Oak Duke

Oak Duke Outdoors Columnist Deer hunters who depend on wild food sources for stand sites can find their placement problematical from

If the weather cooperates, Oak Duke expects bucks to be on the move during mid- and late-October chasing does. This year’s rut pattern should be similar to 1997 and 2005, he says. (Photo by Oak Duke)

Deer hunters have spent countless hours watching scrapes. Here's how to make scrape-watching pay off this hunting season.

It’s the dark of the moon and bucks will be their feet 24-7. It’s a great window of opportunity to fill that tag with the deer of you dreams.

And then our light bulb goes on, and we say to ourselves, “I’ve got to pull this stand,” no matter how productive it has been in the past.

Oak Duke expects bucks re-visiting old hotspots such as scrapes made in October as the rut intensifies around mid-November.

A trickle rut could produce an early December breeding period as bucks pursue fawns and does that did not come into estrus in November. (Photo by Oak Duke)

This year, the author anticipates a trickle rut, which could mean productive late season hunting for those who monitor trail cameras and continue to scout and hunt buck sign. Feeding locations too should be monitored. (Photo by Oak Duke)

Oak Duke | Outdoors Columnist Most deer hunters in New York this season finally got a little snow.

The post-Christmas deer season was created with deer hunters who are home for the holidays in mind, writes Outdoors Columnist Oak Duke.