Rut behavior

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Sorry, my wise crack/attempt at a joke led the thread astray.... it wasn't intentionally done!

Was out tonight and a buck was seen cruising an open field by the road and a buck with a lone doe was jumped of the ridge we were hunting. Saw a few fresh scrapes, too on the way to my tree.

I'd say the "good times" are upon us!

[Archerysniper]

Whent to switch chips on my camera and found about a dozen scrapes on the trail leading too my stand/camera site 100 yard walk checked the photos and had 6 bucks for sure a few you could not see the head on and 7 does all this has been since sunday at 11am still nocturnal but it wont be long now.

[riverrat63]

saw a 150 and a 170 chasing does the last 3 days and scraps and rubs are every were.

[bottom-bouncer]

Hey scoot was out last sunday seen some rubs and afew scrapes. monday morning on my way to work I had a decent buck cross the road in front of me nose to the ground and oblivious to the traffic coming at him.

[riverrat63]

there are ton of big deer in min, look in the p@y and b@c books there are more big bucks in your state then you think just because its not on all thows tv shows dont mean there not out there you just need to hunt hard and be smart about it just dont go out there for a couple houre then go back out at 3 hunt all day put out sent it dose work trust me i shoot a 150 last year with a drag line, i dont want to sound like i no every, i dont want to make any one mad im sorry if i do,

[Code-Man]

I was out on the stand last night. Just hung it yesterday and saw a wheat stubble field to the north of me. Had about 20 does out there and all of a son a big boy came out. Definate P&Y buck. got into the field and with how calm it was I figured I would see what would happen if I grunted. Hit the grunt twice and he dropped his nose to the ground and pushed every single doe out of the field. DOn't know if that was just luck or what but seems I hit a nerve with him.

[WestCentralGuru]

Ive been out every week since bowhunting opened. Sat in many different stands. Seen lots of deer early on. Let many 8 points and smaller walk. Lots of does and fawns. As of late, ive been hardly seein a deer. They have almost exclusively become nocturnal. The scrapes are not showing in my area yet. They just started rubbin up the trees a week or so ago. It shouldnt be long now, around halloween and it should get heated up.

[spivak]

this morning near Duluth, I had a nice buck circle behind me as he was cruising the woods. Back and forth through the timber. He jumped a small doe who wanted nothing to do with him. He continued on--I could hear him for a long time.

[james_walleye]

Well i was out this morning and this afternoon. I didnt look for rubs or scrapes in either spot. It was to and from stand and didnt see anything either time. This morning i had deer all over the place. First light a 2 year old 8-pointer came through at 60 yards with his nose to the ground. 1/2 hour later a little scrapper chased a doe and 2 fawns all over behind me. And about 8am another 2 year old 8-pointer cruised through.

This evening i went to a different property with the wind switch. About sunset a lone doe came through. 5 minutes later i see another lone doe browsing along. Then i heard a grunt and about 25 yards away is a half rack fork. He grunted for 5 minutes while watching her. Then she decided to trot right down in front of me and he went balls out to cut her off. He came right under my stand grunting and growling to beat the wind. Right at last light a 3rd lone doe came through and when i left and as i turned out of the field drive onto the gravel i saw yet another lone doe in the headlights. Lots of frisky activity, but all 1-2 year old bucks doing it.

[ac777]

I've been noticing the young bucks doing that as well, but havent seen mr. big around yet. You would think he wouldn't want the little guy to get in on the action before he does? Especially since I have been averaging about 12 deer a night on the one field I am hunting.

[Archerysniper]

Whent out tonight and had to sit the ground blind over my food plot due to the wind rattled at about 5:30 and at 5:40 could hear a buck rakeing a tree and grunted about 8 yards away in the thick prickly ash too thick to see him and he never came out of the thick stuff.

[FISHINGURU]

mr. big knows it isn't time for the real action to start yet...every year the young bucks get all pumped and impatient....but its on like donkey kong for the next two weeks!!

[koonie]

there are ton of big deer in min, look in the p@y and b@c books there are more big bucks in your state then you think

You may want to check the dates on those entries. We aren't in the top tier of big buck producing states anymore. Not that there aren't big deer in Minnesota but we aren't producing like we used to. I believe we could be THE top state for big bucks if... well that's another thread.

[Swap Buck]

Went out a checked my camera after a week. I now have four new bucks coming in that I have not seen all year. Fawns are still with there moms. But should be splitting up soon. Still no Mr. Big, but it won't be long now!!!

[DonBo]

New scrape in my hunting area the last couple days. Lot's of rubs around as well. Haven't seen him yet....

[james_walleye]

Well after all the deer i saw yesterday i went out this morning and didnt see a thing. I did notice a few rubs that were not there last evening.

My friend said he saw a doe last night being followed by 3 big bucks.

[vister]

all of the does i have seen are with their youngins yet. so that tells me that the prerut hasn't exactly kicked in yet. when the fawns go, look for groups of fawns to be out at midday. thats when they are confused, cause ma's not around. does will be together, typically, and Mr. Right will hang around out of sight of the does, until one come around, then he'll single her out, and go on lock down for a few days with her.

[james_walleye]

That was what was strange, yesterday afternoon i saw 4 lone does. I saw no fawns.

[DoubleLunger]

Pretty slow weekend for me. Two eves and one morn in stand with one small 6 that coulda been dinner but let walk. He was cruisin a trail sniffing and sprayin every 5-10 feet. Fun to watch, just not the one i'm looking for. Lots of bucks turning up on cameras, but almost all still at night. One week from now should be phenomenol

[harvey lee]

Scoot

They shot a few deer this weekend. In regards to the buck activity, no bucks chasing does, next to no scrapes and the bucks they saw were together.

Its going to be a week to 2 weeks around the ranch before she lights up.

[Code-Man]

Just checked my trail camera. I don't know how to post pictures but figured you may want to see this. The buck makes the scrape infront of the camera I repositioned it now but wow! First one came in then I don't know if the flash scared him but then the next one showed up coming from where he was going to head. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=57212952&l=177b494d22&id=13950794

[pascooter94]

my mock scrapes HAVE BEEN HIT!!! the licking branch i had up is on the ground but the others in the tree are broke and haging down. so i made a few more around the area so i cant wait to see whats going to happen now.

see what thursday brings.

[Stratosman]

Hunted a bean plot of about 2 acres this evening and had about 12-15 deer with 3 or 4 bucks, mostly young but they were harassing the heck out of the does and fawns, and two of them fought for a minute. It was a fun evening out there.

[Wanderer]

Nice shot Codeman.

I was in Ely chasing grouse for the weekend but I couldn't help looking at sign while busting brush.

While we only saw a couple deer we did run across quite a few fresh scrapes. The earth was pretty fresh and there weren't any leaves in them.

We didn't see as many road deer as usual and no bucks. Neighbor_guy didn't get to pet a bedded deer this weekend either. Yeah, that happened for real a couple weeks ago.

[heat checker]

Saw a lone fawn tonight, flag up and trotting, no blow, not sure if it caught wind, or couldn't find ma. Hoping for the latter. A few first scrapes.