Rut behavior

[alwaysonthemove]

my belief an understanding is the first full moon after the harvest moon which is nov. 2nd. now back that day up 7 days which is oct 26. two days before and five days after 24 to 31 is what they call the chase phase. Bucks go frickin wild. they can smell does coming into estorous but there is none yet. So they frantically search. You will often see them running across open fields in broad day light.

A couple years ago I witnessed 21 different bucks in one morning of hunting a lot of little ones and three nice ones. All acting weird.

During that time frame if you can perch in a tree on a funnel near bedding areas or feeding areas your gonna see this weird buck movement.

when the does start to come into estorous the big ones lock up with a doe which leaves the little ones out wondering around. until that doe gets bred the big one is with her. then he moves on to the next one and so forth.

Rattling works wonders during this time. I will set up in five or ten different locations and rattle. depending on how much time I have.

give it a whirl here in the next week it is unreal.

[gr8icefishinmind]

People always say, "Its been colder than normal lately so the rut will be early" that is totally false! The one thing that may disrupt the normal rut would be many cloudy days in a row (which we have had lately) that would shorten the time period of light in a day!!!

[frogtosser]

had a big fight between an 8 and a 10 a week ago and have started seeing some scrapes also. I dont like to hunt MEA weekend because its right in the middle of the lull. I take off the few days around Halloween for the prerut. Last year I saw a big 10 point on Oct 30th, I cant wait for next week, bring on the big boys.

[alwaysonthemove]

well one day in the height of the rut I seen 7 bucks together all within 40yds of me. they were all 1 1/2 yearolds. I rattled them all in several started sparring right in front of me 10 yds away.

[gr8icefishinmind]

Pre-rut is alot of fun as the bucks start to search for their doe!! Starts to get a guy antsy for the real rut to start!!

[alwaysonthemove]

pre rut? that is over now my boy!

[gr8icefishinmind]

i don't think so there buddy!! anyways.......we all have our different perceptions, but the heavy rut is not even close to starting!!!

[alwaysonthemove]

yeah I know everybody has different opinions on rut but when you realize the breakdown of it you might fully understand it. For the rut actually starts in sept.

Is that pre rut?

[gr8icefishinmind]

yep that would be pre-rut, as the actual rut should begin on or near November 2nd! Which is the second full moon after the autumn equinox!!

[alwaysonthemove]

yadda yadda yadda

[gr8icefishinmind]

So in your mind the rut lasts what like 3 months???

[BradB]

The way you guys are fighting over this I think you are all in the pre-rut yourselves!

[gr8icefishinmind]

haha......i'll agree to disagree as none of us really know exactly when THE RUT happens! But you can bet it will be between this coming weekend and the third weekend in november!! And then again in mid decemer as the does that don't get bread go back into estrus!

[FISHINGURU]

in my book the pre-rut is right about now

[gr8icefishinmind]

AGREED!!!

[Archerysniper]

Well I have allways had great results on Oct 23 have one P&Y to show for it another smaller one from when i was younger and not picky and have ratteled in a real giant that I would not take the quartering towards shot on 2 years ago all happened on Oct 23. It is normally when the bucks start chasing or bumping does but their are not even close to estrous yet.

[FISHINGURU]

Alot of people i associate with talk about October 24th as a magic date. I was in archery headquarters today and the talk was this weekend things should get into gear. I can't argue, last year on the 24th i messed up on a big dog. I'll be hitting it hard so we'll see what happens.

shot my biggest buck on oct 24th 2002... 15pt. pope n younger

[Archerysniper]

Is it morning yet I happen to have the day off because of no work and I will be in a tree most of the day.

[FISHINGURU]

last day of work tomorrow and its my seasonal layoff wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

i'll pretty much be in a tree everyday until gun opener.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I'm thinking that saturday should be a great day to be out with the talk of rain all day tomorrow and sunshine on saturday!! Deer should be moving on saturday with the nice weather!!! Tonight would have been a great night to be out with the chance of rain coming!

[gr8icefishinmind]

last day of work tomorrow and its my seasonal layoff wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

i'll pretty much be in a tree everyday until gun opener.

You've got it made! Wish i was in your shoes!

[Archerysniper]

Tonight sucked the wind had them hunkered down hunted a spot that I had not hunted yet and did not see a thing.

[gr8icefishinmind]

That does suck

[96trigger]

In my mind, the October lull is prerut. The bucks are staging, making a few scrapes and rubs, and the does are starting to kick off the fawns, as evidenced the last two times out I saw nice does all by themselves. Grunted in a small buck, and the big guys are all nocturnal. When the full blown rutt hits, the big guys are constantly on the move running in search of does, scraping and rubbing all over the place. I'm not kidding, the last three years I have went out on the last weekend in Oct, and the field edges look like someone came through with a dethatcher. That is when I know the rut is going on. I have only seen a couple of small scrapes so far, nothing like what I am expecting to see based on the last 10 yrs of hunting, that I know.

[Archerysniper]

Well everyones opinon of the rut is diffrent when everyone talks about peak rut that means lock down for me when the bucks are locked down with does and will not leave them. My best times have been what I call the pre rut or chase phase and the second rut when they start chasing again.