Rut activity?

[Silver Fox]

Could someone make sense of this years rut. With only 2 more days of bow we have not seen a bit of hard core rut activity during the daylight hours. I have been at this sport longer than I care to admit and I do not recall such a lack of daytime movement of mature bucks during the first two weeks of November.

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Yup its sucked. I haven't seen a buck fallowing a doe in 3 weeks and I hunt the same piece for 30 years. I saw at least 10 different bucks one evening in mid October and they were raising all hell. I have a feeling that a bunch of lockdown is happening and the big one that are being seen wandering right now just got done breeding and is looking for more participants. This next week is setting up well with bucks flying around looking for other does.

[ray koziatek]

this time of the year its almost foolish to hunt food source ( edge of it)...yes you will see the little ones chasing for a few yards then back to eating ...the big boys have already intercepted a breeder and have her cornered in the woods or cover..yes their are a few exceptions ,...one of the biggest bucks i saw on my last hunt of 10 days was chasing in the field but he wasnt the "big boy" of the area and that was his only chance of getting lucky without getting his butt wooped...it was a nice 2.5 year 11 pt but i saw two rack smashing 8 ptrs with doe 100 yds from the field ......with doe..with that said when the "stupid gene " calls anything can happen ,,I can honestly say my ability to getting so many nice bucks was carefull hunting and lots and lots of time in the woods and stand...the deer i shot this last hunt was less than 2 hours after sitting in the first stand the first day hunting.....other times i have sat for days before seeing a shooter even in "Great" hunting areas in Indiana....my best advise to anyone is the hunt starts as soon as you leave camp or your truck or car and ends when you close the door ...I have seen my best deer to and from a hunt that most people say..."yup i saw 2 tails on the way to the stand " be ready 110% of the time as we all know a deer has the ability to just appear even in noisy leafs..If i had a dollar for every time that has happened to me in the last 45 years i would be a rich man...PS this still happens to this day even with me on full alert..thats why I Love the Callange Of Hunting....Aim Straight............If I can't shoot the big one this year we all want to see your pics and hear the story....boy do have a lot of them............dont make me start telling them all specially without spell check, you all will be speaking "Raybonics"

[chowder]

In high altitude 7M the bucks were not exhibiting much acute signs of rutting last weekend. Necks not swollen, no real chasing, no response to grunting, etc. I typically do not see that behavior until the firearms opener up here. -Andy

[Reelfanatic]

I have noticed alot of chasing in the past week and a half. Im around broome county. It seems like it may be a record kill for opening wknd. Been seeing nice bucks everywhere just this past week.

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[Duckman1]

Did a quick hunt tonight to finally see a hot doe. Followed by a 4 pt then couple minutes later another 6ft. Then few more minutes. The buck iv seen but couldn't shoot. A nice 8. Was at full draw and had to stop him. He was moving. Guess what. He stopped dead looked straight up and went back. All this happened within 15 minutes of daylight. This weekend we be interesting. Iv never seen 3 bucks follow a doe.

[dvdegeorge]

I've seen 7 running a doe to death,I called it the sexx train

Edited November 14, 2014 by dvdegeorge

[Silver Fox]

I've seen 7 running a doe to death,I called it the sexx train

fun loving train rocks!

[Silver Fox]

fun loving train rocks!

S&X train!

[BSmaster]

Ray,

Everytime I read your posts, it makes me stop and think.  I am trying to grow as a hunter and I am having difficulty understanding.  I do not doubt what you write but I am lacking the fundamental logic blocks to connect the dots.

 

1.)  A "big boy"  beds with his hot doe in the sanctuary or somewhere else?

2.)  The Doe stops eating when he is tracking?  Relates to food source.

3.)  If he is the alpha buck why does he need to keep her from other bucks?  Hasn't he already kicked their @sses into submission?

 

So if you're hunting the rut and you confident the bucks are locked up, what is your strategy?

 

Joe

[Silver Fox]

You guys can call me crazy, but patterning a buck the first 3 weeks of a season is much easier than the rut. I think the rut is overrated. Ok kill me.....

[Guppy35]

Silver Fox,

 

You are definitely right, it is much easier to pattern a buck early in October when they are still in somewhat of a routine (and i would feel even more accomplished if i patterned a big buck and everything came together early in the season.  But there isn't another time that i'd rather be in the woods than during the full blown rut because of all the crazy chasing, even if i didn't shoot anything it's still a blast to watch the action.  The thing that makes the rut a good time to hunt is the "stupid gene" that shows up, and the fact that the bucks are covering so much more territory during that time.

[JakeyBaby]

Patterning a buck during the rut is damn near impossible! I mean look at the pictures Dan just posted on Legacy thread, big 10 point standing in someone's drive way. Don't see that really any other time of the year except for now! To me the last week in October first week of November is the best time in the woods. I mr

[Duckman1]

Except this year. They r running late and does now comming in heat. The next week should be good if you have the hot doe in your area.

Good luck hunting guys and be safe

[143447]

Yes on and off around Almond too. I was off on the rut this year my trail cams were on fire from 10/25- 11/3. Came earlier than I expected as far as a peak seeking phase. Always earlier around my property in heave acorn years. The mast is just unbelievable this fall.

[ray koziatek]

no a doe will eat when she wants a big buck will usually intercept her before the field,, the running doe arnt ready .. he will breed her where he can but usually a secluded spot (safe spot)..once he starts the dirty he will stay tight to her and sorta control her i have seen them straddle a doe to keep her down...as far as seeing the big boys ya gotta wait them out or still hunt,but only if ya have a lot of land then its sit and wait ..depending on the temps outside will rule when the doe gets hungry enuf to start eating..remember a deer has to lay down to barf up its food so it can redigest.........so when their laying they are eating too..Instead of reading just hunting mags read some books on white tail behavior ........

[dvdegeorge]

.Instead of reading just hunting mags read some books on white tail behavior ........

Amen!

Stay on stand all day tomorrow,it will be cold and when the unknowing decide it's time for a walk to warm up.an early lunch or maybe a walking safari thats when the guy with percervarance will benifit.

[apb]

Thanks Ray, I have no magazines and no tv but I do however have a few books from Charles Alsheimer! My game plan is always to sit all day if I know it has potential to be an exceptional day.

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