Hunting the Rut, Fair chase or not?

[Elko]

Hey guys, I'm sure someone has brought this post up in the past but I have been talking this over with some friends but I would like to know what everyone thinks. Should hunting be allowed at all during the rut when you may see bucks you normally couldn't find? Is it fair chase? I am just curious. I don't think I have made up my mind yet either way. Let me know what y'all think. Maybe someone can convince me.

[NONYA]

Your opinion of it is going to be based on ours?Regardless of peoples opinions its only allowed in a few states and Im glad mine is one of them.Although if our rifle season were earlier in the year I could hunt them while they are bachelored up and way easier to find than they are before the rut during our season.So either way i would be happy,early or late I could locate nice bucks.

[loco4muleys]

I think hunts during the rut provide a great chance not only for a trophy buck, but also gives us hunters a better opportunity at taking out some of the older bucks in the herd before they starve during a hard winter. A lot of the biggest, baddest bucks have almost no teeth left when they're killed, and it's hard to believe that they'd be able to make it through too many more winters in that condition. So from a hunter's standpoint and from a "taking care of the herd" standpoint, I think hunts during the rut are great.

[skunkbear]

I think hunting the rut is just as ethical as an early season hunt when the bucks are still in bachelor herds and don't move around a lot each day. During the rut this year I've spotted a few borderline shooter bucks at distance and by the time I get within shooting range they've run off with a doe. In September or early October that buck would have bedded nearby and would be easier to keep track of and eventually kill. Just cuz it's the rut doesn't mean its a gimme.

[waynedevore]

It's where ever you want to draw the line. Maybe we should go after deer with spears only? archery? Some states allow baiting, some hunt with hounds. Mn deer season coincides perfectly with the rut, still deer population numbers are at a all time high. Not enough deer killed says game management.

I hunted pre rut in MT and WY both this year, had great hunts. But I have often hunted MT during the peak of the rut. I sure can't see a problem for me hunting the rut. Set goals, if you hunt during the rut go after trophy class only. Your going to have all the challenge you can handle.

[Elko]

Thanks guys, those are all great points and even a few insights I hadn't thought of. Nonya, I won't base my opinion on another person's but it's nice to hear what everybody else thinks because they always have good ideas that I didn't think of. I agree that big bucks aren't easily taken, even during the rut. Big bucks are big for a reason.

Here in Utah when the muzzleloader was in November it seemed like a few people always got big bucks but IMO just as many big bucks are taken now with the hunt beginning at the end of September.

[HUNTIN FOR LIFE]

I would like to hunt in the rut cause of what i see every year in the rut. but the deer ive film this year and in the past that are in the rut are very stupid last weekend i was able to walk from 350 yards down to 100 yards with the deer starin me down the entire way. i could have easily shot anyone of the bucks that ive been seen this year in the rut with a muzzloader. i think that there would be more big bucks takin in the rut that would be takin out of the gene pull for the next year.

so i would have to say that i would like to hunt in the rut cause of how easy it would be to find trophy bucks but i am glad that utah has takin the muzzeloader out of the rut, cause it just wouldnt be much of a challenge to harvest a trophy.