Like many of you, at some point during the day I scroll through my Facebook Feed. This morning I saw a tease for a deer hunting article. Because writing and editing outdoor content is my job and has been for nearly 30 years (yes, that's my messy desk above), I’m curious when I see such teases, but I’m rarely compelled to bite. In my experience, most of this content is average — and much of it is a complete waste of time.

This morning, however, the Facebook algorithm won and I clicked on the story link. Why? Because I know the author, Lindsay Thomas Jr., and enjoy his writing style, and this particular topic — strategies for a whitetail rut vacation — is one I’ve written about during the past couple years.

Lindsay is the chief communications officer for the National Deer Association; he’s been a member of their staff since 2003. Like me, Lindsay’s career as an outdoor writer and editor stretches back into the 1990s. 

The article title that caught my eye is “Rutcations Give Deer All the Advantages. Can They Still Work?” I won’t steal Lindsay’s thunder by summarizing his advice here. Instead, I highly encourage you to read his story in its entirety.

I will say that I agree completely with Lindsay’s opinions about how we are often our own worst enemies when it comes to killing mature whitetail bucks during the rut, largely due to our personal pressure on the land; this includes hunting time, plus trail cam checking, scouting, placing new stands, etc.).

Earlier I mentioned I enjoy Lindsay’s writing style. For a taste of what I mean, this is how he explained why it’s critical to stay out of the woods during a “rutcation” except for time spent hunting: “Whitetails did not outlast cave bears and saber-toothed lions only to ignore the sudden sweet aroma of Oatmeal Cream Pies on the wind.”

Click here to read Lindsay’s article. Not only will you enjoy it, but you’ll also learn valuable tips on improving your 2023 whitetail rut hunts.