Rutting activity in your neck of the woods?

[mfrobert]

Happy Thanksgiving all! So I was just wondering how the deer are acting in the rest of the state? I went out Mon. morning and rattled a buck right in, Tue. I went out and it almost seemed like a light switch had turned off. I've watched deer from this location almost everyday of bow and gun season, and now I'm thinking everybody is just happy bedding down. I'm gonna give it through the wknd to see how it goes.

On another note, how has everyones luck been during muzzleloader/late archery in previous yrs? What worked best for you? Thanks in advance for your help! - - Matt

 

[Water63]

The rut was on the way out here when gun season opened. Westill have a few bucks shadowing the does but the chasing ended last weekend.

Montgomery/ Fountain counties

 

[cschwanz]

the rut was SUPPOSED to be last weekend (19-22), but we didnt see much going on.

 

[Shadownick]

Yesterday (Wednesday) I saw a total of four does running around. I was wondering if a buck was scattering them around, but I never saw one. So I took the biggest doe with my good ol' Marlin .44. That was the first group of deer I had seen since freakin bow season though. As for muzzleloader/ late archery, dress warm and have some hot hands. That's my only advice I have for that :P

 

[Leadeye]

Season seemed to thin out early this year.

 

[mattkellyind]

I got out everyday here in Grant County. Got lucky opening day got a nice buck twenty minutes in but havent seen not a doe sense. My property is like waco texas with hunters all around I believe there so thick there not allowing them to come in so my data is useless

 

[Cpt Caveman]

I think the big boys have just now started getting serious about finding girlfriends.Seems to be later than the experts thought.

 

[TGUNTER]

Saw a nice buck chasing a doe today but no shot. Took a doe instead. Still have muzzle loader season to get a buck.

 

[hps]

Had a decent buck this morn at 15 yds however it only had half a rack. The one morn my son decided it was gonna be to cold and stayed home, oh well we may try it again tomorrow and if not we still have muzzy season. Seen a total of 7 deer, 4 confirmed does,1 half racked buck, and 2 unidentified deer. The half rack had his nose to the ground the whole time. These were the first deer i've seen since opening morning!!!

 

[Field King]

they are hammerin it, they will stay with a girl for days till she submits, seen a buck with a doe 3 days in a row in same spot then day 4 gone! Not always obvious to us hunters but the rut is in full swing! You have to remember that a good number of bucks have been taken by now reducing activity by attrition!

 

[tedbower]

Yesterday afternoon around 4:30 i had a buck chase 2 doe's buy me 3 times he wasn't big enough but one of the doe's was and didn't go any farther.So I guess it isn't over yet.

 

[southern.in.guy]

There are a lot dedicated muzzy hunters that feel muzzle loeder season is a good time to get on a mature buck. Use this week to do a little scouting. If you can find were there feeding and bedding all you have to do is setup were there feeding and bingo. But heres the twist this holds true for around were I hunt. Last year I saw 3bucks chasing doe in 2nd week of Dec and then I saw 4 bucks chasing doe in late Dec and most of these bucks were mature animals. What is basically happening the ratio is way out of balance with to many doe. The bucks can't get all the doe breed so this cause's what some experts call a trickle rut. Take for instance in your area it takes 3 weeks for all the doe to cycle threw there first cycle and then in 3 or 4 weeks later the ones that weren't bred the 1st time cycle threw again. This equates to 6 weeks of breeding hence the trickle rut. There aren't as many does coming in later so the majority of the breeding is done buy the mature bucks. Find doe bedding areas and the food is getting scarce so figure out were the doe are feeding and you could bag a nice one. This worked for me last year. The farmer left some standing soybeans in the back of one of the fields were I hunt and the deer flocked to it in late DEC when the show was on the ground. I waited for the right wind and setup inside the woods about 75 yards in from were I had seen the deer coming out and he walked past me at 40 yds and I took him. This was on Jan 1st and he was a 160 class 10pt and my best deer yet.