Rut in Detroit Lakes area

[totally_addicted]

I have not noticed any chasing in this area yet. I bow hunted before rifle season and have hunted there since rifle opener. Is it possible it hasn't taken place yet?

[Code-Man]

Very possible. I have a buddy hunting west of town and they haven't had any chasing activity yet. I'm hunting up by ada and two weeks ago my 9 point was chasing a doe but the rest of them aren't. Had 20 does in front of me for 4 hrs on Saturday night not one buck

[totally_addicted]

ya I have been hunting east of Detroit Lakes and the scrapes are all dry and very small. We have seen 2 bucks but neither were chasing. The does still have all their fawns.

[BigWadeS]

should start changing anyday now though

[Musky Buck]

It's game on. The diehards saw many bucks yesterday chasing does but we are east of Perham a bit. The rut where I hunt is mainly a nocturnal one with little daytime movement because of pressure. Every field or 5 acre patch of woods or more has more deer stands, more scent, more pressure etc. which puts these mature does/bucks to bed before legal shooting light, but yesterday they let there guard down, my party added no one was hardly out hunting in our area, saw little to no other blaze orange like the first 3 days of war. But, theres a reason a mature buck is a mature buck, they haven't made that fatal mistake or were caught and released as a young one or shot at and missed. They don't make too many mistakes, they know there life is in the balance.

[Sergeant Slabber]

I hunted the Hawley area on rifle opener and the bucks were definetly not in full rut yet. I would guess by this weekend or maybe during next week should be prime time.

[paceman]

I shot two nice bucks this past weekend over by Frazee that were the most swollen I have ever seen. However they were alone and cruising. My buddy passed on a nice 8 that was chasing a doe hard. I also saw a few other smaller bucks that didn't appear to be swollen at all. Tuesday morning was the first morning I saw a doe without a fawn and a small buck chasing her.....This weekend should be simply awesome..

[Dahitman44]

It is going heavy in the Ulen area. I just shot a big fella with a massive neck -- he came in wrong wind nose to the ground. He had 13 does to choose from ...

[totally_addicted]

I just got a call from my uncle who hunts just east of Frazee and he just shot a nice 10 pointer chasing a doe. First deer our group has seen chasing all season. Must be just getting going. Should make for a good 2nd weekend.

[Musky Buck]

It is going big time.

[Musky Buck]

Rut in DL area, this one is to frosty, did you get that monster this morning, Thursday ? I know you're hunting and my cousin who drives bus saw a doe and a monster on my approach heading north trailing her and heading directly at you ? This was at 7:15 this morning, hope you read this and wonder if you hammered him I'm going to hunt somewhere else, good luck.

[Ferny]

Sounds good, Now I'm getting pumped for this weekend. I was a little disappointed with the lack of activity last weekend. The Sunday rain didn't help my spirits either!@!

We did see a swollen 6-8 pointer at Noon just walking into nearby woods. He was just browsing and not sniffing. His rack seemed a little small for his girth. We were heading into earhard to take a dump. We whipped a Luie and got back into the stand. 43 minutes later...bang just to our North where he was heading...oh well. Good for them.

Saw only 2 scrapes and 1 rub on the same line. No turkeys, no grouse, few squirrels very odd! Did hear lots of Yotes about 5:30 each night howling and barking. Highlight of the trip was a Pine Martin climbing a tree nearby and eating a bird wing.

I heard 4 shots Monday morning and we left the woods at 10 am.

Good Luck,

Ferny

[fr0sty]

Hey Musky Buck. I was back up in Mills on around 10:00 on Wednesday. Didn't see any deer on opening weekend. I sat in the creek stand most days Wednesday through Friday.

Saw a doe Wednesday just at last light. It was about 80 yards south from the creek stand. I waited for her to trail off, but she didn't. She was coming from your 80 into ours. She hauled [PoorWordUsage] back into your 80 when I unloaded my gun. Never saw the big boy, but Ron hear about him also.

The only buck I saw was Thursday at 10:30 in the creek stand. It was a goofy looking 6. Passed on that one, hoping my son could tag him. I was coming toward me from the east and crossed right in front of my stand heading north.

We did a bunch of driving on Saturday and Sunday. Some Reds and some at Paul's. I we kicked out only a few does and a button buck. Lots of corn pounding.

The swamp was very wet this year. Someone said there is a beaver dam north west that adding to the wetness.

Any monsters for you?

[Musky Buck]

Not much. Saw 1 Y buck and that was that. I'm not sure why other then the wet October why they didn't move in there. I heard a couple of others but my trailcam had nothing on it compared to last year. Also, 1 scrape and 2 tree rubs were all I could find, last year that 80 was all scarred up. I thought there might be a beaver dam in there. Too wet, not frozen, and if there are few does around to be bred, the bucks are hanging in doe areas which I'm guessing around Red's corn, Tumberg's, the lagoon was corn, NW was heavy soybeans, not sure at Salo's maybe the swamp just didn't allow for good rut/chasing does etc. as it was very wet. Maybe muzzleloader will be ok. My cousin about hit the buck and doe on the road at 7:15 that Thursday morning, where they went or what happened to them who knows. Strange year especially with so many good bucks around last year and through the winter that none returned.