Pre-rut reports

[96trigger]

Had a buck come in to rattling and grunting this morning, just like it was supposed to. Had a little 6 point and fork come in later also. Rut is going down here.

[Stratosman]

My buddy rattled in 5 bucks last evening, three were around 120", two were traveling together (wierd).. had the biggest at 10 yards and drew back on him twice but passed... he's hoping he doesn't regret it... same stand I got the 150 earlier this season. He has sat there twice and has seen a total of 11 different bucks.

They responded real well to horns and grunting...

[Cooter]

We had a fork run a doe through the parking lot here at work half hour ago.....we're not out in the country.

[FISHINGURU]

The little bucks are starting to rut around now, still a week or two for the 180+ to start showing themselves.

[james_walleye]

I know of some 160 class bucks down around here and have heard from many of a 203 shot down in the far SE tip, waiting for pics and story on that one. It's been weird for me being done with the 10 pt down on Oct 23. I feel left out not getting to see the bucks going crazy this week. I've never been done that early.

[FISHINGURU]

Yeah I know the feeling, I shot a decent 10 with my muzzleloader last shotgun season right when it was getting good and wished I would of waited. It's bitter sweet, your happy you got a nice buck but your mad cause you can't hunt bucks anymore for the year...gotta start going state to state!

I passed on a real nice 8 yesterday morning, I'm gonna wait this year until I get a beast, if not I'll just hammer a couple does at the end of the year with the muzzleloader.

[nbadger23]

Weird weird stuff going on for me this year. I've hunted this land for the past 8 years and it's usually very consistent in that once Halloween hits you start to see good buck movement. I have seen 3 shooters in a.m. hunts but their behavior has been very odd, no chasing or anything. They seem very subdued. No reaction to grunts, rattles, etc. I had a doe with dark brown tarsal glands walk right under my stand friday and two bucks later cross her path w/o even a sniff... very odd. I've seen a couple of bucks walk right by does w/o even a look. Don't know what's up but I'll continue to be in the stand and hope for a good break.

[brassman]

nbadger23, I have had similar findings. I however do believe that the moon is to blame. The harvest moon is late this year, November 10th. According to a book I have; prime chasing should start on the 7th. Now previous years have held pretty close to the predictions whereas it isn't 100% perfect. I have seen things go against what is written but things in nature don't always happen the same way. Given the crummy weather we had for rifle opener, and the fact that the book predicts the 7th is the start of bucks going bonkers and it coincides with some awesome deer hunting temps in the 30's with chances of snow. Midweek this week should show some results. The wind and heat has kept them suppressed so they are moving at night. That combined with less pressure during the week should kick start some action. Lets just say I am fairly optimistic that I will at least see something.

[harvey lee]

Weird weird stuff going on for me this year. I've hunted this land for the past 8 years and it's usually very consistent in that once Halloween hits you start to see good buck movement. I have seen 3 shooters in a.m. hunts but their behavior has been very odd, no chasing or anything. They seem very subdued. No reaction to grunts, rattles, etc. I had a doe with dark brown tarsal glands walk right under my stand friday and two bucks later cross her path w/o even a sniff... very odd. I've seen a couple of bucks walk right by does w/o even a look. Don't know what's up but I'll continue to be in the stand and hope for a good break.

I have been hunting the same land in North Dakota for the past 25 years abnd this past weekend I was up for the rifle opener.

We saw no rubs or scrapes anywhere on over 2 sections. Maybe all the bucks left our acreage.

[tunrevir]

I think the rut progression was a bit off from what I have seen in years past. Had some minor chasing and sparring but am just starting to see the scrapes popping everywhere and the bucks are locking in hard on the does. Saw two, yesterday morning a six and a fork hanging out with one another didn't appear to have any particular place to go, just meandering along. I'm hoping the next week will get the big boys moving during daylight hours!

Tunrevir~

[sticknstring]

Witnessed my first rut activity of the year this morning... small 7 pt chasing a doe and grunting up a storm. Eventually came through at 23-24 yds. I still haven't seen a 2+ year old buck yet this season. I hope with the cold weather and possibly the first snow of the year, this is the calm before the storm.

[DHost21]

Shot a 3.5 maybe 4.5 year old 130 inch 8 yesterday at 930 in the morning chasing a doe really hard. Grunting up a storm and nose to the ground right on her tail. That was the first mature deer seen on camera or stand during daylight hours and he was rutting hard. All week should be good for a sit I would say

[mrklean]

the buck i shot yesterday was chasing two does and the gf heard a buck chasing does early saturday grunting up a storm, warm weather has not helped

[mnguy152]

Friday night the was abuck chasing a doe down the middle of the road. He was a good 2.5 or 3.5 year old. But I checked my tail cam and alot of the movement was at night this weekend. But had a few older bucks / srunning at night mid week last week. think this week with the rain / snow comming maybe enought to get them going really hard hopefully the wind dies down.

[FBMH]

Rut should be kicking in soon. Gave a small 8pt a challenge snort wheeze and grunt saturday evening and he paid no attention whatsoever to it. However, the bleat was a different story...

[jdkeehl]

I know of three difeant guys who had bucks locked down with does 2 in the 150's and 1 in the 170's all metro deer(within 60 yards bow hunting). I had multiple bucks chaseing doe(yearlings) on sat. morning. saw 11 differant bucks from friday night to sat. morning. Saw zero bucks on sun. and not a doe. previous i had been seeing 6 to 7 does and 8 to 10 fawn each sit and i only saw 3 does total all weekend. everything i saw was fawns and bucks! where did all the does go!!!!

[tunrevir]

I'd say they are in the heavy cover and trying to avoid the annoyance of being chased all over by the little guys when they are waiting for Mr. Right to stop by and say hello. Saw a minor bit of chasing this weekend but my neighbors kid shot a doe early a.m. Sat and his dad called to ask about processing and when I heard he shot a doe I told him to tell his boy to get his butt back out on stand and hang out for a couple hours. Got a text and a pic abpout and hour later of the neihgbor kid with a large 8 pt. Followed the exact trail in as the doe was on and even stopped in the same spot where he arrowed her! Slam dunk archery tags filled in a 1.5 hour span. Cool to see that young guy smiling ear to ear and retelling the story

Tunrevir~

[hockeybc69]

JD

We had the same thing this weekend. 5 guys, and no does moving. Saw plenty of yearling bucks and nothing else.

[Shu]

Sat all day today and saw a number of small bucks on the prowl but only one was trailing a doe real close and that was a big buck that was too far away and wouldn't leave her.

[MUSKY18]

Our group got three bucks this past weekend. One was only a spike,one a small six and my big ten. The basket six had body size that was pretty close to my big ten. Neither the spike or the six had swollen necks, but my ten did. Another member of our hunting party saw the ten come through dogging a doe, but couldn't get a shot off on him. By the time he got to my stand I never saw the doe, but he was sure looking around and smelling the trail for her. He never got much farther and is now at the taxidermist.

[dave12341234]

Was hunting all da yesterday and all this morning, silent, not one deer. Didnt even touch the feed over the past few nights. Before this, like all last week, I saw some hard core chasing, a spike, and a nice 10 out of range. i have a few theories.

1. The moon is new and i think the deer could be chasing all night and then resting in the day.

2. females are trying to lay low in thick cover away from bucks, thus bucks are in the thick stuff as well.

idk just a few thoughts. im on the edge of about a 100 acre swamp. theres is a pine stand as well as some mixed hardwood, trails all around me. ill stay updated.

location: northwest wisconsin

[Musky Buck]

Here's a dumb rut question but why does a bucks neck swell, is it hormone related ? Most of the yearlings I see year in and out their necks aren't or rarely are swelled up. Have seen a 100 or so in November and maybe 5 had medium swelled neck. There isn't much neck on a yearling buck to start with. But yes on occasion I've seen a few porky necked young ones.

[Musky Buck]

Moon is full isn't it like tomorrow ? HockeyBC same in OT county, young bucks cruising, older bucks no need as they are with or near the few does around and I think some of that is the deal less mature does around bucks don't need to go looking as much and that's why the little ones are, because they can't find any or many that a mature buck isn't with or has already serviced. I think the rut is a mess mainly because of our temps, biggest difference today vs deer hunting 20 years ago is temperature, way to warm to worry about the feedbag and I think the cooler the more they want to feed and get there before darkness which draws the bucks out earlier also ?

[nbadger23]

At least for my area, I think the people who have said that the rut will start kicking in here this week were spot on. I shot a 12 pt early this morning that had a slightly swollen neck and was grunting as he came in - no does in sight. He didn't have that "smell" that most rutting bucks have yet. As I was tracking him I noticed numerous rubs that were very freshly opened up. You know when they are fresh when the bark that is hanging there hasn't dried yet.

[Bear55]

Over the years we have shot a lot of nice bucks between the 8th and the 12th, if you can be in the woods right now I would get out there. Heading north after work, very pumped up!