Rut Reports

[eyeslayer20]

It's that time of year when we might start getting more antsy then those bucks. What is everybody seeing in the woods?

[Gofishleech]

Saw a little buck tonight dogging a doe around, seems a little early but good to see. Next couple of weeks should be some good hunting

[96trigger]

Went out this morning in the rain, never saw a deer. On the way home 30 yards off the road in a picked bean field, two little scrappers were butting heads. It's coming, slowly but surely.

[Archerysniper]

I had a doe chasing her button buck fawn around tonight beating the heck out of him so I added her too the freezer. It's starting to heat up.

[broken line]

From this morning - metro area. Saw total of seven deer...two were small bucks. Both bucks were following a doe (not chasing, just interested) and both were grunting to beat the band. Was very cool to watch.

[mabr]

Had a border line shooter (mid 120's)last night come in to me grunting at him. First saw him making a rub about 100 yards away and he came in pretty quick to the grunt. Then proceeded to tear up another tree 40 yards out. Snort wheezed at him and back he came. 2 times at less than 20 yards. Drew on him but just couldnt let it go. Its just starting around my neck of the woods.

[archerystud]

Have seen a couple little bucks pushing does but not real hard. Didn't see anything tonight though.

[Jeff13]

Does today no bucks to be found.

[water rat]

Out this am saw 2 does and 4 bucks,all the bucks were together! 115-120 incher came under me along with 2 dinks,the bigger boy 130-140's turned around when I used my phone to take a pic of the border buck(didn't know there were 4 bucks at that time !! Argh!!) Nothing bolted out,just got nervous about the shutter sound...

[MattL]

Tough day for me today. Spent about 8 hrs in the woods and didn't see a single deer.

To make matters worse, someone decided to smash one of my trail cams. I thought they were dumb enough to leave the card in, but I got home and everything on the card had been deleted

[Bear55]

Lots of rubs showing up now, not much scrape action yet from what I see. Had some big tracks in my area tonight but also big wolf tracks so they might have shut the place down.

[mrklean]

Talked to the father in law tonight he saw 14 deer and he said the bucks were chasing hard

[nbadger23]

My report from today:

AM hunt... 2 does came crashing through and were looking hard at what might have been approaching behind them. Nothing ever materialized.

PM hunt.. nothing until right at dark. My bow has been lowered to the ground and I'm just about to start climbing down when I hear a noise. I leave my bow on the rope and stay still and a fun show ensues. I wait with anticipation of the deer approaching from the north. It's coming from a bedding area so maybe it's a good buck. Turns out to be a doe and a fawn. They get to about 10 yards (I can barely see them at this point) and I hear other movement, both down the trail and up the trail.

The fawn makes it's way down the trail and within 30 seconds comes running back, with a deer chasing it that's grunting. I know it's a buck but at 5 yards I can't see the rack. It stops and from "up the trail" I hear a pawing at the ground and a grunt. The doe and fawn are caught in between and they just stand there. The buck from the north slowly makes it's way in and pushes the doe off to the west. The buck from the south follows and all of a sudden I hear a ton of leaf movement, deep pig like grunts, and crashing antlers. Oh how I wish it was daylight and I could see this! A lot of racket ensues and then dead quiet... except of course for the doe and fawn who have made their way back to within 5 yards of my stand.

At this point it's o'dark thirty and I'd really rather be back in the house as opposed to trying to make my way back and dodging 4 different deer. Then the unthinkable happens, the doe and fawn bed down right below my stand. I can barely make them out except for the moonlight. I am at my wits end a this point. I know two different bucks have worked their way past my stand and haven't pinpointed me, there's no reason to get picked off now. I take some bark from the tree and throw it down to the ground as gently as I can and it's enough to make them get up and move (thankfully!).

They leave a little startled but no snorting or stomping or anything like that so I'm hoping they just naturally felt the need to move.

Even though I couldn't quite see much of it, it was a lot of fun. I haven't heard an all out confrontation like that in a long time so it was good to remember how deep and forceful those grunts are when they fight. It literally sounded like a pig grunting. It's good to get the visual confirmation that the good stuff is just around the corner!

[harvey lee]

I would guess at least 2 more weeks before the rut is going. Sure, some chasing but I am not going to even think about it for at least another week.

[nbadger23]

Just had 4 baldies come through at a quick pace. They had "that look" and sure enough, about a minute later a buck walks through. He wasn't a shooter but it was good to see, especially at 8:45 a.m.

[paceman]

always fun to hear the stories of the pre-rut activity. I will now take every chance I can to climb a tree

[B-man715]

While on the road coming home today I saw a small 4-6 point run across the highway at 11:50 am. Just about got smucked from cars going opposite directions!

Thought it was just a fluke.

Then not 10 minutes later (and about 10 miles away), a decent 100-110" eight point did the same thing (this was on the edge of Taylors Falls on top of the hill).

High noon on October 21st and the bucks are already gettin stupid

I took off the 27th through the 4th to bowhunt WI and maybe gun hunt the MN opener

Can't come soon enough!!!!!!!

Good luck guys!!

[maddowg1192000]

got busted by a decent 8 this morning. I have spent 5hrs in the last 2 days searching the woods for rubs and scrapes and have only found 1 small rub.

[Archerysniper]

got busted by a decent 8 this morning. I have spent 5hrs in the last 2 days searching the woods for rubs and scrapes and have only found 1 small rub.

Check the downwind side of any doe bedding areas that you know of,the sign will be there.

[lungdeflator]

Just scouted a new spot this afternoon in western ND. Found alot of scrapes. Only a few were fresh though (after the rain), you know they are fresh when you can smell it before you see it!

[MattL]

Had a 6 pt run a doe past my stand this afternoon. I have the whole week off prior to the gun season so I hope some of the big boys get up on their feet in the next week and join the party.

[no bait nate]

Yesterday AM. Had a group of does work in to me with a small buck following behind. He was grunting very loudly and chasing one doe around pretty good for a few minutes before finally moving on. About an hour later I had a different buck come in to some light rattling. He was also small but was very excited to try to find out where the rattling came from. He hung around for about an hour, returning every time I would grunt at him.

Today AM. Different Stand. No action with grunting or rattling. Had one doe and her fawn work from the woods into the corn just a few yds from me. She was looking back every few seconds for was I was hoping was the big boy. But he never showed and they left shortly after.

Hoping by next weekend they will really be swinging!

[slimngrizzly]

Seeing some dandies on the cameras moving much more and the woods is torn apart. Pics are mostly between 11:00-5:00am. Some good bucks are showing up on our cameras over a mile apart.

I would predict on friday, if the weather gets to HIGHS in the 30's like they are predicting, the bucks are going to snap!

[Bear55]

Saw two bucks this weekend, one at dark thirty and not sure on size but the rack was visible. Then passed a two year old last night.

[rbs]

Had a shooter buck dogging a doe on Thursday at Ripley, he would not react to anything I threw at him...only one thing on his mind!