Pre-rut reports

[tunrevir]

With things starting to heat up in the woods I thought I'd start a thread on deer activity that we are seeing leading up to the rut. I have seen a steady uptick in the amount of rubs and scrapes I'm seeing around my hunting areas. Haven't seen any chasing just yet but have a few pics of bucks sparring on camera. How about the rest of you?

Tunrevir~

[Rippinlip]

Last Saturday I had one of my shooters come in hot on a doe.

Scrapes I have seen seem to be real active.

Have had a few buddies really seeing alot of scrapes showing up.

[Stratosman]

Some small bucks chasing last night, saw a small 8 cruisin, my buddy shot a doe that was being chased by 4 small bucks, had to yell at her to stop her...after the shot two bucks chased her and watched her drop a mere 30 yards from the tree, while the other two sparred under his tree. Saw a mature 8 on the way home doggin a doe. Small ones always go chase first, so it shouldn't be long now. Still kinda wish I had a buck tag...

[alwaysonthemove]

Been busy drivin the desk. In the morning when I come in in the dark I see nothing. When I go home in the Evening I see Nothing. I have noticed lots of running tracks starting to show up on the gravels. The customers that come through the door at work have not being seeing much yet. But it is close.

[snapcrackpop]

Had 7 deer come by this morning. Rattled in a spike and a basket 8.

[gurkster]

I am not seeing much here yet. I hope it turns quick. I would like a couple more bow sits before gun opener.

[DonBo]

Not many more sits for me before gun opener. Shot a forkie Tuesday night that came into a grunt call. He was lookin' hard.

[surewood]

My brother used the bleat to call in a small 9. It came running in a couple times after he bleated. It freshened up a scrape and moved on. A spike was following about forty yards behind it. He said the spike was jumping around and running in and out of the woods.

[tunrevir]

I rattled in a basket 6 last week but have not seen any signs of the chase just yet. I have been seeing more and more sign show up with scrapes being opened and more brutal rubs being put down. I am off work as of today and then ave a wek to hunt before the shotgun season. My plan is to hit up some of the sites I know I'll see a few does and hopefully, punch a tag or two. I am looking to head to Wisc late next week as shotgun starts to hunt a new piece of land. I love this time of year. Hopefully I'll get a deer here in Mn and then be able to head to Wisc. Not much showing up on cameras right now but it will turn loose here in the next couple days! Good luck and keep at it!

Tunrevir~

[runnindummie]

Meeker county--central MN

Thought hunt was over tonight and then watched a solo doe (which I haven't seen at all...it's typically 3-9 doe/fawns when I see one)come onto field and scury off looking behind her...here he comes, very nice mature buck with neck like a tank and nose to the ground the entire time. Only problem it was about 100 yards away at dark-thirty. At least I know what I'm doing this weekend.

Haven't seen any bucks besides spikes to six points the last couple weeks so I'm hoping this guy told me the big boys are coming out to play again.

Good luck all

[tunrevir]

Had a deer come in early a.m. yesterday about 10 minutes before decent shooting light, big body but couldn't nmake out if it had horns or not. Sat untill 11 without seeing another deer. Sat from 3 till dark and never saw a deer. Went out this a.m. and had a yearling doe show up after a series of grunts and bleats followed closely by a basket 8. Watched them mill around at 15 yards, buck worked a scrape and then meandered off the direction of the doe but about half way there the buck stopped and turned quartering into the wind and wandered off through the woods. Won't be long and they will be chasing hard!

Tunrevir~

[MUSKY18]

Got a message from buddy who was out this morning that the bucks were chasing pretty hard around him. I am heading out here in about 20 minutes to sit the rest of the day. Gonna try a little with the rattle bag and see if I can peak some interest!

[AuggieDawg11]

Lot of scrapes have popped up this past week but I have not seen any chasing. Younger bucks are showing a little more aggression towards each other and I have seen some sparring.

[Stratosman]

Buddy had small bucks harassing does by him all evening yesterday. No shooters but on e big bodied deer came by when it was too dark to tell. Perfect weather!

[surewood]

Had a nice 10 follow a doe and fawn but 70 yards away. Grunted, bleated, he only looked my way and kept after them. Hard to call them away, but they're chasing now.

[Archerysniper]

Had a buck chase a doe into 70 yards of my tree tonight couldn't get a good view of his rack though too thick,last night I had a forkey come through at 5 yards panting and tongue hanging out.

[tunrevir]

Yep, looks like things are heating up! I had two does getting run all over the woods but no shot on the chaser or the chasees tonight. I have the whole week off so I have high hopes I'll get a shot at something prior to shotgun season. The buck wasn't a monster but he was respectable. Hopefully the big guys will join the fray soon. Nothing came in tonight to rattling or grunting.

Tunrevir~

[1johntimm]

Nothing happening here.....just a couple scrapes ans minimum rubs?

[Bear55]

1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks chasing does and grunting up a storm in my area. The big boys know the time isn't right yet but that does not mean the aren't looking, now if I could just find them. Exciting time of year!

[AuggieDawg11]

Just got off the phone with my brother. He said that he had 2 bucks chasing does right before shooting time tonight. He said one was a small basket rack but the other was a lot bigger. Mother Nature just flipped the switch!

[tracker x-2]

Heres a little prerut/full rut. he looks to be running at 12:40.

[james_walleye]

Looks like hes running pretty hard. Possibly jumped and you caught him escaping?

A few friends said this morning was good. Bigger bucks were cruising around. No shots though.

[AuggieDawg11]

today's drop in temperature really helped the bucks cut loose. Saw a shooter this morning and this evening with his nose down and moving at a steady clip. He would disappear for 20 minutes and be right back. The funny thing is that I did not see one doe. The closest he came was about 60 yards and then he would run off. The SE wind made me hunt a stand that I normally don't get to hunt.

[DHost21]

How long does the rut usually last? I work all week for the most part at least but do have from friday until the next wednesday to hunt. Most of this will be up north with some family and I just dont really get into the gun hunting all that much. I will go sit with the lady for saturday sunday and sit with my gun monday up north and come home tuesday. This leaves wednesday to hunt for myself with the bow which is what i really want to kill something with and then it wont be until the next week I can hunt again. When do you think the peak rut is and when will it last until. Will the week of november 13th - 19th still have some good rut action?

[Shu]

Saw 3 bucks tonight and one doe. Small buck was trailing the doe. One buck was a stud but he came in downwind of me to the decoy and must have winded me, only 20 yards away. The rain made the woods turn real quiet or I think I would have had a good chance at that one.