Interesting Day today
Whitetail Deer
Because of cold weather/high winds and I've been gone on a couple trips I haven't been in the timber for the last few weeks. Today Iowa was bare-ground, mid-40s, partly cloudy with mild winds so I spent all day in the woods scouting. It blew me away all the FRESH rubs and scrapes I saw today. I mean multiple fresh scrapes that appeared only a couple days old, in clusters of three and four, not a half-hearted attempt that indicated their frustration the rut was over. I'm talking aggressive scrapes deeply pawed into the ground showing purpose/intent. I also noted quite a few fresh rubs that I know were not present a month ago. The fresh tracks indicated the deer are back in the hardwoods around here, I assume cleaning up any leftover acorns. I also noted I jumped several groups of 8 to 12 deer rather than singles and doubles. By the way, one group had two nice bucks still carrying both sides whereas when our season ended Jan. 10th about half the bucks had already shed at least one side. All signs indicate our deer are doing well. BW
That's good to hear! What's your take on the late scrapes? Leftover breeding?
Headed your way next month for four days of scouting. Got some business nearby so will get reimbursed much of my travel expenses. Can draw zone 5 if I like. But I love scouting Iowa regardless, just to see the awesome sign.
Perhaps the easy fall and winter weather has not drained the testosterone yet on some bucks?
I'm not a deer biologist but I do have an opinion. Coincidentally, last week I spent three days walking a great piece of whitetail property in Oklahoma. Although I did see plenty of rubs and scrapes they were obviously all old, abandoned rut sign. Comparatively the Iowa rut sign was smoking. I got to thinking about the "groups" of deer I saw. I've heard locals refer to it as "yarding". Not at all in the sense of deer in deep snow yards for winter survival, but I do think they group up on whatever the best available food source happens to be at that time. I also think there is safety in numbers when dealing with packs of hungry coyotes at this time of year. Regarding the fresh rut sign, I wouldn't doubt a young doe, who might have been born as a late fawn and therefore wasn't mature enough to be successfully bred earlier finally came into cycle and smelled good enough to get the boys still packing racks excited. This game is interesting and adds to the mystery and enjoyment of our pursuit. BW
Reminds me of when we were in Saskatchewan this fall last few days of November and there was fresh rubs from either elk or moose, I couldn't tell, but the rub shavings were on top of the main snow which had fallen roughly 3 days prior. Thinking back don't know why I didn't examine the tracks more closely :/ Only excuse I have is I guess I was in whitetail mode. There was a small clearing and it was tore up. prob 30 big rubs in it - all looked to be super fresh and 5-6 feet high. I thought that was a little odd for the giant cervids to be rubbing so late...
Then again I also videotaped a real nice velvet whitetail thrash some willows late July. He had 3.5" beam growing smack dab out of the center of his skull and usually those are connected to a right or left beam, but when I skinned it out it truly was a legitimate third beam growing out the center, so I've always attributed that weird behaviour to his extra appendage :)
I too shot a good buck back in 2009 that had a third separate 3" tine growing out of his forehead not at all connected to the regular antlers. Regarding the high rubs, I've seen it where there would be a heavy/thick crust on an early deep snow up north. The crust would be thick enough to hold the weight of a mature whitetail when he rubbed. After the snow melted you would see a whitetail rub that appeared to be high enough on the tree to be mistaken for a moose rub too.
I have seen scrapes here and there freshened up and pawed off when I do most of my scouting in February and March for sure, and possibly into April. From my personal observations, which pale in comparison to your experience, I don't think whitetail scraping is 100% rut-related, I believe some is just basic communication, like dogs pissing on fire hydrants.
I've seen similar behavior here in northern Illinois. I live in a rural area with wooded ridges around me and can observe deer on a daily basis. This was even more obvious when we were still able to put corn out in the winter. The latest I ever saw a buck chasing a doe that was obviously "hot" (by herself, tail shaking, looking back and pausing) was after Valentine's day.
One day deer will learn how to read, and then they'll know that they're not supposed to do these things! ;-)
I captured this photo last February. This year I am still getting lots of smaller buck sparring.
Here is a picture from Kansas taken within the last 8 days. The date and time is incorrect. I do not know if this a serious fight or simply a gentle push and shove. This picture is near a couple of scrapes that are still showing recent activity. I have been getting the sparring pictures since late December at this location.
Late winter rutting behavior not that uncommon around here and most bucks are still carrying around here and usually peak shedding doesn't start until around mid-February through mid-march, although have seen a few carry into April... A few will shed in December, so some shed early, some late, but peak seems a couple weeks away... We've had a couple good shedding thread in the past on this site...
These two little guys pictured (date and time correct) behind the house, shoved each other around for quite a while distracting me from the Super Bowl the other day...8^) Have noticed if they're in hard horn regardless of the month, they'll lock'm up, have even seen buttons do so...
Have 5 doe fawns behind the house causing rutting action just last week, even got some video...
One year seen a full blown scrape line created in fresh snow in March, so seems likely if young does are coming into first estrus will trigger some bucks to go into rutting behavior...
Me an My dad have personally got pictures of bucks in Feb/March still checking scrapes an rubs. A few bucks had even lost their antlers !!! I wonder if it's a Buck thing to keep marking them as a way of saying "MY TERRITORY" an letting all the others the made it through Rifle season !!! :)
I have found fresh scrapes in March before. Always interesting.
Glad you can still get out there Barry!
Saw a fresh scrape 2 weeks ago near the VA/WV border. Latest I've ever seen an active scrape in VA.
"Have 5 doe fawns behind the house causing rutting action just last week, even got some video"
Here's a still of what I was seeing... Attached photo date and time correct... Watched the buck chase a doe fawn (just out of frame) in the back field for about a half hour just before dark... Notice his tending posture... As said there were several doe fawns last week triggering rutting behavior, but haven't seen anything since.... Imagine these first time estrus does have all been bred by now, although there is still a tiny doe fawn out there am sure hasn't reached that 75 - 80 pounds to estrus yet...
I walked a farm Tuesday evening for a while and checked some scrape areas. This farm is 1/4 mile from an 1800 acre public piece that gets hammered, and this farm has some food, and borders some crop areas that generally have some food, and has some fairly heavy cover and some good south bedding slopes. As a result, this farm gets flooded with does in the late season. I've hunted it heavily the past few late seasons, as every now and again, I luck into some pretty heavy late season rutting activity when some of the doe fawns come in. It's very hit or miss though, and generally frustrating.
Anyways, on my walk, I was interested to note that several scrapes within a heavily used travel corridor (a textbook inside corner), had fresh tracks and activity. Hard to tell if the licking branches being torn down was new, but there was definite activity within the scrapes themselves.
Little doe fawns run nervous on this farm :)
Not sure I go along with that whole depleted testosterone and shedding thing… The half shed buck in front was the buck tending the little doe on February 2nd pictured above, am sure he got her…
This buck was carrying both sides on February 10, so he's shed his right side just within the past 2 days... Soooo, if so, his testosterone went from raging to near zero in just 8 or 9 days… Hmmmm, something to think about…
BTW, notice the buck in the background still fully crowned… Date and time is correct…
Went to my MO farm Sunday. Found a very fresh rub right off of our main destination food plot on a decent size tree. Tons of deer pictures and most bucks still carrying. Also an area where the ground was torn up just like you would expect from a deer fight. It is not uncommon for me to find rubs well after the season is over. Makes one curious for sure.
Lots of reports from various states about rubs later than normal. As for the scrapes, are you sure it is bucks making them? Could you have some does still unbred? It could also be activity from juvenile bucks trying to get communal scrapes going. Lots of explanations.
Here in TN, we ha done of the most "normal" years as far as rutting activity that I can recall in recent time. However, I am really curious to see how long the bucks carry their antlers this year. I am still seeing mature bucks with both still intact.
Several years back we watched a mule deer buck breed a mule deer doe (Colorado) and the date was April 10th. He chased her around for around 15 minuted before she stood for him.
Posted above on February 9th - "there were several doe fawns last week triggering rutting behavior, but haven't seen anything since"...
Well Monday the 13th, a young NE Ohio doe must have come into estrus, because watched full blown rutting action with little doe running and bucks chasing just like in November...
Bowriter - Been taking notes for years and racked bucks during February, March, and even a few in April is the norm...
trkytrack - Curious, was the muley breeding on April 10th fully crowned? A few years ago watched a crowned whitetail buck chasing and tending a doe on April 13th, the latest I've ever witnessed and the latest I've ever seen a buck still carrying both sides, although have saved pictures from others here of bucks and bulls carrying later in April and a couple even into May... One comes to mind in May of two bull elk side by side with one in inches of new growth and the other still carrying both hardhorn sides...
Zbone, here, it is not unusual to see a buck under 2.5, still carry antlers in April. However, it is unusual to see a buck with a year or two of breeding activity-a mature buck-still carrying. Normalyy, they, the mature bucks, cast their antlers by mid-Feb at the lastest.
Drove the 10 hrs to the Midwest and scouted as the winter has been very mild and little stress if I bump deer.Lots of fresh scrapes and rubs but nothing unusual for this time of year....
Non social reasons include good acorn crops (increased tannins in diet) as can certain timber practices from hinge cutting,tree girdling,hack/squirt program that will produce MORE saplings/younger trees with little head cover...ie...more appropriate targets .
Age doesn't seem to matter here Bowriter, matter of fact the few I've seen still carrying in April have all been mature bucks, like the one I watched tending a doe on April 13 was a really good mature buck.... Many years ago on April 11th, (actually in the Clendening region) seen a huge clean 5x5 still carrying both sides and it was that buck at that time that started me taking notes of how late some shed... If all the same, such as health and nutrition, I believe shedding timing has more to do with heredity than most other factors, and as said here before why you hear of early shedding, yet later shedding just 20 miles down the road... Kinda validates animals genetically linked theory... I think we had similar discussion last year bout this time...
Interestingly know of a buck identifiable by a broken leg that's so far survived and know of his shedding last year between Feb 19 and 20th, (if I remember right, will have to look at my notes) but anyhow as of yesterday was still packing and if possible curious to learn how close to those dates he'll shed this year... Time is soon approaching...
John, ya got me going through notes and pix...8^)
Date and time correct... Bachelor group, mature buck behind still crowned one day before April, buck in front looks like has already started new growth, unfortunately didn't get any more pix of them...
BTW, that year 2016 was a harsh winter here too, so weather doesn't seem to have much to do with it either...
Half shed spiker on the Ides of March last year...
Posted above - "most bucks are still carrying around here and usually peak shedding doesn't start until around mid-February through mid-march"... Half rack basketrack shedding early March...
Posted above - "Interestingly know of a buck identifiable by a broken leg that's so far survived and know of his shedding last year between Feb 19 and 20th, (if I remember right, will have to look at my notes) but anyhow as of yesterday was still packing and if possible curious to learn how close to those dates he'll shed this year... Time is soon approaching..."
Here it is the Feb 21st, and seen the broken leg buck this morning still packing both sides... Confirmed my notes from last year and he did shed between the 19th and 20th last year, so he's late...8^)
Hey Barry, you out there? Just got crazy cool 20 sec video from YESTERDAY of a mature wild midwestern buck working a limb/wick, then scraping... Was surprised/shocked... PM me if interested...
