deer hunting in Ontario

[sandman2727]

Hi I live in Southwestern Ontario. Iam new to deer hunting. I have a few questions. I have 2 spots with rubs back in my uncles bush. Then further back in my neighbours bush I saw a doe with a young deer. I see these huge buck tracks with doe track . Would the buck be chasing the doe. If so how would you hunt him he seems huge. The bigest tracks I ever saw. Should I set up near the rub in a blind. Also does anybody use any salt blocks. Should I concentrate more or rubs or should I stick with my stand near the corn stubble. I need some advice I never shot a buck before. It seems hit and miss to me like a guessing game on where they are!Any info would be greatly appreciated

[airborne]

If your rut is on, you are facing the crazy days of hunting. The buck will be thinking of nothing else other than that doe. Habits will change and what was the norm will no longer be. If your stand is by the corn and you have not seen deer, change locations. Hunting on top of the food source usually means you wont see the deer until just before dark or after. Try to get 200 meters into the woods and you will see the deer on their way to the food. If that is to far, stay at least 50 to100 meters in the wood line. Deer will hold up in groups waiting for the cover of darkness to move in the corn field to eat. Of coarse, this will never happen when you try it. If you are seeing deer, you have found the food source. Now it is time to find the bedding area. Follow those tracks and see if you can find it. If you do, set up in between.
Have you hunted over the rubs? Are you in your rifle season? Hunting buck during the rut is, hit and miss. Your buck is probably following the doe. If you can locate those doe and figure out where they travel, it shouldn't be long before you see the buck. Good Luck and be patient.

[Madawaska]

Hi Sandman, Just came back from a successful hunt up near Renfrew (just west of Ottawa) and there was a general consensus in the camps that the rut was not yet in full swing even in that area so if you are hunting Southwestern Ontario (south of Georgian Bay?), you might not be in the full rut yet either. It has been a warm autumn in Ontario. Mind you, the snow you just got should put them in the mood. I took a nice nine pointer and his glands weren't exactly hyperactive. Normally at this time (and the season was late this year) the tarsals are usually pretty active and this boy's were not. So airborne is dead right. Try to find out where these guys are feeding and get yourself between bedding areas and the feeding areas. The guy I got was coming off an oak ridge where he had been feeding on acorns (it's messy and pretty stinky work, but sometimes it helps to open up the stomach and see what they've been eating) and I think he was heading for a perch on the side of the hill above me that gave him a good 360 degree view. Don't know as I've ever seen a buck travelling together with a doe, as in a few metres apart, but I have seen the does go through well before the buck plenty of times and it has paid off. Gotta get in there early. Watch your legal daylight times though and good hunting.

[turner1978]

Check your local regulations/laws before you use a salt block. I live in Idaho and it is illegal to use any bait for deer hunting purposes.