons. First, it is a reversible camouflage pattern, for snow or woodlands. Second, the Northern Extreme gear is incredibly warm. The tricky part of the Northern Extreme gear is accessing the stand. I’ll wear my Featherlite SpiderWeb, and a sweatshirt as my underclothes. I then hike to the stand, and THEN get completely dressed in the Northern Extreme gear. I wore the Northern Extreme gear once on a sub zero goose hunt, and it was too warm to hike in. What a problem!
Closing Thoughts
We hunters live for the magical period each fall known as the rut. We’re also control freaks, and the more we have control over, the more we can stack the odds in our favor. With the variety of ScentBlocker base-layer and external gear options, there’s no excuse to be unprepared this season. As always, be safe, good luck, and send us pictures with your trophy, your smile, and the shield!
