Im an archery hunter so I got to wait till Nov 25th before I have a chance. if I keep a food source will they come back to it post rut?
Absolutely...sometimes. I don't mean to be snarky, but yes they sometimes do. Is that because the one you were recklessly eyeballing all summer and right up until the rut kicked in got shot while out cruising for some blacktail tail? I think that has quite a bit to do with me saying that. Even if they are hard on a baited location, they don't always come back right after the rut. But I have seen a buck show up the following year that did not show back up right after the rut.
I think that right after the rut they may just be to tired to GAS about much of anything and if they are lying up close by they will show up, but if they have to travel far then they just don't bother.