Weeklong Archery Rut Hunt

Anyone take a week off work to hunt the rut with bow? Given my crazy home life, I’m considering hunting a whole week next season and that might be all I go. It seems like only hunting the weekends is harder on the family, but it also feels like it might be easier to get into the flow of hunting if I just give it hard for a week straight.

My job is fairly flexible so unless I am under some big deadlines, I might be able to take off right at the time that things are looking to heat up. If anyone has done this, do you think it works well or have you burned out after 3-4 all day sits? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

When I was a working man,i took off 2 weeks ,for the bow rut , did 3 weeks a couple times, but it was to much for me, and the boss . Taking extra time seems to take the time pressure off. Plus if you score early you got some of the best fishing of the year .. DK

A couple years back between bow and rifle I hunted parts of 14 days straight. Most days were rainy. I believe 6 or 7 were all day sits. Shot a doe with a rifle on day 13. Never had more fun. Hardest part for me was the morning drive. Getting up at 4ish to drive 40 min to the land. I’m not a morning person. Got into a good routine, had everything packed up the night before. Only decision to make was what stand to hit for morning. Kind of a dream to do it again soon.

I worked with a guy that would take a month off to bow hunt multiple states. It seemed crazy to me at time but I now see that there is not enough time in the fall and I wish I could have sep-dec off every year.

I just did this for the first time ever, not a whole week but I took last friday and then monday and Tuesday off which made for 5 days straight with the weekend. With school/daycare and my wife’s work schedule it was about the max I could do. I did end up shooting my biggest bow buck to date on Monday afternoon (see Oct 29th, what a day post), but I will say that it felt like it went really fast, pretty much like week long fishing trips do.
Timing of said trip I would leave to your best judgement from knowledge of your local deer amd their habits but for me the last 10 days of October have always been really good for catching bucks up and responsive to calling/rattling while not yet so hot on does that you are totally beholden to the doe having to bring them by you to get a shot.

I hunt every year from about Oct 25 up until WI rifle season. Some days are slow and others fantastic. This coming week things here will be full bore.

3 weeks alone may not appeal to some, but with an understanding wife it’s perfect for me.

WS

I’ve always dreamed of doing that, next year I think I’ll start with a couple days in front of rifle season.

Thanks all for the input. I’m going to have to stew on this a bit more and see if I can conserve enough PTO from the all-too-common sick kids, closed daycare, routine doctor and dental checkups, school events, etc. that seems to consume vacation time.

my uncle only bow hunts and hes taking off the week before gun opener in Minnesota ever year since I can remember. gives him the advantage of time and the deer and haven’t been stirred up by the orange army yet.

I have taken the week before rifle off the last 3 years in MN. to bow hunt. It is by far my favorite week vacation. The last 2 years I have seen more bucks in that week than I do all season. This year was a flop. Tons of does and fawns with more close encounters with deer than I have had in a long time, but the stagnant weather had the bucks laying low all week. All that being said I am taking the week before MN gun opener off again next year.

I don’t do all day sits with a bow. I just do a long morning hunt until 11am or so, then a short 2 hour break, grab a bite to eat and back to a different stand in the evening. I can imagine 7 all day sits would drive me a bit whacky.

I’m taking mine now. I have November 3-13 off. My wife and i have a 7 month old daughter, but it’s really difficult on my wife…not sure if I’ll be able to do it next year again.
Ive had great rutting activity and a lot of sightings. All have been 1.5-2.5 year olds, but time will tell. I killed a doe tonight that still had her fawn. Saw 11 deer this morning (4 bucks and 5 d&f) two i couldn’t tell. Ive rattled in one buck and grunted in another.
Ive taken the first full week of November off the last two years in Wisconsin and each year i have great rutting activity.

Sounds like a plan. Talk to the wife and if u get her blessing proceed. If you are like me the kid will somehow trump this plan from time to time. Im good with that. Week around Halloween cant go wrong, plus you dont have to hunt early or late in day. Mid day is a fine time and typically have the woods to yourself. Be safe and good luck.

Protourbaits1 wrote:

My wife and i have a 7 month old daughter,

I see your 7 month old daughter (~4 month old son) and raise you a 2 yo, a 3 yo and a 4 yo….safe to say, finding time to hunt is a bit of a challenge!

Congrats on the little one, by the way…

jake47 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Protourbaits1 wrote:</div>
My wife and i have a 7 month old daughter,

I see your 7 month old daughter (~4 month old son) and raise you a 2 yo, a 3 yo and a 4 yo….safe to say, finding time to hunt is a bit of a challenge!

Congrats on the little one, by the way…

You have me beat lol.
I promised my wife before the season that i wouldn’t hunt as much, but hunting two states was the most difficult part. If i wasn’t gone the majority of the weekends from September through October she would’ve been more content with me hunting. I was hunting a borderline booner in mn that was coming in regularly, but never saw him in daylight. Other than that, i only hunted cold fronts in October in Wisconsin, which was 4-5 times from September through October.
My advice for next fall would be to run your cameras and hunt if a buck you want to kill is moving during daylight; and cold fronts. That way you can compromise.

I take 4 weeks off every year to bow hunt. last week of October through thanksgiving.