State of the Rut Part II

[Justin Hurst]

Just wanted to get this topic going again. The full moon is today. What's been going on in your area? My last three days of still hunting have produced several sightings, but limited rut activity. I just recently saw a big nanny with her two little ones still tagging along. Lots of little bucks, no chasing or harassing. I am thinking that it should heat up again with this cold front pushing through at the end of the week.

[choptank]

This has been the craziest damn year ever for me..Maybe its just a new place but I cant figure em' out.

One day I saw 3 mature bucks hanging together on Nov 8th on Nov 11th I had a hell of a buck responding to the horns but the surrounding environment buggered that up ( too close to houses and road noise). On Nov 12th had what apperared to be a hot doe prance about 70 yards in front of a bruiser and I managed to pull him off her trail and into my decoy ( doe) .

I HAVE NOT SEEN A BUCK CASING A DOE THIS YEAR!! You know how you can tell even the sound of them chasing either in the dark or out of sight that CH CH ch chchch ( if this makes any sense) I have not even heard this in the woods. All I do know is the does moved out and the bucks moved in so I still believe its close but not here yet. All my deer activity has been right @ daylight or 45 mins before dark so no abnormal movement.

Has anybody hunted all day yet and caught buck movement?

[trex]

Hunted in Ashland Fri morning and had one deer come really close before light. That was it for two hours of hunting. Fri hunted in Lunenburg had a small 8ptr come out an hour before dark and work a scrape and meander on through the beanfield on his way. No does. Had one deer come from the swamp right before I was getting down that sounded exactly as you described. Coulda been him? Sat morning shot an 8ptr as I was climbing up my ladder. Got a touch of a late start. Sat evening saw nothing. Did see a few nice bucks last weekend trailing does across the road after dark. Didn't get a chance to do much spotlighting so I didn't really put too much into it. We built a new clubhouse and have been working our arses off to get it ready for hunting seaon

[FSHNT]

I have experienced differnt things on the Shore. Last monday we rattled in three bucks that came from differnent directions at the same time. One being the big boy. Long story short my partner got confused and shot the wrong deer. Friday I got in the woods early to not see a deer till 10am, then a nice buck at 1:30pm. Nothing after that. So Saturday I slept in and got in the tree at 8:30am. Pulling in the property i saw the biggest buck of my life on some elses land, i was fired up. Well right on que 10:30am nice 8 comes right down the trail nose to the ground. You can read the re******s in my powerbelt post. I looked for the deer till 1, then moved to another area. NO deer to be seen in the evening. I am a true beliver now that you are better off sleeping in and planning on spending the day in the stand. First year i have done this and i have seen more bucks then ever. Good luck
Daniel

[choptank]

Thats good info.... Big bucks are typicaly nocturnal so when you have sightings during mid day hours something is happening. Big bucks are smarter than most think, I believe they know most human traffic is out of the woods by mid morning and they are compfortable just looking around.

[Tracker12]

Interestingly I have seen very little activity in the mornig the last week. And yesterday at 1:30 in the afternoon I saw a decent buk come running out of a section of woods look around and run back in like he was chasing something. Also liikewise with the does. All I have seen are still have there yearling tagging around and feeding casually.

[TIDECRUIZER]

I have been hunting the Southhampton/ sussex line and have yet to see a deer since bow season started (outside the truck anyway). I was driving in on Friday morning and had a doe standing in the road outside of the prison farm. I had to stop to keep from hitting her. Out of the corner of the windshield I saw movement. Then comes this 8 pt. that almost hit the truck and plowed strait into her; almost knoked her over trying to get him some. She ran and he was hot on her arse. I dont think he even saw my truck. That was at 5:15am.

[jwica]

Saturday i had a five point running does all morning. he and the does must have run around my stand every 30 minutes. i saw him last about 12:15, then the woods got quite till 10 of five. at 5 he came back by the stand and right thru the shooting lane. dead deer. when i went in to drag him out the does wouldn't leave him. they were literally 15 to 20 yards away from me and him until i started to drag him out. he must have been some sort of stud![grin] (Caroline co)

the end of last week, in the communities around the house there was decent activity during the day with smaller bucks up to 6 pts. just yesterday a friend told me of a 7 and a 6 in his back yard from about 8 am to noon. then nothing until the evening when his backyard was full of does. just after dark he saw a "large racked large body deer" chasing does a few houses up from his. (Queen Anne's Co)

i would say the rut is here...or darn close

[Justin Hurst]

Sounds pretty good. It is very intersting to see how things unfold in different areas. There seems to be a big difference between here and there. Keep the reports comming in. I think this is really helpful stuff. Good luck to everyone.

[Feeshon]

I've had better luck fishing so far. The next door landowner told me that he saw a six pointer chasing two does next to the place I hunt on the Rapp. I have seen only does, and it seems to be slow right now, been out three times since bow ended. The guy that I hunt with hung a stand and saw 11 deer with a 4 and 6 point walking within twenty feet. He also had a 10 wind him at 60 yards.
Still haven't seen a lot of buck activity although the scraping and rubs have been worked pretty hard in the last two weeks.

Feeshon [grin]

[russelldean]

hunted last fri. and sat. eve. in Q.A. county.Saw 13 fri. only 1 was a buck (7 pointer). sat saw 14, same 7 pointer chased a doe for 20 min. around my stand. Again, only buck I saw. Most does still had fawns with them. Hunted in Dorchester Co. Nov. 5-9. Saw 14 deer in 5 days. Six were bucks, only 1 was a wall hanger which came out right at dark. Cooler weather certainly will help. Goose season opens Thurs., deer will have to wait till next week.

[HOOK1]

I've been getting in the woods late each day (get off work at 3 pm), been getting picked off alot.
I Got in the stand around 2 pm saturday and had deer all around me within 20 munutes, at least 7 of them, all does and micros. Finally saw a 5 pointer and capped it for the freezer, the other deer stayed in the area and continued feeding after 15-20 minutes. Had a real big bodied, wideracked buck come in before dark, but couldn't get the shot.
I didn't see any doe chasing. Good luck.

[Scott_nra]

I've seen a smaller buck chasing a doe right at dark and shot a nice 6 pointer at 4:30 last Saturday. We watched him for almost 30 minutes work the edge of the feild until I had the shot.

We have been letting spikes and four pinters go for weeks. Also let another 6 pointer go last saturday that had a smaller rack. There are so many deer that it really did not make sense to kill a small buck for meat. (You don't get big bucks if you shoot small bucks) The 6 I got had about a 16" spread. Now I won't shoot another deer until late year unless Mr. Nailer walks by.

[ToolBox]

Wow, thought I was the only one, and I was chalking it up to an unusual string of bad luck. Good to know that others are experiencing the same. I have been hunting every day (mostly afternoons after work) possible for the past 2 1/2 weeks - I have very little to report. One good morning out of all of it last Saturday - 3 different bucks, all grunted in to the estrus, all at the same time, all within minutes of daylight. Decided to wait on the moose that was sighted within 100 yds of there the day before by my partner, but the moose never showed. This is certainly some strange weather. Looks like the rut is either happening at night, or is super, super late - Lord help them as the gun-bangers will have a field day with them within the next week. Oh well, will do my share of gun-banging, too, to catch up on the freezer stocks.

[Bass_hunter]

11-11-05 in @ 3 pm Seen a small 8 p feeding with 3 does not showing any interest.

11-12-05 in @ 2 pm Seen 1 doe feeding by herself.

11-14-05 in @ 3 pm Seen 1 button head acting real scared about something. Ether his mother has ran him off or a buck was after his mother and scared him off. Not sure.

Have not seen much buck activity where i'm hunting in Dinwiddie Co.
Did see a 20 inch 8 p with a does in a field feeding going to work yesterday @ 6:45 am.
Also watched a 10 p feeding with a doe @ 8 am @ work in petersburg on 11-8.
3 friends have hunted all most everyday for the last 3 weeks @ upper brandon and have seen many ,many, bucks and are not seeing bucks chacing. They were seeing more buck movement the last week of bow season than this week or last.
I think its going to be next week before it gets right around here.

[Pappis]

My personal experience in Eastern Haonver in the last decade is that because of the high buck to doe ratio and the usual inconsistent weather (see this year), we rarely get a strong, consistent, short rut. It happened about 6 years ago, where every buck in the woods was going nuts for about 10 straight days, but since then it's been very inconsistent. Last about 6 weeks with "good" days being once or twice a week.

Different does reach estrus at differnet times, and different bucks rut at different times. Three bucks can be standing next to each other and one may come running at a grunt call, one will ignore it and one will ease off in the other direction.

You have to hit the right buck on the right day.

[Bass_hunter]

Pappis,
I to beleave alot of what your saying is true.

[Justin Hurst]

Well, my brother in law killed a 18 inch wide and 19 inch tall 10 pointer out of my stand that I hung and have been hunting out of. I had gotten a glimpse the deer 1 time in my 5 trips to the stand, but was unsure of the exact size. He hunted it for the first time and nailed him yesterday afternoon. He came to "the can" call. I had taken off this Friday Saturday and next Monday to hunt him. I am still going, just not with as high of hopes.

[Feeshon]

Been there Justin - last year I hung two stands in new spots only to have two other hunt club members sit in them and shoot not just one but two nice mature 8 pointers. And this year when I asked them to honor some gentlemen's rules, i.e. use scent control, tell me when you sat in one of my stands, etc. they tell me I have an attitude problem. Boy am I a jerk.

Look at the bright side, it's your brother in lawand you will get to see the deer for many years to come! I took my brother in law rock fishing last year and we nailed a 36" on a 32 oz Mojo and he has been on a cloud since then. All your good deeds will come back, there is another one that will take his place and maybe you will get him.

Feeshon Aboard the Jezebel II

[Justin Hurst]

Thanks for hte encouragement. I will report on what I see over the next few days. I might just have to hop in one of his stands across the raod and see what happens.

[Pelagic Act]

Last Thursday I hunted MD Eastern Shore (Wicomico Co.) and watched a monsster "mature" 10pt. chasing one doe (of three) in a field at 9:00 a.m., then again at 10:00 a.m. Got busted earlier that morning by a deer that snuck up on me from behind, prior to sunup.

Then the following day (Veterans Day), had a nice doe come in on me at 10 yards, and stop behind a tree, then the wind shifted and off she went. Later that morning (11:30 a.m.) I watched a big mature buck chase 2 does towards me along the edge of a cut bean field, then ditch into the woods at 150 yards. Minutes later the buck and does were chased out into the field by an even bigger monster buck.

This Saturday, I plan to bring one of the three down!

Last weekend seemed to be the best rutting activity I have seen in years. I hope it was just getting started.

[choptank]

Kinda sucks when you do all the leg work , Hang stands, take scent free showers, scent free clothes, ease in and out of the woods and your smoking in the stand , pissin on the ground hunting which ever stand the report came from buddies kill the big boy.

Hang your stand and and dont tell where! I enjoy seeing other hunters kill deer as well as I but if they ruine your trips and hard work NO MAS!

[Big DV]

Went out last night and found a fesh scrape and put some Tinks on it. Hunted that scrape this morning and before light I could hear a deer under me going ape******! Snorting, smacking trees, rustling leaves. The deer moved on by first light but he left a path of 7 different scrapes and another half dozen rubs! This deer was pissed and excited! He was throughing clumps of dirt and root 15 feet behind the new scrapes. Interesting that he did not touch the old scrape I found the night before he just made all these new ones. Think that cold front helped out. Gonna hunt it this evenin.

[choptank]

Big D

Maybe its that 8 points daddy? I will be out this evening and hoping the wind dies out a little.


Chop

[cuhollow]

Had a 6pt and 4pt buck fighting and chasing a doe about a week ago in Caroline County. My buddy was hunting on a windy day and saw a decent buck bed down in the beans a couple hundred yards from his stand with a doe. He decided to sneak to him and crawled through the beans as the wind blew and actually made it 10 yards from him. He never stood up to readjust so he hit a grunt call - nothing. He moved to where he could see part of his neck through the beans and shot him at 10 yards. The doe didn't move until he walked about 5 yards from her. While dragging that one out he saw a larger 8pt buck in the beans in the next field over bed down. Didn't have time to sneak that one too because it was a weekday. It might be a good idea to watch the fields on windy days and then use the noise the wind creates to sneak them.

[Bass_hunter]

11-17-05 pm up the tree @ 3:30 seen 2 does feeding @ 3:45.
Watched them for 20 mins. or so.
4 hunts in a row out of the same stand that i've seen deer.
8 total .and i'm sure they have all been different deer.
Only 1 racked buck out of the bunch. But nothing i wanted to take.
Still have'nt seen the rutting activity i seen out of this tree last year.

[kepone cats]

The rut is near peak starting 11/16/05...

[FSHNT]

Sat in the stand for ten hours yesterday and didnt even see a deer. I think the 30kt winds on the shore had them bunkered down. When i got home and set on the couch i was still swaying, felt like i had been offshore fishing all day. Oh well beat the hell out of work. I did see a doe on the side of 13 and ten feet in the woods was the monster. Another report from the heart of Va, my brother had a nice buck chase a doe all around him yesterday, he couldnt get a shot. Hr later had another big buck sneaking through. To me it almost seems like each county is on a differnt rut schedule this year. Tomorrow they will move whether they want to or not. I would rather still hunt, but release the hounds. Good luck to all!

[Justin Hurst]

Well. I went to the same stand that he killed the nice one out of. The morning started off with a button buck and small doe poking along. About 7:45 I see a big doe acting nervous and comming my way. Right behing her comes a little forkhorn and another scrub that I have seen a few times. They were running all over the place. Maybee another nice one will move in on her and run the scrubs off. I'll be heading back out in a little while for the evening hunt.

[Feeshon]

You'll get him when he comes to fill the slot. Tonight I bet looking at the cloud cover and cold. fill us in when you get back - I'll be out for an hour tomorrow AM then off to the Virginia Virginia Tech game with my wife. She's a Hokie and I'm a double Hoo, so it should be interesting.

Feeshon

[choptank]

Debated on weather to hunt ducks or deer this morning. I decided to get in my stand behind my house. No movement until 8:00 when I spotted a brown spot out of the corner of my...A doe then about 20 yards trailing behind her was nice shooter. The doe walked right down my trail and stood 15 yards in front of me and I was waiting for her to continue with the buck not too far behind. I took a couple of deep breats as the 10 point was about 30 yards and closing. This is the first time I had seen what happened next . Everything was text book until the doe turned at the buck and charged him as to say leave me alone! and darn it he did. turned around and walked away. Nice crisp morning with another almost. Buck was not chasing her but he kept her sight. Once the doe past me I started to do tending grunts as if another buck found her ,but did not work.Maybe next time!


Jason

[JTB]

This has been the strangest rut for me since I started bowhunting in 1986.I have been huting in some awesome places in Albermarle and Bedford counties only to see alot of does and only a spike chasing in the the last 12 hunts since Nov. 5th. From Oct. 27th to Nov. 3rd I saw alot of action and one reaaly good deer. ther are plety of acorns and apples where I'm at and no bucks moving. I sat all day from 6:00 am until 5:45pm on top of a mountain in 4 acersa of oaks surrounded by cutover and laurel and saw 7 does, no bucks and heard no chases. This was Nov. 18th and is was 22 degrees for pete sakes! We have pics of 4 bucks in the 140's or better living in this area and none of them are moving and none have been seen. I''l try over Thanksgiving and then I'm going to Rudee to smack a rockfish.

[Pelagic Act]

Rut is still kicking in Wicomico Co. I had a nice 8pt come in on me and I stupidly took a not so good shot and managed a solid gut shot! I'll be tracking him tomorrow. That was at 9:45 a.m. today. Then while I was headed to get my arrow and check out the blood trail at 2pm, I see "Hank the Tank" chasing a big doe. Unfortunately, he was 70 yards off and not interested I my grunts. Then 10 minutes later, I hear some crashin headed my way and here come "Hank the Tank" running full throttle (like a derby race horse), right past me at 25 yards! WOW, that boy was in need of some ladies action I guess.

BTW, "Hank the Tank" is a 140 class buck with great mass and a body size I estimate over 250lbs. I've seen him three times now and damn he would look good on my wall.

Maybe turkey day morning will be my day.

Keep up the huntin'! [grin]

[Pelagic Act]

Well fellas, I recoverd my deer from Saturday (see above post) on Sunday and he turned out to be a nice 9pt. Hope the report from the butcher is promising. I have a picture, too bad i don't know how to up load it![excited]

[Pelagic Act]

[bowarcher]

Great buck with the bow..........CONGRATS!! David

[mark_fish]

Hunting Sussex Co. shot a doe 11/15 muzzle loader then a six point that was doggin the doe showed up just in time to get the reload. He definitely had one thing on his mind. He was oblivios to the shot I just fired.
Another set of nice scrapes was getting a lot of attention all last week. I saw a few does in the vicinity but the big guy never came out. (This guy pushed over a three inch diameter pine tree rubbing it)
The scrapes weren't tended for the last three or four days. Think he may be done for this year? (Or he patterned me)

[Justin Hurst]

Here is the deer my brother in-law got. I am happy for him. It is a bruiser for our area.http://images.snapfish.com/3455943523232%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3238%3E5%3A%3A%3E54%3 A%3EWSNRCG%3D3233346887434nu0mrj

[Justin Hurst]

I hunted Monday afternoon in the rain. The wind was swirling so it was a tough hunt. I wound up seeing 8. 3 scrub bucks and 4 does and 1 unidentified deer. I did not see any chasing per say, but the deer were active and passed beneath me a few times. One of the scrubs ran in to the "can" call, but that was about it as far as rut activity. Still waiting on something like the one in the pic. It may be a while.

[Feeshon]

Nice buck there Justin, I bet your brother in law is extremely excited still. I managed to get a nice four Saturday AM - and I am handing out venison to people at work today. I had one hour to hunt before I left to go to Charlottesville to see the Hoos get their butts whipped, and the deer came on schedule to a grunt call. He was running in when I whacked him at 6 yards. I still have not seen the one ( 10 points and built like a truck ) that my buddy saw during bow, and as long as we can keep the dogs out of our swamp, we are playing chess for the next month.

Feeshon [grin]

[Pelagic Act]

Justin, your bro in-law must be happy. I sure would be. Nice buck!!!!!!

[Feeshon]

Saturday the rut was in full swing in Caroline County - got busted by two does as I went to my stand late ( as I tried to catch another 10 minutes of sleep after a late Friday night). One of the does had her tail straight out in the estrus pose. I tried to hold still but after fifteen minutes with my gun in one hand and my neck craned like The Exorcist, I had to move. They trotted down into the swamp and the buck that was below them on the hill to the swamp went crashing off to his lair. Oh well, guess I should have gotten my butt outta bed earlier.

Then, we went to another propoerty and did a couple of small drives as it seemed that the bucks were tending. Nailed a six point on the first drive, he was a fleeting image as I stood in a rosebush about five feet tall and he ran by - two shots one in the head and one on the shoulder and he was toast. What a great way to start the day!

Next drive took a long time as it seemed that I was of one the two in our party that wore hip waders and they were buried deep in the swamp hiding out. Nailed the matriarch doe with a 6 yard shot on the next drive and nearly had a heart attack dragging her out. Great day hunting and gave all of my venison out at work today - smiling faces everywhere and one happy wife at home as she seems to be managing my venison in the downstairs fridge this year. I need to go fishing now.

Feeshon [grin][grin]

[Justin Hurst]

Sounds good. I have not seen anything to speak of here in Suffolk. I am going to try them again Friday. will report any activity that I see. Nice job on the drives.

[Feeshon]

Justin - can't seem to get a crew for stripers Saturday so I have to go for a buck. Got a four, a six, and a doe, looking for an eight this weekend. Pushed one out of the edge of the swamp last weekend, I'll get out there a little earlier this weekend unless my last inviteee for fishing calls back with a Yes and gas money.

Feeshon[grin]

[Marlin Time]

Hunted in Centreville MD this evening. Saw 25 total. A few small basket racks with the does and they all seemed to be like a happy family. No fighting or any sign that they were in rut.

Karl

[Feeshon]

Rut still going on in Caroline County VA! Went out Friday and once I got in the stand a spike ran across the field and sat under my stand for five minutes. Then a 6 point came out with his head down trailing a doe and went right up the swamp edge and then disappeared again. Wind was blowing right in my face and I knew I was in for a special hunt already.

About ten minutes later out pops one doe, then another, then another, and I'm thinking where is Mr Boss Hog ? Then another doe pops out and comes out into the field and lays down - and I'm thinking who has been working her so hard ?

Then I see him in the shadows. A glint off the antlers as he rubs on a tree. Comes out and noses the doe laying down. Another glint and I am seeing antlers outside of his ears. My teeth and legs are shaking so bad I start telling myself to get it together under my breath.

Then, one of the does remembers that I left some standing corn in the field behind me, and she runs into the field and starts across for it. Mr. Boss Hog looks at her and wonders why one of his harem is walking away. Can't have that, so he ambles towards her into the field and I'm thinking keep on coming brotha. He keeps on coming and remembers the corn. Slowly he works my way and I am now beading him at 100 yards, 75, 60.... He gets under 50 and he is still coming. I start the "Let him come" dialog so I don't shoot too early. He gets to 15 yards and I whack him to the ground with 2 3/4 " Copper Plated - first shot in the heart ( he jumped and did that I'm shot in the heart kick ) and second in the lungs. Down and not moving. I say out loud, Is this real ? I reload, making sure he is down, sit there five minutes. Then, I unload and come down from the stand. Two of the does are still out in front of me at 30 yards. They finally run off.

7 Points and 21 1/2 wide - and I am going to see the taxidermist. All those hours building stands, planting rye and clover, and sitting and watching come to fruition. I look to the sky and thank the man above for the opportunity. I figure I have 500 hours in this buck, and he may be the best one I ever shoot as I tend to make little errors that keep the big ones alive.

Can someone post the picture for me - b mail me.

Feeshon aboard the Jezebel II [grin][grin]