HUNTING THE CHASE-PHASE TRANSITION
Immediately following the cruising transition is the chase phase of the rut, and the action will begin to kick into high gear. During this transition, a limited number of older does in the herd are hitting their estrous cycle, which really places buck-to-estrous-doe ratios about where they need to be for hunters. You will also find bucks chasing or harassing does that are on the verge of starting their estrous cycles. These bucks have reached a point where they can't wait any longer to breed.

Focusing on funnels that connect doe feeding-to-bedding areas are key places to ambush bucks chasing or harassing does. Pinch points, saddles, mountain gaps and even fence lines that connect woodlots to food sources can be phenomenal places to hang a stand or setup a ground blind.

Once again, hitting bucks with rattling, grunting and snort wheezing can generate some action. Last season, I had some unbelievable encounters with a combination of doe and buck decoys along with dominant buck urine and estrous doe scent applications. This deadly combo seemed to really strike a jealous nerve among mature bucks looking to defend their territory.

HUNTING THE BREEDING TRANSITION
The breeding transition of the rut is when bucks are locked down with estrous does and mating is actually taking place on a regular basis. This is when bucks are lovesick, henpecked and extremely vulnerable. In fact, a buck will practically follow a hot doe wherever she takes the notion to go, even if it's across wide-open fields, busy roads or someone's backyard. Without a doubt, the urgency to breed gets a lot of veteran bucks killed during the fall. It's amazing how mature bucks that were previously operating in stealth mode and staring primarily at night temporarily lose their cool during this transition.

The golden rule to hunting the breeding transition of the rut is to make sure you are where the does are. Focusing on scrape lines or rub lines generally will not be your best bet at this point of the season. In fact, you're better off ignoring buck sign and concentrating on patterning the does. Hanging stands overlooking known doe bedding areas or hangouts can generate some action-packed trips during the rut.

Carefully placing a doe decoy in plain view of these hotspots, along with adding estrous scents, can lure a big boy right into a cleared shooting lane. I also like to utilize estrous doe bleats and breeding bellows with this setup. Basically, this allows me to exploit all three senses of a buck by attacking its eyes, nose and ears.

A PERIOD OF CHANGE
Whitetail behavior will undergo about three major changes immediately after the breeding transition of the rut. This period is commonly referred to as the post-rut, but you better be ready to adapt and adjust your strategies if you want to score during this challenging phase of the season. As soon as the first breeding phase of the rut fizzles out, bucks will hit a lull period followed by the secondary rut transition and ending with the post-rut or late-season transition. The following strategies will allow you to capitalize on each of these three transitional phases that occur during the post-rut period.