Here in at the tip top of West Viginia the bucks really start dogging the does about Halloween and you see a lot of activity from about the 4th to the 7th. I have shot many bucks during that time. So if we go with the 7th of Noevember for first rut and advance up every 28 days them varmits come back in again then in January you hit the 30th which was yesterday and I saw a buck running a little doe for all she was worth. One of those late bloomers you know. He was a proud survivor. He was a small basket 6 point with what looked to be his second rack with about a 12 inch spread. He should move up the ranks nicely for next season.
4th rut - now that sounds funny! I'm sure it happens but I feel bad for the fawns that are born from those late cycles. I don't know about WV but if that happens up here it's unlikely they would survive their first winter.
I saw a big 150"+ buck chasing does at noon last Saturday!!! Never seen this type of activitiy in late January before.
Must be "Global Warming". :rolleyes: :biglaugh:
Found a fresh scrape last w/e,and have trail cam pics of bucks sparring over that same time period.Our season ended the 1st of Jan,but the bucks are still going at it.
Interesting story in regards to them making it thru the winter,which we really don't have to worry about here.A pretty close friend of mine killed a good sized Doe Sept 15th a few seasons ago,our season starts August 15th,but you can't shoot Does until Sept 15th.While cleaning the Doe he found 2 fist sized fetus'...........figure out when that Doe was bred!!Tells you how out of whack we are down here.......
>figure out when that Doe was bred!!
That would make it sometime in March if I'm calculating correctly.
QuoteOriginally posted by returntoarchery:
>figure out when that Doe was bred!!
That would make it sometime in March if I'm calculating correctly.
That was what I had roughly figured.
I saw two scrapes yesterday that were not there two weeks ago
last year here in Vermont I saw 3 bucks chasing a doe fawn for nearly 2 hour at my uncles the first week in Febuary, 1 had shed his antlers and 2 still had them the buck with no antlers who happened to be the largest I thought a 2 yr old finally bred her 2 times before going back into the woods.
My parents saw a couple of bucks sparring in their yard Sunday morning.
Last week I had a trail cam pic of a good 4 point in with a heard of does, and he was sure sniffing one of them and the other girls were sure watching him..I'd have to agree there is some partying going on out in the woods
Hey Folks, This has been going on for atleast 6 years here in VA. We are having more and more fawns born late in May and June. I have seen em and taken does in October with embryos in em. Don't quite make sense by the books but it is definately going on. Turkeys are breeding more freely too. Mother Nature making changes??
This evening I checked a scrap that's not more than 300 feet from the back of my house and it is still active.
Had a yearling doe come into the bird feeders a week ago Saturday she had her left leg missing from her knee down, right with her was a six point carrying on like a love sick kid, after they wandered off a three point came in trailing them and fifteen minutes later a single horn spike came in following them. The doe hung around all afternoon and the six point guarded her like a security guard strange happenings this time of year, wonder if the drastic decline in our doe population has anything to do with it?