Here comes the rut!

[Polar Bear]

Ive been scouting the woods a lot the last couple weeks here in southern MN and noticed an incredible increase in buck movement in the last 3 days. The yearling bucks are chasing does all over the woods and fields even though the does dont seem interested quite yet. Its been my experience that once the young bucks get frisky the rut usually is only a week or so away. Last night in a half hour of driving gravel roads I spotted 4 different bucks chasing does. One was a respectible 8 pt. the others were all yearlings.

Also, last night a friend arrowed a beautiful 12 pt. that should make P&Y even with substantial deductions. He said the big guy was harassing one of 6 does that came by his stand.

This is my favorite week of the year to be bow hunting. Everything seems to work better: grunting, rattling, scent drips etc. If I could give only one piece of advice to a beginning archer it would be to call in sick to work and get out in the woods the week before firearms season. This is as good as it gets. Polar Bear

[Mayfly]

You said it PB. Spent the day in the woods yesterday (MON) and saw plenty of movement. There was three of us in the woods and between the 3 we saw 7 Bucks. One was chasing two does around. And the rest were moving. A few doe today too. All together it was the best day in the woods yet. No dead deer but maybe tomorrow. I passed on a 4 that wouldn't leave me alone. He came back to my stand 3 times! It sure was fun.

[doser]

Sun. morning I rattled in a small buck. Only would come within 60 -70 yards though. Even had a decoy out but it didn't look like he spotted it. He was sure looking hard for where it came from . He then turned and walked away even after I grunted and rattled some more. I know there is a bigger buck in the area so he may have been a little shy to get his butt wipped again.The activity is definately picking up.Lots of scrapes made recently.

[Steve Foss]

Just outside Babbitt I had a very nice 8-point come across the road two nights ago.

It came through a lighted auto body yard with its nose to the ground at a medium trot, straight across the road where I'd stopped to watch it in my brights. It sauntered across, 20 feet in front of my truck, and kept its nose to the ground the whole way as it went down the ditch and off into the woods on the other side.

Didn't even look at me once. Man, I remember being that single-minded, but it was quite a few years ago.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
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