Rutting Reports

[Jarrid Houston]

Another tough weekend for us logging hours in the stand and not seeing ANYTHING.. Whats worse is we are not seeing any sign. Very frustrating, but patience and persistence~ I will be getting the rifle stands set up this next weekend, but should find a little time to get in the bow stand. May be hard though with the weather forecast saying mid 60's. This may steer us to the water for one last boat outing. Then hunt hunt hunt!!

[sportfish]

I dont hunt right now , I have learned not to pressure the deer much in Oct.

I check the cameras in the middle of the day and wait tell the time is right to hunt . Next week they will move more when the weather cools . To hot now . My days are Nov 6 and 7 that's when I hunt all day

Not much for rubs and a few scrapes right now

[FISHINGURU]

Can you say "October Lull"?

Hate this time of year!

I haven't even made it out yet, with all this warm weather and only a 1 deer limit I will wait another week or two before I even begin.

Not a big fan of hunting with the bugs in hot weather or hunting sign that is made during the witching hours.

The forecast isn't looking very good for hunting.

[DonBo]

Actually, I saw a lot of movement this weekend. Bugs are non existent for the most part. No buck activity yet though.

[1eyeReD]

Was down in SE MN Wabasha county on Sat. Tried my morning spot. Nada. Sat til 10. No deer. Strange. This spot usually has at least a few does coming through mornings Oct lull or not.

Sat evening at my evening spot. No deer either until very late, saw one walking a speedy pace in the distance through the woods. Also saw a father and son come sit down about 150 yds in front of me. They were youth huntin. Had to wave them down with my orange vest. They politely walked away. Hope they got something before the kiddo's weekend was over.

On my drive out saws does in the combined fields. Also saw a big bodied buck with small rack crossed the road. This was about 7:30PM.

[rbs]

Was out scouting yesterday evening and found a area that had about 10 small scrapes amongst a bunch of beat down deer trails. Looks like a good spot for a bow stand!

[engfish]

I finally made my way out into the stand this fall--not by choice--and I have seen deer both sits on two different properties. I can honestly say that I have never felt 100% certain that I rattled in a buck until this fall.

Last Wednesday I sat for an hour on a picked bean field that has CRP and standing corn all around it. I didn't see anything until I LIGHTLY rattled. Less than 5 minutes later I had a young buck walk out of the CRP and then walked right at me into the corn. He didn't present a shot, which I wouldn't have taken, but it was good to see the reaction.

On Sunday morning I hunted another property with a buddy who wanted to videotape. The wind was all wrong, and I was sweating badly by the time we got to the stand. Again, it was quiet for an hour until a nice doe walked right underneath and then moved to the north. I waited a while and decided to give the horns a little rattle. Again, it was short and light. Within a minute, I heard movement behind us and I slowly stood up. A young 8 point came in on a string to 12 yards and stood broadside and then fed for a minute before moving out. He stayed about 50 yards away circling and looking for the "other bucks."

On the way out that morning, we found our first rub and a good-sized scrape in an area we had walked the previous weekend. It's definitely starting in our area.

[bigbucks]

Sits have been very inconsistent for me. Week ago Saturday am, sat in a spot camera showed very consistent deer activity, nothing. Saturday pm, could have shot 5 on a cornfield, does & fawns. Friday night saw 6 on a hayfield, could have shot 5, 3 small bucks all together. Same spot Sat am, nothing. Sat pm sat a great rut funnel between oak ridges, sign, but no sightings. I've seen just a few scrapes & they've been there since opener, don't think I've seen a rub yet.

Better weather for cutting wood right now.

Shot my fall turkey at 11am on Saturday, surprised a brood along a cornfield & dusted a young hen of the year. Love 10 minute turkey hunts.

[Coach]

Was up by Mora last weekend, very quiet, a few does. The weekend before I saw the small bucks together, lots of fun. Looking forward to the Halloween weekend.

[FISHINGURU]

Actually, I saw a lot of movement this weekend. Bugs are non existent for the most part. No buck activity yet though.

The No See Ums and other skin burrowing insects are still out and about here in SE MN. I just had a couple burrow into my skull and arm as I was out practicing and making some adjustments with the bow.

A few of the older mature does must of been coming into heat recently. I have a friend who has been watching a dozen does out in his field for weeks, just the other night a nice buck showed up about 45 minutes before dark and started hounding one of the big gals.

My GF seen a nice buck on her way to work laying in the ditch along side the road in some tall grass while a few does were out in a field grazing at about 7:45 in the morning. She couldn't even see his body just his rack sticking up tall out of the grass.

ENGFISH- You will be hooked for life now, I've tickled them in as early as opening morning, dozen or so years ago I shot an opening day buck partially still in velvet by tickling him in. Bucks will play around as soon as they shed the velvet.

I will never forget the first time I rattled in a buck dang near 20 yrs ago now, I seen Roger Raglin do it on a movie so I bought a pair of antlers, called up a buddy told him about it. I'm like yeah all we do is go pound on these in the woods and the bucks come running in, we set up on the ground by some bushes, I told him to shake the bushes and scrape the ground and grunt while I rattle, soon as we started I hear running in the distance and sure enough here comes a nice 8 pointer right to us. We messed the rest of the story up but hey it was fun lol.

Been hooked ever since, nothing is more cool then seeing a buck come running or sneaking in after you rattle. I've rattled in many of bucks since then, I never forget my rattle bag.

[Lunker]

Saw a basket 8 dogging a doe across a road tonight while I was driving home

[Musky-buck]

Sat tonight saw 2 bucks 3 does. Saw a 2 1/2 year old 12 pointer 125 incher at 40 yards, decided to pass hoping for the 180 incher I have on the property. Rattled at the 12 stopped looked then kept walking.

[tazimna]

Been a windy week up here, but starting to see some activity by bucks. Have noticed a lot of scraps/rubs this past week along my field edge. Have seen several different bucks chasing, watched 2 10 pters squabble with each other 60 yds from my stand, and watched an 8 ptr mount a doe 20 yds from my bedroom stand(unfortunately the wife didn't get my clue ). On Sunday had 15 deer in field when 3 timbers came across. A couple deer ran off, but the others could care less. The scrapes I've been peeing in are relly being worked over and most have doubled in size. For 2 years I've been experimenting with dripping some ammonia on scrapes, and those 2 are REALLY being worked up by bucks. It's a nice option to be able to watch alot of this activity from my bedroom window. Taz

[DonBo]

Guy that works down the street hit a big buck with his car yesterday morning, and another had a big 10 pt standing right in the middle of the road same morning. That's a start.

[psepuncher]

Big scrape opened up in same area that I've hunted the last 5 years.

Saw a sillouet of a huge deer when I was walking back out after last light, It was 30 yards from me

[Boar]

seen my fisrt scrape tonight going to stand with halle, wasnt there on Tues.

[FISHINGURU]

The scrapes I've been peeing in are relly being worked over and most have doubled in size. For 2 years I've been experimenting with dripping some ammonia on scrapes, and those 2 are REALLY being worked up by bucks.

Shot my biggest buck to date over a scrape I had been taking a leak in!

Never tried the ammonia, sounds interesting though.

[tunrevir]

Saw three different bucks pushing does this morning while on stand. Little guys harassing the does. One was grunting and chasing a doe around the other two were more or less shadowing a doe. Last weekend I saw does with yearlings in tow, today every doe I saw was a single and each one was being pestered by young bucks. Did see one larger buck but he stood at a distance and watched the show.

Tunrevir~

[DonBo]

Had a little forkie chase a lone fawn around tonight. I'm still seeing some does with fawns here in the metro.

[PropsterII]

Had a mature buck tending a doe this evening. She seemed like she was no quite ready but he wasn't letting her out of his sight

[archerystud]

My cameras have started showed 4 new bucks in the last week.

Nothing new that was big but much more cruising going on. And at least one (maybe 2) of my cameras have crapped out!!! Bad timing.

[hockeybc69]

Saw 10 deer crossing roads on my way out duck hunting this morning.... i hadnt seen 10 total in my previous morning trips.

Saw a yearling buck lightly pushing a doe while bowhunting last night. Its time boys.

[brassman]

Called in a small buck (at least it acted like one) called shortly after 6pm and saw a deer beeline for me from about 100 yards, came in and had a decent body however it was getting dark so couldn't see the antlers. The deer walked in a circle around me and got behind me at 15 yards and then walked back from where it came.

[archerystud]

Had a nice doe come in down wind of me tonight. She was alone so I kept watching her back trail but that was the only deer I saw.

[tracker x-2]

Saturday evening my wife decided she wanted to come with me so we set up in a ground blind. as son as we set up a fat coon came by and she thought that was pretty cool. at last light we had doe come right by with a nice buck in pursuit, how ever he stayed behind a lotta brush and i couldn't get a shot.