Author Travis Faulkner shows that the ability to adapt to each transitional period of the rut can pay off with bucks like the one shown here. Photo courtesy of Travis Faulkner.

There's something special about being in the woods during the rut, when bucks with swollen necks, high testosterone levels and bad attitudes are on the move. You never know when a heavy-racked giant is going to break out of a thicket chasing a hot doe and give you the shot you've been waiting on all season. There are probably more big deer tagged during the rut than at any other time of the year. In many cases a lot of luck is involved in these big buck encounters, but an understanding of the distinct stages of the rut can help ensure that a hunter is in the right place at the right time.

Without question, simply being in the woods during the rut can sometimes be all it takes to tag a buck of a lifetime. Every year, "luck hunters" show up at the local check-in station showing off a stud in the back of their truck. However, there is a big difference between occasional luck and consistency in the deer woods. I have always been more impressed by the hunter who tags big bucks on a regular basis. These are usually the hunters who understand the different transitional phases of the rut and are able to adapt their hunting strategies to meet changes with whitetail behavior. This season, give the following deadly transitional rut strategies a try. Over time, they'll help you to consistently drop the hammer on bucks with intimidating headgear in your neck of the woods.

THE OCTOBER CHANGE
In October, whitetail behavior changes about as much as the weather during the early spring. During the early days of this magical month, deer in many areas are sticking to a strict feeding-to-bedding pattern. Bucks may still be traveling together in bachelor groups and are yet to feel the approach of the rut. Bucks are fairly predictable during this transitional phase and it's not too difficult to figure out travel patterns and daily activities. However, major changes will take place from mid to late October, and failing to adjust to these changes can lead to a lot of uneventful hours in the tree stand.

HUNTING THE PRE-RUT TRANSITION
Buck activity during this transitional period is very similar to the late-summer months'. Bucks are generally hitting early-season food sources and staring primarily during the late evening hours. The temperatures are still warm, and, unfortunately, all of the biting insects are still hungry. However, this transitional phase still has several advantages that can allow you to exploit an early-season buck. A limited amount of outside hunting pressure coupled with predictable buck patterns are two good reasons to climb in the stand when October rolls around.

Glassing open food sources like green fields, soybeans or other types of plots to pattern how bucks are entering and leaving the area is a great starting point. A good quick-hitting strategy is to go mobile and set up a light climbing stand overlooking worn trails leading to the food source. Setting up along the edges of these food sources and intercepting bucks traveling to and from these areas can be deadly during this transition. Another good strategy is to hang a stand inside or along the edge of known staging areas to catch bucks hanging out within these sheltered sanctuaries before entering the open fields. Both of these early setups will produce long before the rut has ever started.

HUNTING THE MID-OCTOBER PRE-RUT TRANSITION
By mid to late October, whitetail behavior and preferred food sources will undergo major changes in most areas. Daylight hours are decreasing, temperatures are beginning to drop and so are the acorns, which will completely change everything. Stands that were red hot a few days ago will quickly go cold during this transitional period.