Rut

[Phunnyfarm]

I don't get to choose a lot of my hunting strategy because I live so far away from where I hunt. So I follow the weather patterns, and I know I'll get all of (rifle) opener and the next day to hunt. That's it. Then it's back to the work grind, and hopefully I've got venison and not tag sandwiches for lunch!

I wouldn't want to be ANYWHERE else in the world though for those 2 days, and I'll lose more and more sleep every night until it gets here.

Good luck to everyone, be SAFE out there getting to/from the stands, and keep the reports coming!

[tunrevir]

Around the Forest Lake area where I have been hunting the activity is starting to heat up a bit. A week ago I had a small 6 pushing a couple does, as the youngsters usually do the early chasing while the mature deer tend to wait until the time is right. I am seeing increased scrape activity in the areas I hunt and with the weather fronts pushing through every couple days the activity has been up for both antlered deer and does during shooting hours. Daytime activity has been slow but there has been plenty of deer up and moving during the last hour of daylight where I hunt.

Tunrevir~

[hockeybc69]

Tonight things went crazy. The last 45 minutes of legal shooting I had deer running circles around me. I hunt next to a small river and first deer I spotted were across the river and I saw 3 deer tear through the brush. A bit later, a lone doe came across the river and walked into the brush on the side I was on. I started grunting to see if I could get the attention of the buck I assumed was running the does on the other side of the river. I heard a grunt to my left(which is on my side of the river) and here comes an 8 pt right at me. As he was coming, a forkhorn popped out of the brush next to him and they started playing and bumping heads. The 8 pt came to me and I had him at 15 yds but just couldnt take a shot. As he stood in front of me another doe came shooting across the river and he took off after her. Minutes later, the forkie came busting out of the brush chasing a doe. Then a buck crossed the river and was headed my way. It was a 10 pt I have on camera a couple times this fall. At this point, I had deer in all directions chasing and crashing brush....

The 10 pt was running zig zag with his head down and came up the same trail the doe had come just minutes earlier.... He is now tagged and hanging.

I sat there for 15 minutes with my grunt tube and had a 6pt circle my stand 3 times.

As he was circling, the 8 pt came back and stood and watched the young buck walking around me.

I have to say that was about the most fun in 30-45 minutes I have ever had on a deer stand.

So back to the topic.... Rut? Holy dump yes.

[paceman]

Awesome glad to hear things are heating up down there. Only a matter of time until they start rolling up here. Can't wait!

[jwhawkridge]

Was in the Emily/Outing area and had a SLOW weekend. It took until Sun night before I even saw one deer - a yearling doe. Kept my eyes open for anything following her but nada. We did some scouting and all the usual haunts aren't even touched yet - not a single rub or scrape. I did have a couple of small bucks on the trail cam checking out the mock scrapes I had made but not when I was in the stand. Is the rut late/slow up north (north of Brainerd we'll say) this year??? Had 0 response to various calling (tried rattling, grunting and just for fun bleating).

[Jmnhunter]

jwhawk, i think your right seems like everyone who has been seeing rutting activity and sign have been from the south half of the state!

[bltbowhunter]

hockeybc69, lets see the pics of your prize!

[paceman]

jwhawk, i think your right seems like everyone who has been seeing rutting activity and sign have been from the south half of the state!

It seems to me that is normal, I don't know why but the south half tends to heat up a week or 10 days before the north half..

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Probably due to the population densities. Lot more deer = lot more bucks and competition.

I've seen a few rubs and scrapes up here on the range this weekend.

[muskiemanAD]

Drove to Albert Lea and back to the Cities yesterday. Lots of road kill with 3 being headless....

[Fever]

A lot easier to "see" deer activity, sign, and actual deer in the south too though. Regardless - things are heating up. An adult doe was hit right in front of me yesterday morning on the way to school. I was only about 15-20 seconds behind the vehicle.

[Musky Buck]

Days are getting shorter so it's coming, noticing some rubs finally, these rubs were not made by a rookie, would love to see him in a dozen days or so.

[bigbucks]

Hunted a new stand for the first time last night. I saw, a woodpecker... I did find half a dozen scrapes on the trail walking to the stand however. None of them were closer than probably 200 yards to the stand though.

[Wanderer]

I'd move the stand

[bigbucks]

I put it there more for late season. Sat on a bucket there on muzzle loader opener night last year & saw 10 deer.

[surewood]

Plenty of rubs and scrapes up north in my area. A couple hot does here and the switch will flip. Get out there.

[Scott K]

He's got that look

[PurpleFloyd]

Went out with my son to check the trail cams last night and decided to move one to a different spot to check the flow of traffic. We got there right at dark and drove right up to the spot, shut down the cummins and turned on the camers to check operation, then glanced out the side window and 2 fawns walked right out of the creek 30 yards from us and stood there looking at us.This was literally withing 3 minutes of getting there. A few minutes later the doe walked out and joined them and a few minutes after that a small buck came from across the road and rubbed noses with the doe. The Fawns took off and in a few minutes the doe took off with the buck right behind. Never did get the camera set up last night but it looks like I should paint my blind to look like a bright red Ram 2500.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Driving home from work yesterday I saw 3 bucks eating what was left of a freshly combined cornfield.

I would think (then again, what do I know) if they were in rut they most surely wouldn't be having a friendly "Guys night out" dinner. Not saying they're not in rut, but they didn't seem to mind each others company.

[Musky Buck]

Appreciate what you have or maybe have, the rut, asking a great friend how things look up his way north and east of Bemidji, 27 guys with an unknown number of tcams, tons of land to hunt, plenty of scouting has been tried and 1 deer picture and or sighting since August 1st on all these properties. Friend said everyone is just devastated, he said he'd hate to be that deer but figures it likely has been caught and eaten. 100+ wolf pictures, some bears, and a bobcat is about it as of last sunday. They knew it was bad when corn/apples etc piles attracted 0 deer to their game camera's, 9 moons to deer camp guys, someones always got it worse, shoot straight and be safe.

[BLACKJACK]

Had two smal bucks cross the road in front of me on the way into work, they're starting to move. Can't wait, I have Friday and several days next week off.

[jerkbait]

UP here still seems to be all nocturnal deer action. Getting more pics on the tcams though. Not seeing much for daytime deer yet. hopefully it starts pretty soon up here.

[nwhunter]

UP here still seems to be all nocturnal deer action. Getting more pics on the tcams though. Not seeing much for daytime deer yet. hopefully it starts pretty soon up here.

Exactly the same for us this way around the Isabella area.

[MahtowaDave]

Halloween. It starts now. Enjoy!

[gopher_nation]

I have next week off of work and will be doing all day sits. I did the same thing last year and was certain I picked the wrong week after a couple days in, then someone turned the switch and the third day was crazy. So just remember folks, day to day can be completely different. Don't get too discouraged if you aren't seeing action. One hot doe can create mayhem.