Rut Activity Reports

[Lunker]

Hunting yesterday evening (OCT 13th), I had a buck chasing a doe and grunting in circles around me. Also stopped to make a scrape. Definitely the earliest I've ever seen this.

[O.T.C.]

Better push bow hunting out of the rut. You must be dreaming everyone knows the bucks don't start rutting until rifle opener.

[1eyeReD]

Was out Weds night and bagged a nice sized doe. On my way to the stand, I saw some big fresh scrapes along the path in the woods. The time is near!

[O.T.C.]

Before someone can't read between the lines I'm kidding of course, as early as fawns surfaced around here this spring it sure seemed a lot of local does were bred before rifle last year and it doesn't surprise me much to hear that happening already. Good Luck this weekend guys, tomorrow should be good conditions according to accuweather.

[paceman]

No sign of rutting up here... Cameras still show lots of bucks hanging together..

[certified jumbo]

Lots of pre rut sign in my areas.  Rubs and scrapes galore.   Twice this week I've had bucks sparring  and once one aggressively working a scrape.

[monstermoose78]

My dad grunted one in last night

[Bass Whacker]

Tues-Wed things really took off around me, lots of scrapes and a few rubs showed up.  Thursday afternoon I had two different young bucks chasing does around in the CRP.  Hopefully it cools off and stays that way because when it started warming up Friday activity seemed to drop right back off again.

[SmellEsox]

Saw a little scrape in the path last Wednesday.  Didn't get out at all last weekend so can't comment on further action.  Full moon may trigger some scrape activity I suppose.

[Wanderer]

I heard from another hunter they saw two good bucks chasing does in separate areas around Little Falls yesterday (10/18/16).

 

I too thought it was early but from the above posts it sounds like things are notching up!

[Lunker]

Scrapes all over now. Hunted last night and saw two bucks moving during daylight making scrapes, one was a shooter. And another doe that appeared she was being chased. SW WI

[1eyeReD]

Went out and grabbed a trail cam today that I left on a piece of public I haven't hunted before. Bucks showing up around that first 30 min of daylight in the last week or two. Rubs and scrapes are showing up everywhere.

[snagfinder]

Shot my biggest archery deer to date saturday morning. It came running in to a grunt call.

[ANYFISH2]

Where's the pic?

It ok to glot here!

[snagfinder]

[Wanderer]

Oooohhhhh yeaaahhhh........

 

Nice one!  I wish my grunt call worked like that. 

[certified jumbo]

Dandy....

[PurpleFloyd]

Lots of good sausage piled up there.

[leech~~]

3 hours ago, snagfinder said:

 

Let me fix that for ya. Very nice rack there! Looking at the neck I would say the Rut is on! 

Edited October 25, 2016 by leech~~

[ANYFISH2]

Dang! Nice deer!  Fantastic deer actually!

Just gotta rub it in don't ya!

Congratulations.

[paceman]

Great Deer Snagfinder! Still not much for rut signs in the woods over here. A couple of really small scrapes is all I've seen sp far...

[96trigger]

SEMN report

First of all, nice deer Snagfinder!  Was out a couple of times over the weekend.  I had 2 bucks grunting at each other a week ago, one was a smaller 8 and the other...I never saw, but his grunt was much lower.  I forgot the grunt tube, I would have given anything to have it at that time.  Didn't think I would need it as previous years at this time, the bucks were very quiet and unresponsive to grunting.  Walking in the woods I am seeing some pretty good scrape lines and rubs showing up.  Again, comparing it to the last 2 or 3 years, the rut is almost 2 weeks ahead of where it has been.  The last couple of years I got the most daylight buck pics in the middle of November.  This afternoon I saw a nice buck tending to a doe in the middle of an alfalfa field at 1:00 PM.  Again, the last couple of years, those sightings were rare this early.  It is leading me to believe the rut is starting early this year.  Even though I read that it was going to be a later rut, what I am seeing in the woods is not supporting that info.  I haven't been able to get out bow hunting as much because of other obligations and honestly, it wasn't bothering me too bad based on the last couple of years dismal results of buck sightings during the bow season.  However, this year it's starting to look different.  Earlier daytime sightings, lots of rubs and scrapes showing up earlier than normal.  I can't get to the stand before sunup at all next week, so I wasn't going to take anytime off of work, but honestly, with the way things are progressing, even being in the stand by 8:00 am might lead to success with the signs I am starting to see.  Last weekend I saw most of the deer after 9:00 am.  

 

One more thing to note, normally during the youth season I know of 1, maybe 2 kids that score on bucks.  This year, I know 6 youngsters that  got bucks to hit the dirt, some dandies too.  I also know of 2 that missed very nice, mature bucks.  Take it for what it's worth, but now seems like the time to be in the woods.  

[1eyeReD]

22 hours ago, 96trigger said:

SEMN report

First of all, nice deer Snagfinder!  Was out a couple of times over the weekend.  I had 2 bucks grunting at each other a week ago, one was a smaller 8 and the other...I never saw, but his grunt was much lower.  I forgot the grunt tube, I would have given anything to have it at that time.  Didn't think I would need it as previous years at this time, the bucks were very quiet and unresponsive to grunting.  Walking in the woods I am seeing some pretty good scrape lines and rubs showing up.  Again, comparing it to the last 2 or 3 years, the rut is almost 2 weeks ahead of where it has been.  The last couple of years I got the most daylight buck pics in the middle of November.  This afternoon I saw a nice buck tending to a doe in the middle of an alfalfa field at 1:00 PM.  Again, the last couple of years, those sightings were rare this early.  It is leading me to believe the rut is starting early this year.  Even though I read that it was going to be a later rut, what I am seeing in the woods is not supporting that info.  I haven't been able to get out bow hunting as much because of other obligations and honestly, it wasn't bothering me too bad based on the last couple of years dismal results of buck sightings during the bow season.  However, this year it's starting to look different.  Earlier daytime sightings, lots of rubs and scrapes showing up earlier than normal.  I can't get to the stand before sunup at all next week, so I wasn't going to take anytime off of work, but honestly, with the way things are progressing, even being in the stand by 8:00 am might lead to success with the signs I am starting to see.  Last weekend I saw most of the deer after 9:00 am.  

 

One more thing to note, normally during the youth season I know of 1, maybe 2 kids that score on bucks.  This year, I know 6 youngsters that  got bucks to hit the dirt, some dandies too.  I also know of 2 that missed very nice, mature bucks.  Take it for what it's worth, but now seems like the time to be in the woods.  

 

It's going to be a long few days of work for me after reading this. I picked up my trail cams over the weekend. Both showed some daytime buck activity in the mornings just after sun-up. One of them I couldnt get to until 4:30pm. I watched the videos and saw a nice 8PT standing in front of it at 4:21ish. Then a vid of me walking past 9 minutes later.

[certified jumbo]

Good report trigger!

 

Central mn report.   Bucks are really moving, most pics after dark.   But starting to get some new deer on camera.  One scrape had 12 different bucks hit it in a couple of days.  Had many pics of bucks sparring too.  Here's a few of the different deer.  Good luck out there....   

 

[ANYFISH2]

Seen 2 bucks this morning on my way to work.  They weren't chasing, but I haven't seen a buck on my way to work in months.