Who is seeing rutting activity in their area? I have vacation scheduled for next week and heading to West Virginia for a five day hunt. Hoping I am not missing the rut or that I am just a little early.
hey Jim! you'll be in good shape next week. my farm and other hunting property in in your neighborhood and I'm finding fresh scrapes and rubs every time I go. looking forward to next week myself.
best afield
Both my wife and I have been out from daylight to dark the past two days over in southeast Ohio. While seeing three different bucks in these two days, and does with their little ones still tagging along........I'd say that the rut ISN'T full bore. The three bucks were not in any hurry to get anywhere in particular, they (especially the bigger one) were "sneaking" along very purposely. I'd say they are just scent checking the does. It's gonna bust loose soon.......you might just have picked "the week".
We'll be back out next week and see how things have progressed.
Winterhawk1960
Good deal, sounds like I am going to be on the front end of things this year.
I have been seeing a lot of activity on the highway (carcasses ), but in my hunting area I would say it is slow for the date. The dark week always has the best activity for hunters. That would be next week.
I've been seeing a lot of chasing, and a lot of "cruising" bucks here in NY. walking out of the woods the other day I bumped a slammer that was with a doe. the woods were all tore up. this was Saturday morning.
Was out this morning and saw bucks still herded together; as many as 5 in a bunch. Did some rattling and they looked in my direction but showed no real interest. Have yet to see an active scrape. Maybe our deer are out of the closet this year :eek: :scared: !!??
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Strangely enough I seen more chasing and pursuing a few weeks ago than I am now. I cant get a deer to look at me when I call, rattle a touch or use scents. I have seen plenty of bucks, but they are acting like its August or something. I think they are confused as to the month?
It seems a little slow to get started in my neck of the woods. Just starting to find some fresh scrapes and rutting rubs in the past few days. Saw one out scent checking a doe bedding area yesteday morning but have yet to see any chasing going on. Two mornings ago I watched a lone doe pee in a scrape... I think it is getting ready to explode, hoping this coming weekend is good!
The "pros" say you need to be in the woods Nov. 11-14.
Mississippi has a late rut. Biologist's data says it peaks December 18 where I live, and I rarely see rut scrapes before Thanksgiving. I don't mind, because I can hunt the rut in other states that have the "normal" mid-November rut, then come home and hunt the rut here! When I lived in South Carolina, the rut seemed to peak in October. Just depends on where you live.
Had the most(only) action of the season while on stand last night in W.Central MO. Four bucks and several does. the largest buck was chasing hard, running a doe all over the field,creek, and timber for well over an hour. The chasing attracted two other bucks, the biggest snort/wheezed 3 or 4 times and then another buck came in. Lots of action heating up here!
Kevin, I like the sound of that! I'm scheduled for a hunt in that area next week.
just wondering what you guys are calling the rut? do you consider it peak rut when all the chassing is gong on? for me pre rut is when bucks start making all that sign we love to see so much, then theres the chase phase, then peak rut when the bucks are locked down actually breeding does, then theres post rut. Right now in wisconsin ive been getting different reports depending on the part of the state your in I have even heard repoerts that its all over already in the western part up north just sttarting to roll good luck!
I've seen quite abit of chasing and grunting bucks. Allot of rubs and more and more scrapes opening up every day. You should be in good shape. I am hunting in NOVA. Steve
Central Wisconsin the rut is in full swing. Bucks laying with does. Major chaseing going on in food plots. Lots of fawns off by them selfs.
FINALLY seeing some rut(ish) behavior. Had a train of does come in to my ambush this morning (busted by the first in the line - doh!) and watched a P&Y class buck work a scrape. Tried to get him to come to me but he followed the ladies. The nerve!
I hunted all day here in VA and did not see any rut activity at all. The rubs and scrapes are poping up, but no buck trailing doe yet. I hope it will be hitting soon.
Our late season opens the 10th here in Washington...and past years have shown that's about when they begin to get horny...er, active.
It's on. We haven't had cool weather in DE like this for a while. I shot my buck last week trailing three does and grunting all the way. Rattled in nothing but small bucks so far. Last night I saw a herded up group of ten does come out of the woods at dark and they were so close together you could have killed all of them with one load of buckshot. I know big boy had just pushed them into the open. In my neck of the woods, the does are almost there. I took off from Wed. till next Monday. Wednesday and Thursday will be all-dayers. Gun season starts Friday.
It is on bigtime here in East Texas.
Larger bucks are just starting to roam crazily here. Pre-rut, my absolute favorite as the bucks you've known all season are traveling their areas and not miles away somewhere. They will also come to calls now. When they are on a hot doe you can't do anything with them.
Another thing I've found is decoys seldom work if the buck is with does. The Does spook while the lone buck will be curious and may approach.
I've only used doe decoys, and my experience with buck decoys is limited.
How does this week's weather really effect the rut/deer activity?
I have the good fortune to be able to hunt a large (600 ac) piece of private QDM property in SE Ohio. I think we know what we are doing, a couple of us hunting a few weekends in Oct and then try to hunt a whole week during the "rut". This is the second year in a row where it's been in the 70's during the week we picked. I believe the rut was really heating up, all the usual stuff with scrapes, rubs, chasing... We choose to kill big bucks only and a lot of does. We have observed the daylight deer activity come to a screeching halt since Tuesday, Nov 9. Saw few bucks Weds morning, but nothing Weds evening. Thursday morning I busted a couple does out on way to the stand then didn't see any chasing or even hear any deer running around on the timbered hillsides. Did not see or hear a deer on Weds OR Thursday evening. I'm thinking the breeding activity still has to take place. So does that mean it's all happening at night?
I would guess that a lot of others are seeing the same thing in PA and Ohio.
I think it's starting here. I've seen bucks trailing does and had one with a doe in a thicket yesterday. She busted out the other way with him hounding her.
I also wonder how this warm spell in our area will effect it but it is starting.