Book excerpt: Bag your biggest buck during the rut! The whitetail rut is only a short window of time each fall hunting season. Yet its heart-pounding, sometimes chaotic action is some of the most anticipated and talked about all year round. Big bucks are moving and more visible than any other time of the year, and archery and firearms seasons are open all over the country. Deer & Deer Hunting's Guide to Hunting the Rut brings more than 40 years of experience from North America's foremost white-tailed deer hunting authority to show you how to tag your biggest buck ever. Get the advantage this year with proven tips and tactics from some of the most knowledgeable biologists and hunters in the country. Packed with strategies and advice for gun hunters and archery hunters alike--of all experience levels--this book covers everything you need to know about the patterns of the pre-rut, intensity of the rut, the last-chance breeding behavior of the post-rut and much more to provide the information you need to maximize your deer hunting time in the field. Inside you'll learn about: • Research on scrapes and licking branches • Understanding deer breeding behavior • How and when to rattle and call in mature bucks • Tactics for finding and hunting core areas on public and private land