Rut Activity Thread 2017

[1eyeReD]

Here, I'll start. Saw some new rubs and a few small scrapes this past Fri (10/13) in bluff country. It's still slow, but we should see some more activity next week. Will probably start packing the rack along with for any sits I can squeeze into the schedule this weekend.

 

Now your turn. Go!

[Scoot]

Scrapes are appearing in numbers now.  I've seen bucks with does a few times in the past week and not even the young, dumb bucks are sniffing around yet.  Things should definitely change in the next week...

[fr0sty]

I have trail camp pics of some yearlings sparring.

[paceman]

A few scrapes in the woods, cameras show the big boys moving at night still but they are around. Another week and I will start light rattling. I am  saving my best spots for Halloween on, unless a camera shows big boy daylight activity.

[Cheetah]

NW Wisconsin public land.  New scrapes started appearing mid last week.   A couple were freshly hit on Sunday when I was out.  None were very big.    Interestingly I did see a small 6pt buck in the open at lunch time while I was scouting spots, and based on the direction he was going he was working his way to a logging road that had a scrape and tracks on it.  

[going4it]

Watched a nice 8 or 10 chase a doe back and forth for 45 min on Monday night. He checked her several times but she didn’t want anything to do with him. Few scrapes then showed up that night as well. About an hour north of the cities. 

[nofishfisherman]

I was out 2 weeks ago around Duluth and saw a smaller buck either a 6 or small 8 pointer chasing a doe.  She wanted nothing to do with him.  I'll be back out this Sunday and Monday hoping to see a bit more activity. 

[huntnfish]

I saw a couple smalls bucks sparring this morning. There was a small doe near them and one of the bucks chased her around for a little bit. 

[BuckmasterG]

Scrapes and Rubs started popping up first week of October. The young bucks are doing most of the activity and most of it done at night or right at dawn or dusk.

Monday night had 3 bucks- spike, fork and a 6 pointer come in to light rattling at 6:50 pm. They worked 2 fresh scrapes that I had put buck urine in and the fork and 6 pointer had a 5 second sparring bout then went on about there business feeding together.

[triggertrav]

This looks promising.  Usually have the little guys but a little more age in these two. 

[1eyeReD]

Sorry, late report. Last Fri, my friend and I hit the woods. I set up in a new spot I had never hunted before on the property and about after an hr after getting up in my climber, I started looking around with my binos and caught a glimpse of some tines in the tall grass. Later on a buck stood up and walked the other way. He looked like a good one, but by himself and not so interested in any calls I threw at him. Maybe he didn't even hear due to the wind. He was about 100 yds upwind.

My friend, on the other side of the property was able to rattle in a 6 pt and a small 8 pt and passed on both. Seeing more buck sign. More rubs and scrapes showing up.

[paceman]

The last few days have seen a huge increase of scrapes showing up. Pulled a few cards yesterday. A few new bucks have moved in. One a really nice 10 point. They are all at night though. Time to bring the rattle horns and do soft rattles on a clear calm morning. Tomorrow, Saturday would be a great morning after this snow and nasty winds finally down.. But my son wants to go duck hunting one more time..so I may get out in the afternoon.....

[1eyeReD]

Was out several times in the past week. Friday, I saw the most action. Bucks chasing does, one of them a definite shooter. Of course never on the trail I'm on. However, I did get lucky enough to have a good sized doe come strolling through within range so I took her at 15 yards and had a short tracking job since I saw her go down.

On Sunday, I was out again and had less action both morning and evening. Did see another shooter (I'm guessing 3.5 year old) cruising the woods, nose to the ground well before dark.

Yesterday morning, I sat in a new spot and saw 2 or 3 does in the switchgrass about 60 or so yards out in the open. No buck in tow. That was all for the week so far. After catching up on yard work, gonna put in one last day before the orange army comes out.

My public land "spot on the spot" has been found by some other really determined bowhunters this year so it has forced me to hunt the property a little differently. Kind of throws a wrench in most of the plans but that's something you gotta expect hunting public grounds. It's a large tract of land so the new pressure has actually forced me to change my ways and look at other spots I've overlooked throughout the years. In this process, I found some very promising new pinch points, bedding areas, and travel corridors.

Hope the rest of you are getting your much deserved time out in the deer woods. Good luck to all and please share some pictures when you get that buck on the ground.

Edited November 2, 2017 by 1eyeReD

[1eyeReD]

Made a last rut run to my property of choice this past Friday before the gun opener. Seems the chasing and cruising has slowed down. Saw a bunch of does morning and evening but no bucks trailing. Had one cruising forky in the early A.M. but that's it. During my evening sit, I sat in a tight funnel next to a freshly cut corn field and had one six pointer stroll through at 3 in the afternoon. Later that evening, there were does trickling out into the cut corn from all sides which was fun to watch, but no bucks coming into the fields. I was on the down wind edge too hoping a buck would cruise the trail in front of me while trying to scent check. Then finally, had a doe come within 10 yards at last light and decided I would draw back on her and tag her to close the season since gun was gonna open. She caught me and bolted. Haha, guess I'll be hunting late season :-)

Edited November 6, 2017 by 1eyeReD

[snagfinder]

Not sure if it means they are still working up to sexy time but where I hunt there is still alot of new scrapes showing up.