It's been a little slow for me. I've rattled a few in hunting reprod and dense brush/timber. Not a shooter or no shot so far. No takers with the grunt tube or estrous bleat. Have yet to see a buck bigger than a fork in the open since the first week of September. I spent the money on the multiple season tag so I've been at it since Sept. 1.

I agree on the seasons in this state. It pisses me off rifle season is on both sides of the rut. I've been bow hunting rifle season for years. I head to southern Wisconsin the first two weeks of November every year, so it works out.

Try getting set up in the thick stuff where a buck will feel comfortable moving in the daylight and try rattling. Get the best shooting lanes you can, but if you can see farther than 30 yards it's probably not thick enough. If you can get in a tree stand all the better. Bucks will try to circle down wind so try to set up in an area where they can't. Be patient, blacktails are sneaky bastards and by far the hardest deer to hunt. Rattle hard and loud for 2-4 minutes. Once again be patient. Set up off of rubs or a rub line. Bucks will start cruising those rub lines and check them periodically through the day. On Friday I was walking to the area I intended to hunt and stopped to check out a fresh rub. I walked into the brush to see if there were any more and jumped a buck checking out his rubs. This happened again with another buck 1/2 mile down the road. I don't use this method in areas I regularly hunt or if I'm hunting a specific buck. Not many people do this here and I try not to school any bucks in areas I frequent regularly. Grunt tubes and estrous bleats will start to work soon. I've had best success with these tools during the late hunt.

Also, try hunting ridges on the downwind side. Bucks will move/bed in areas they can get the scent from across the ridge and from below with the warm upward thermals. I've heard that called a thermal tunnel and that's where the bucks will be. It's discussed at length in "Hill Country Bucks" by Blood Brothers Outdooors. It's the best hunting video I've ever seen. It's about whitetails, but I've found most of it directly applies to all deer/elk. I also have a 12 second cameo appearance in it. If you ask nicely, you could be the first person ever to get my autograph. I don't get any royalties, in fact I had to by my own copy.

Watch the does. If you see one with it's tail sticking straight out keep an eye on it, it's in heat.

Or just hunt the last two days. Some years when I don't have time to put boot to dirt, that's what I do.

Hope this helps.

I'm always amazed at the number of road hunters with clean and dry pants, and blaze orange vests that look like they just came back from the cleaners.