RIGHT PLACES FOR RUT STANDS

Without a doubt, hunters drop more big bucks during the peak of the rut than any other time of the year. Sure, some bowhunters take whoppers in the early season after keeping tabs on particular bucks all summer long. Also, some real wall-hangers are duped by rattling during the pre-rut. And for those die-hard hunters who stick with it to the very end, some of the nation’s biggest bucks are smoked during the muzzleloader seasons.

Nonetheless, when the breeding season takes center stage, rut-crazed bucks are more vulnerable than they are at any other time of the year. They no longer bed in the same thickets, and food is definitely the last thing on their minds. Instead, they are on the move 24/7 in their seemingly endless search for a doe in heat. All you have to do is sit back and wait in ambush for the buck of your dreams to saunter past. The key word here is ambush, and not just any hideaway will do. With that in mind, here are my seven favorite super-hot ambush sites for hunting the peak of the rut.

1. OVERGROWN FIELDS

When a buck locates a doe near estrus, he will follow her nose-to-tail until she is willing