We are entering the last week of archery season, and the rut is at its peak. The stars have aligned for some of the best conditions a hunter could ask for. This can only mean one thing: long days of sitting in the stand from dark to dark, right?

While sitting from sunup to sundown is a common practice, especially during the rut, it is not the only way to fill a tag. During the rut, it may actually work against you. Bucks are on their feet and moving more during daylight than at any other point during the season, so there is a chance they will cross your path. But there is an even greater chance they will go anywhere but where you are hunting. It’s time to get down and move too.

If you have sat for a day or two with no results, why would you continue to sit in the exact location, hoping for different results? If you were fishing your favorite lake and were not getting any bites, you would change spots. The same holds for deer during the rut.

Sure, you can move to another stand, but what makes you think this increases the chance of seeing a deer? The odds are still against you. You need to change tactics and hunt the deer, not wait for them to pass you. It’s time to get on the ground and chase them.

The first step is to determine where the deer are currently located, not where they were last week or last month. This means gathering new intelligence. If you have trail cams out, check them. If not, look for a fresh sign. Everyone gets excited when they see a scrape or rub; it’s natural to do so. However, unless the scrape or rub is less than 24 hours old, it is not new intel. Same with tracks. Tracks are a great sign of where deer have been, but unless they are new, they do very little to show where deer are now. Of course, you can not overlook doe bedding areas. After all, where the doe are, the buck will eventually go.

The next step is not to alert the deer before you get within range. Sure, when the rut is hot, deer are focused on one thing, but that does not mean that all survival instincts are thrown away. After all, predators are still a concern, and you have just become one. So, while you can get away with a little more noise, you can not simply wander the woods like a lost babe.

Keep the wind in your face, move as quietly as possible, and keep looking ahead. Do not become so focused on finding a sign that you miss the buck standing on the next ridge. Do not get so excited about getting to that ridge that you sound like Bigfoot crashing through the brush and briers.

You also need to keep your ears open. Listen to what is going on around you. Remember that buck that sneaks through the woods like a ghost pre-rut? Well, when he gets on a hot doe, that ghost turns to a freight train and will often let you know where he is long before you can see him or the doe.

If your stand is not producing, there are options. One of those options is to get down and hunt instead of waiting. Give it a try. Not only can it help you fill a tag, it will also add a great story to the new mount when it’s hanging next to the fireplace.