grampy Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 Not seeing much rutting activity here in 4H. As of last night, still seeing the doe's grouped up with this year's young. Very little buck movement during daylight hours. Although cams show them moving a little bit at night. Very few rubs and scrapes this year too. I've been setting up close to doe bedding areas. And usually see a parade of at least smaller bucks. But not so this year. Looks to be one of those years with a "trickle rut". Where there will be smaller flurries of rutting activity over a bit longer time frame. Of course this is what we are seeing on our property right now. It could be entirely different just a few miles away. And we are not discouraged at all. The bucks are here! Just not following the script this year. Interested to hear what you all are seeing in your areas!
biggamefish Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 A few miles away and the same senerio. I finally saw a smaller buck this morning and he wasn't in all out seek mode but he was walking around looking. We still have does and fawns together and they don't seem to be pressured at all. Could all change in a second though.
Chef Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 Yesterday was the first day I really saw rutting in 3r this year. Bucks locked on does, a spike chasing … I’m going to try and get out for the last hour or so today grampy 1
grampy Posted November 13, 2022 Author Posted November 13, 2022 2 minutes ago, biggamefish said: A few miles away and the same senerio. I finally saw a smaller buck this morning and he wasn't in all out seek mode but he was walking around looking. We still have does and fawns together and they don't seem to be pressured at all. Could all change in a second though. Was hoping you'd chip in here Matt. Seems to be the same just a few miles away. And 100% agree. It could all change at any time.
Nontypical Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 (edited) Actually I beg to differ grampy, from I’ve seen in my area anyway. A short intense rut was predicted, and that’s what I’ve been seeing. There was some heavy chasing going on according to our cams the last few nights. Also heard from 2 friends in the area about bucks just kind of hanging out together. One group was together on the edge of a wood lot next to a neighbors house. Also got 4 different bucks on one cam yesterday on the edge of some bedding. Definitely some hot does around getting all of the attention. Last night chasing was dead and not much movement at all. Thinking that lockdown may have started here. If it’s short and intense like predicted, maybe lockdown will only be a few days instead of 5-7. These are just my thoughts and observations on where I hunt. This next week always has some new big boys show up on cam, usually only once or twice. Right after lockdown. Edited November 13, 2022 by Nontypical
Bucksnbows Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 Strangest rut I can remember so far here in northwest NJ. Hearing the same from buddies hunting Kansas and Ohio, plus many in NJ scratching their heads. I was in the Cooperstown area for Halloween weekend, and zero chasing and few rubs and scrapes. The full moon and the warm weather sucked in combination. For certain, we have breeding and chasing, but not much midday. I’m not seeing as many deer dead on the highways, but when I do it will be a bunch over a few miles and then 30+ miles before I see it again. grampy and BowmanMike 2 "A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Anonymous https://www.troutscapes.com https://nativefishcoalition.org/national-board
Robhuntandfish Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 11/3 I saw three bucks in the stand in the morn and every cam on the property had a buck on it that day it seemed. Saw 4 does together a couple days ago but they were all very small fawns the larger does were not with them .. We have one stretch where there are 9 scrapes all along the trail in about 150 yards. The issue here has seemed to be everything is at night even much more than usual. Maybe with the warmest record temps we've had it pushing it even more to night. I would say the timing is about the same here as it always is. Our spot is a dead zone in about a week and a half from now. Every year we see maybe two bucks all late summer. Then just before Halloween it blows up and we have 10-12 until 3-4 days into gun season. This year there are prob 12-14 different ones on cam with at least 6-7 I would be ok with. Just can't get much to daylight.... Had my only chance at a decent one last night but couldn't get the shot. grampy and Bucksnbows 2 "it's pointless for humans to paint scenes of nature when they can go outside and stand in it"- Ron Swanson
Teamhoyt Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 I agree with you grampy same scenario in 9r. I've talked to 5 different guys that hunt different areas in cattaraugus County and they are reporting the same grampy 1
Bucksnbows Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 This may be one of those years we see chasing next Saturday for the southern zone rifle opener. grampy 1 "A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Anonymous https://www.troutscapes.com https://nativefishcoalition.org/national-board
Ncountry Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 It's definitely been odd, maybe due to the warm weather(not now, it's snowing on me.lol) and maybe the big moon. I'm on my last day of a 2 week vacation. 1st week in PA and mostly all I saw was bucks. A lot of scrapes and I saw at least 5 different bucks out of the 10 total I saw chasing does. Here at Letchworth for the last week the guys were seeing chasing action and I was seeing nothing until the 10th. A nice buck came by to freshen the scrape I was sitting next to and I somehow messed up my shot. A little spike came in during yesterday's sit and did as well. I I'll usually see at least 5-10 bucks during this period at the park but not this year. They are chasing though. Just not in front of me. grampy 1
Cabin Fever Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 In my neck of 8H, very few scrapes and rubs. I saw a buck harassing a doe on 11/9, but not really chasing. Got pics of a big buck chasing that day also. VERY little daylight movement, and no visible rutting activity, other than on the 9th. Think there might have been one hot doe. Last night, I got a couple pics of what looked like chasing. Still hoping it will bust open this coming week though... grampy and ZAG 2
Upstate Nerdneck Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 32 minutes ago, biggamefish said: A few miles away and the same senerio. I finally saw a smaller buck this morning and he wasn't in all out seek mode but he was walking around looking. We still have does and fawns together and they don't seem to be pressured at all. Could all change in a second though. Agreed, Matt. I'm about 20 miles away from you guys. Not only my cameras, but the cameras of the lease guys have been absolutely dead for a week. I don't mean daytime either, but night time too. They seemed to have changed patterns about a week or so ago, but aren't running around like madmen yet. You'd have to think this cold weather coming FINALLY will be the dynamite that makes the woods explode? Cabin Fever and grampy 2
Versatile Hunter Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 36 minutes ago, Nontypical said: Actually I beg to differ grampy, from I’ve seen in my area anyway. A short intense rut was predicted, and that’s what I’ve been seeing. There was some heavy chasing going on according to our cams the last few nights. Also heard from 2 friends in the area about bucks just kind of hanging out together. One group was together on the edge of a wood lot next to a firehouse. Also got 4 different bucks on one cam yesterday on the edge of some bedding. Definitely some hot does around getting all of the attention. Last night chasing was dead and not much movement at all. Thinking that lockdown may have started here. If it’s short and intense like predicted, maybe lockdown will only be a few days instead of 5-7. These are just my thoughts and observations on where I hunt. This next week always has some new big boys show up on cam, usually only once or twice. Right after lockdown. Who’s predicting this? Where do you read about the intensity/duration of rut activity?
Nontypical Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 (edited) @Versatile HunterIf you do a search for Metonic rut, it explains how the same exact moon phases occur every 19 years. 1984 and 2003 had very short intense ruts, and it was predicted that it would occur this year as well. Edited November 13, 2022 by Nontypical Versatile Hunter 1
lucky118 Posted November 13, 2022 Posted November 13, 2022 Last week bucks chasing doe all over in the warm weather. This week in the cool not a thing moving in the woods, scrapes haven't been worked over either. grampy 1
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