Rut Activity?

[Musky Buck]

That's what you need Steve, now to figure out how to be downwind of where your gut feeling tells you he'll or a few bucks may come from,90% of my dad's bucks he forgo's his stand to sit 50 feet away from a fresh large scrape downwind and he stays put, before pressure became such a factor he connected at all hours of the day, now he's done deer hunting as he lost his quiet muzzleloader hunt, he loves hunting, but this way he doesn't get so frustrated with the rat race style deer hunting in our area of today. Back to the rut, it's going on, just this mild weather coming for us might not have as much mid-day on their own movement, but maybe other hunters will move some deer to some of us. Good Luck and the 25ish bucks I've taken scrape hunting the scrape has matched the buck to a T over the years, not that satellite bucks won't happen by the scrape also especially if they haven't met the dominant buck in the area or if they know he's hooked up with a Jenn Sterger.

[Steve Foss]

MB, the scrape is 100 yards south of a lakeshore, and the wind is coming from the south tomorrow. That makes things easier. This whole area is new to me. No doubt I'll be learning more and more about how the deer are moving through this location as the season ages.

Is there anything like the anticipation the night before deer opener?

[birdswacker]

It's on now! Check the link below!

Buck Battle in St. Paul

Where's the rest of the video?

[Musky Buck]

Correct Steve and good luck, new land might toss you a Cliff Lee curveball or 2 but just knowing the sign is there might make you toss and turn a bit tonight , the day before is so different than any other day out of the 365 for me, just think by this time tomorrow how many deer will be down, and we'll be into the afternoon hunt, opening day just blows by especially if you are deerless, if you connect it tends for me to slow down quite a bit. Keep your eye on that scrape early and late and if any weather over the season is coming or just what your gut tells you is right. If you have a trailcam try tomorrow to hang it near the scrape if you're curious.

[pureinsanity]

Saw a buck in chaska walking right through town. Didn't care that I was coming at him. Stopped, honked he didn't even flinch. His neck was puffed up. Its on....

[Musky Buck]

Same, near Little Falls saw a horse 10 and a runt 3 pointer, they both appeared to be hoping for Mrs. right. 1 had a Mrs. right in her sight or should I say scent as it was 9:00PM.

[harvey lee]

Well, I just got home from 4 days in North Dakota. With all the hunters we had, no bucks were seen pushing does at all. The 2 bucks that were shot had small necks with no increase at all either.

I believe as usual, the rut there will start in about 5 more days.

Lots of scrapes and rubs but no bucks running does.

[Born2Fish]

Even here in TOWN in Hastings, me and the little lady saw a buck that was pretty locked up with a doe the other night. We usually see at least 3-5 deer every night along a walking path around here. We were going by the other night and she said, "Whoa, I think I just saw a big buck". So we turned around and sure enough, there he was with a big doe. He would NOT leave her side. We watched as they went back and fourth across the street together and he was not more than 2 feet away from her at all times.

[B. Amish]

"The further north you go the earlier the rut takes place this why the rut peaks in january in texas. not the opposite as you stated."

Nope. The main rut is already finished in south Texas, as this link makes clear when you look back at previous weeks: http://www.versus.com/blogs/rut-map Their main rut happened several weeks ago, and they are now reving up for the secondary rut, while we in Minnesota are just seeing the first wave of the rut.

If the main rut in south Texas happened in January, most of their deer would be born in July, and would miss out on half the growing season. The first rut begins in mid-October in parts of the deep south, as fawns there can handle being born in mid-March. That strategy would not work so well in Minnesota, much less in Canada.

i disagree. in the north the breeding season is shorter and earlier. in the south it's longer and later. the southern tip of texas where the breeding takes place earlier is a different subspecies that breeds earlier.

[Jack Peterson]

I shot my buck because he was hot after a doe.

[peterson99]

Rest of the video? The video is on the right hand side of the screen.

[Farley]

Made a mock scrape and the next day there was a nice scrape and a rub on a tree that was about 6 inches in diameter about 50 feet away from my mock scrape. Saw one buck come in after some does but he was small. Didnt see any does getting chased, saw a couple nicer bucks with single does but I'm guessing theyre just waiting for their favorite doe to come into heat. I think there is another week yet before full on chasing. Had a 7 come in last night and looked like he was heading right for the mock scrape, I dont know if he was going to check it or not, I didnt let him make it that far.

[Gordie]

all the bucks that I have seen in the last three days were chasing does and the woods where I hunt atre full and I mean full of scrapes and rubs since yesturday I have counted 6 new rubs alone and 4 new scrapes and its all on puplic land

[cupper]

I logged about 36 hours on stand from Friday through Sunday between bow and gun hunting. I did not see one doe being chased. The bucks I saw were checking trails, but they weren't overly active IMO. I only saw one deer between Sat. and Sun. It was VERY slow for our group and I cannot figure out why. I hunt in Houston County.

[Lipriper84]

Seen a Big Buck chasing 2 does on Saturday morning while I was walking around. Couldn't get a shot off. This was about 20 miles north of Hincley.

[harvey lee]

The rut must be a Minnesota thing so far as there are no bucks running from what we have noticed yet.

[james_walleye]

I did not gun hunt this weekend as i shot a buck with the bow Halloween weekend. I did however drive around both mornings this weekend just to see what was around. I saw 14 bucks between 2 mornings. All were tending does. I saw bucks laying in farmers yards with does. I watched a 140" 10 pointer warding off younger bucks because he had a doe in a thicket. Bucks laying on fencelines with does. Bucks birddogging does. This goes right along with alot of poor reports i've heard from opening weekend reguarding rut activity. Alot of people arent going to see many bucks cruising when they are all pinned down with does already.

[hunter322]

THE RUT IS ON!!!! I have never seen anything like i had this morning except on movies or tv! i get shaky thinkin about it. i was sittin in stand and about 5 minutes to 8 i herd a branch break. and im like oh yeah here we go. i see a doe come toward me so im thinkin sweet ill take her then i see a lil fork horn chasin her and im think what the heck ill take him too. then i hear, grrr grrr grrr, and i see horns comein through the trees and i just start shakin and hyperventalating. the big guy chases the little one away from the doe and stands between em. i take a shot at the big guy he runs and i shoot again and he goes down so swing over to the doe and shoot and drop her and the buck gets back up and walks off. my hear sank!!! then i see a big red spot on his side and im like "thank you lord!" my dad comes over and we follow a not so good blood trail. little spots and drops here and there, we both thought we were in for one heck of an afternoon. then we find him 75 yards from where he first fell. its my biggest buck to date and im on cloud nine right now.

[Meat-Run]

hunter322,

congrats sounds like one interesting morning........PICTURES PLEASE!!!

[MUSKY18]

Our group had one of the worst years in a long time this past weekend. Went 1 for 12. In all the woods we covered, we didn't see once scrape or rub. Saw some does, but they were still with fawns. First time in 5 years I have failed to even see a deer from my stand. We have taken 7 deer off that stand in the last two years, so I know I am in a good spot. Another guy in our party shoots a nice buck every year and this year only saw two doe fawns. Believe the weather had a part in it, but didn't seem like the rut activity was on up by Hackensack, or at least in our area.

[NEUT6899]

Musky18,

We hunt not to far you and had the same luck... Very quiet in the woods this weekend. I didnt see a single deer the whole weekend and my hunting partner at least was able to watch a doe on Sat afternoon but no doe permits so all he could do is watch and wish...Going to give it a try again this weekend. Hopefully the deer will be moving...

[SETDAHOOK]

I think it varies from area to area in the state. This time last week in the Willmar area, on my way to work I witnessed two different bucks dogging does. It was to the point where the bucks had there tongues hanging out the side of their mouth, and you could see the steam coming from their mouth. In my opinion, the rut was in full force.

However, over the weekend, near Crookston, I witnessed 3 bucks together at one time and multiple does and fawns together. Usually the does will kick the fawns aside. Also, bucks and does were feeding together in our food plot. This does not happen when the rut is on. Also, the tarsal glands on the 3 young bucks where as white as snow. They normally turn black when the rut is on.

[HunterLee]

The rut here has been pretty good starting last weds. Bucks were cruising most of the day. Today the bucks are all locked up with does out in the middle of farm fields.

[Sutty]

I saw a lot of does with fawns this weekend out west. Some in small groups with immature bucks.

[harvey lee]

In North Dakota, I have noticed a huge increase in scrapes and rubs. The 2 bucks we got last weekend were nowhere close to rut. I am leavibng tomorrow am for 5 days and I do believe this trip it will be game time.