Pre rut?

[choptank]

Just curious as to what everyone is seeing as far as buck activity. I saw my first couple of scrapes and bucks nosing around doe and drew in some small bucks tickling horns lightly but I believe another week until prime time.

[Death from above]

Rut is in full swing up here in the Richmond area. Stuck a small six this evening chasing a doe. He was all fired up

[Sea-Ya]

It's starting.Heard the first grunt from a buck Wed. afternoon.

[ketch69]

Saw a small buck sniffing this afternoon. He was within 15 yards twice but not what I'm looking for. I still think its not yet in full swing around Disputanta.


DEAN who can't wait to climb into the stand in Surry tommorrow.

[choptank]

When I say full swing prime time I mean you dont want to leave your stand all day!!! I think this is good pre rut activity when the young bucks feel their first loins burnin!

[Stumpknocker]

A buddy of mine rattled yesterday in Balto County and three different bucks came in!!

[Gandre]

Rut is on in Balt. County. Seems like every year during the doe only muzzle loader season bucks become active at least in the woods I hunt. Yesterday as I was scoping over which doe to take Bucky came in from the thick and was acting funny tail strait out and sniffin. When I shot the does were obviously nervous But bucky didnt care about the kaboom and stayed within range. Behind me after I shot mor does and a 4or 6pt youngin looked rite at me and stomped his front feet on the ground. Cool to watch hope we have the same success this AM.

[nicbuc]

Gandre, where are you hunting (state) and how many deer did you slaughter, from the looks of your post it seem you must have a huge family to feed or you just like killing?

[h2oboss]

HEard a little fork horn grunting the other evening, pretty sure it was the same one this morning, had him at 10 yds for about 15mins. Saw two does, couldn't get on either of them, nothing following them. I'm starting to see a few scrapes opening up and a few rubs too, nothing too exciting though.

[finfinder]

Had a sweet 8 point walk within 10 feet on wednsday, doe only of course!! Outside the ears and pretty tall, good chocolate color too. He was lightly grunting the whole way in, untill he almost stepped on me and busted out of there. Many secondary scrapes on the ridge tops and the primary scrapes are staring to show. Found a nice primary scrape on friday when I crossed downwind of it on my way out, could smell that site from 50 yds downwind. I would say the best activity will start any day.

[Gandre]

Nicbuck.,
Balti. Co. Md. Shot one doe (doe only season). Hunted this morning and evening with my sons the deer moved good today.

Greg

[frayedknot]

Little bucks tryin till nocturnal nailer shows up! after sunset!

[Big DV]

This week will be the best rut action. I think. The youngsters are moving around in southern md.

[wino]

Plenty of young bucks playing games with the does. The put their heads down raise their tales and run up to the does who run off for 20 yards or more then the bucks go after them again. Kinda of a courting dance. so far I have killed a fewe does for the freezer. I can kil as many as I want in Montgomery county with a bow this year. Killed 1 average 2 year old 6 pointer also. the next few weeks should bring out the big guys. I saw a Pope and young buck thursday night but he wa 100 yards away.

[choptank]

Looking for opinions on this warmer weather and how you think it effects the rut stages...Any experiences with weather change during the rut. I was thinking that it could dampen the rut or atleast make bucks not as wanting to chase.

Jason

[done workin]

Saw a beautiful tall 10 pt on Friday (Doe only for us MD smokepolers) following closely behind a 6 pt. 20 yds from my stand Neither one seemd to concerned about the other in terms of competition. They were just following each other down a trail at 3:00 PM (Good Sign) headed towards the fields.

This was in Carroll County.

Choptank, any weather too much warmer than nornmal has an advers effet on the rut as deer are starting to pack their winter coats on and they don't like to sweat. Don't know how warm it needs to get before it becomes an issue. 70 75 80??????

Glad they're starting to answer the antlers.

[choptank]

I was on stand this mrning and at first daylight I thought I heard turkeys coming off roost and scrathing but nope it was a beauty 10 point thrashing trees as he was cruising about 40 yards ( not my safe range) and he grunted twice after I gave tending grunts but kept on going, @ the same time I had a nice TALL 6 point 1 1/2 yr old deer investigating . Boy what a bruiser he will be in 2 years! But all the action stop about 45 mins after daylight. I am thinking the activity would have been better had the temps been around 40 degrees as they should be.

[kepone cats]

It's on but not wide open yet.

[trex]

I traveled from Richmond to Roanoke and then Botetout and Franklin counties today for work and I saw one dead deer on the side of the road. Me thinks it'll be at least till this weekend before they start doing any real chasing around here. My buddy out in Blacksburg rattled in 2 small forkhorns the other day so thats a good sign.

[Pelagic Act]

I hunt in Wicomico Co. in MD and shot a nice doe last Saturday with bow. There is pleanty of really good scrapes, however after hunting a morning and following evening, I have yet to see any bucks. A huge 10pt was seen the day before by frineds. I hope this Thur, Fri, and Sat bring the Rut in right good, putting a wall-hanger in range. The word wall-hanger just gets my blood pumping to the point where I can't sleep. I love the fall, even though these temps stink.
Be safe and control the Buck Fever.....[excited]

[moronehead]

Lotta buck movement up here in Cecil Co. Bucks hanging the mobs of does around but not chasing yet.

[frayedknot]

Peckin order first, then the necks start to swell after a killing frost almost the same time the big rocks show !

[TroutThink]

Some chasing activity in mountains west of blue ridge, but most of it very nocturnal due to excessive heat there. Need a good cold snap to get it more day oriented. Lots of grunting, sparing, etc

[choptank]

I hunt in dorchester/Talbot counties I have seen plenty of bucks here recently on the move but still traveling together. Usualy you can hear scampering and chasing in the woods then you know theres a "hot one" around. And as mentioned before always during the rut you will see road kills increasing, which I have not seen.

I believe Md reasons for early doe only is that thinning doe herds before they get bred. I just wish they flip the weekends pertaining to shooting bucks the last early weekend. All in all the rules make it very good for the bow hunter during the rut..in between muzzleloader and firearms season is the peak.[wink]

[jwica]

If Maryland really wanted to thin the doe herd, hunting seson should be doe only till nov 1. no ealy muzzelloader. keep it quite in the woods. plenty of time late season to shoot a buck.

[choptank]

Jwica, agreed, Hunters also dont realize with less doe the bucks will have to looking to breed instead of following around all the doe in his home heard.[wink]

[done workin]

Just drove from Glen Burnie to Frederick and back via I-70 and lost count of the number of blood splatters and bodies along the road from MD 32 west. They're startin'.

Choptank, I think alot of hunters do realize the benefits of killing the does, they just don't care. To too many hunters there is more pride in killing a 5 or 6 pt than in killing a doe. To me if it ain't big enough to put on the wall for one reason or another (The word "trophy" has different meanings to different people for different reasons) then shoot a doe.

Besides, as has been discussed here in the last few weeks, sometimes it's harder to set your sights on and actually kill a mature doe. "THEY JUST KNOW".

[Big DV]

Damn warm weather. Here in Southern Calvert I'm seeing a few more road kills but its not hot yet. However, it only takes one night at the s@#t hits the fan! I agree to many does = lackluster rut activity. Sometimes its tough to harvest mature does and you risk killing BB's if you shoot the clueless fawns? We can't win. The good news is we're all lucky enough to have enough deer around to enjoy hunting them. Good luck!

[trex]

Saw a decent 8 pointer just outside of Roanoke this morning thaty was either chasing a doe, being chased by a buck, or got scared up. He ran down the embankment and ran along the road for 20 yards or so then ran right back up. One of my customers has been seeing does in his yard every morning and this was the first morning he actually saw a little buck trying to mess with them a bit. Gettin there. This weekend!

[TroutThink]

Driving from Chesapeake to Richmond tonight on 460, saw a ******-head 8 pt chasing a doe in the middle of a field outside Waverly. About 5 PM, sun still up

And me with no weapon

[wino]

There chasing them now in Montgomery county, and the scrape activity has picked up the last 2 days.

[choptank]

I am not understanding this....I shot a six point this morning and his neck was swollen as could be..( came into soft grunting, rubber neck is the sh@t) but every buck I have seen including this morning has had other bucks right with em'. What gives here? Are they tolerating each other or is it going to be in a few days they will run each other off? Maybe I just have not seen BIG BOY who stays alone. The six I shot this morning was a herd control kinda thing he was 3 1/2 yr old buck with thick anters but 10" spread and I have taken my two doe so I still have my BIG BOY tag left..I had to race home just to get him cleaned before the temps got to warm..Take care, the woods are heating up.

[TIDECRUIZER]

Had a neighbor call last night at 5. He said he saw a six or small 8 chasing over at Harbourview. Its getting close....

[Pelagic Act]

This AM in Wicomico Co., I have a small 6pt. follow my estrus trailer up to my stand and mill around below me for 10 minutes. Prior to that I saw a shooter 10pt. leaving a field on the way to my hunting location.

I remained on stand until 11am, then headed to Queen Annes Co. where I hunted Wye Island NRMA, and saw "notta thing", but misquitoes.

Tomorrow I pland to hunt Wicomico Co. in the afternoon/evening. I hope the bucks are chasing.

[choptank]

P.A.

I have hunted Wye Island a few times and had the same results (hit or miss). I am still seeing bucks traveling together and more times than alone and have not seen one on a doe yet. The temps are suppose to be in the mid 70's until tuesday[sad]

[choptank]

So what have I missed in the deer woods over the last 2 days? I have probably missed the 2 best days yet huh?

[Pelagic Act]

I passed up a small 6pt in Wicomico Co. last Thursday and Friday. Temps. are too warm for good movement. Friday and Sat this week look like the better days. I'll be out Thur-Sat.

[choptank]

I will be near the Vienna area on fri-Sat...I have been skunked here ( Talbot) the last 3 outings, maybe over hunting the stand and need to move. Still warm out there could not see breath at any point this morning[sad]

[Big DV]

Sunofa! See my post " Bad Shot"

[choptank]

HOLY SMOKES!!!! I seen the biggest buck right in my back yard/woods. This morning I got out and heard dogs and people in a near by field in which the deer usualy feed, I think they were fixing up a blind for the mornings duck hunt. so I gave up on the morning cause of all the commotion. The way the lay of the land is I thought I could re hang my stand in my back yard cause I was hunting about half way in between my house and the field area,

Around noonish I still heard all the rachet back in the fields plus a few gun shots. So I hung a stand hopeing this would push deer around the noise and they would squeek by my house.

About 4:45 I rattled a little and gave tending grunts and saw a HUGE body emerging from the woods and into the overgrown field (behind my house) he was maybe 100 yards away and coming. he kocked the distance down to 60 yards when my wife pulls in the driveway. I smoothly called her and told her STAY in the car and she knew exactly what was happening. About 15 secs later the UPS guy pulls in my drive w/ my Mckenzie order for my deer head. makes alot of noise and the big boy was cautious for all the noise but stood still ( about 80 yards from my driveway the buck was) then another desent buck steps out draws the big guy towards him they smell each other but nothing! no fight ! no running him off! I gave a soft grunt to trigger his attention once the other buck walked off because the UPS man was now turning around in my driveway...BEEP BEEP you know.

Ok so Big boy now comes to investigate the grunt. He was 40 yards broadside. And let me tell you I do not lie about the size of a deer..He was easily 200lbs 20" wide and had my dream a DROP TINE!! Now he turns around facing the other way but still broadside as i started to draw ( keep in mind he was in the middle of a overgrown field) he spotted me I guess and stood there for what seems to be an hour and my arm is holding half draw starting to do the Elvis. I said F it and drew he did not run YEA!! but now my arrow had creept off the rest and I had to do the ole' one finger slide back up and on. AsI looked thru my peep sight he was 35 yards broadside and I missed him!

I never shoot over 25 yards but what could I do? This dude was huge!! I am just as happy having this moment with the beast. BIut two things these bucks are still together and not hooked up with doe. I am thinking the bucks are ready but the does are not in yet.

Anyhow thanks for hanging in there with me and I am not proof reading all this so parden the typos... Big guys are up and moving!!