2014/15 Southern Rut
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: TurkeyBowMaster
21-Dec-14
Might be a few die in the wool southern bowhunters still out there. The rut is still a few weeks away but the time for patterning rut kill sites is now. Does will stay in the same areas and use the same trails but when the rut hit a bucks will likely follow or chase them along the same trails they are using now. Anyhow, it's close enough to start this thread so I started it. Any northerners who didn't get enough rut in can drive south and get more.
From: Bowhunter#22
21-Dec-14
Wish I had a spot to go in the south to get another rut hunt for the year.
From: Bowhunter#22
21-Dec-14
Wish I had a spot to go in the south to get another rut hunt for the year.
From: Bowhunter#22
21-Dec-14
Wish I had a spot to go in the south to get another rut hunt for the year.
From: Bowhunter#22
21-Dec-14
Wish I had a spot to go in the south to get another rut hunt for the year.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
21-Dec-14
The public land would probably surprised you at how little pressure it gets late...espicially the if you can find some archery only ground.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Dec-14
As of right now the bucks are scraping a little in the acorn bottoms and rubbing some there also. I am not seeing the bigger scrapes yet. I would say we are still at least 2 weeks from the first chasing but scrapes might be a good place to hunt now. I might start trying to rattle once a week and see if that works.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
26-Dec-14
I see where DC is into some rut action and here from Buffalo they are starting up over in Mississippi. Maybe it will be early this year. I think it was around the 19 of January before I saw my first chase last year. No hunting tomorrow...wife's birthday and I got to work evenings until mid week and then start 12 hour nights and flip over to 12 hour days Saturday.
From: drycreek
26-Dec-14
Good luck TBM.
Bowhunter#22, g-g-good luck with that stuttering ! :)
From: Buffalo1
26-Dec-14
Next week should be interesting in central and upper southwest regions of MS. Spotty chasing is occurring now.
Hunted in lower MS Delta last week and the chase phase rut was on for the "dink" bucks and the big boys were "walking the neighborhood" just checking things out.
Was in NE MS during Christmas and things are "cooking" in that part of the state.
Interested in hearing what others are experiencing.
From: NorthT
27-Dec-14
Only small Bucks chasing in north ms, starting to get big boys on cam in day time. Killed a 10 pt last week, neck swollen, stinking but not chasing, just cruising. Heard some are started to see some chasing this weekend
From: BusAL
27-Dec-14
Scrapes and rubs just starting to appear in north AL. Scrapes still smell like dirt, though. Doe groups I saw Friday (on Skyline) were unaccompanied, and saw a little buck that was steaming but just moseying to bed at midmorning.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
29-Dec-14
The kids saw a 4 point with some does this am so maybe things will start soon. Still early considering the earliest I see mature bucks chasing is the 14 of January.
From: DC
29-Dec-14
I had an eight point locked up with a doe last week that I showed on the video.
Today I did some heavy duty scouting on Cahaba. I found one spot about 1.5 miles back in the woods that was steaming with rut sign. I had to climb up a bluff to get to it and if the truth be known I will probably never walk there again. Even if I killed a deer in that spot I don't know if I'm Man enough to get it out. I am sore all over. Probably walk 5 miles through that terrain. One good thing about today is I still have my compass reading skills. I ended up right back at the truck. It sure looked allot easier to get to on Google Earth.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
29-Dec-14
Come on DC...knuckle up and get back in there.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
29-Dec-14
Come on DC...knuckle up and get back in there.
From: PeroteHunter
29-Dec-14
Scrapes are starting up in Southeast AL, small rubs. I started working on scrape lines today to funnel them by my bow stands. Crappy weather right now, 65-70 and steamy.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
03-Jan-15
Went for a 5 mile run yesterday evening late and saw 5 fawns by themselves. That a a pretty good indication the does are starting to seek some quality time with the bucks. The kids will be back in school Monday and I will be off 12 hour shifts and basically on 40 hour weeks for the rest of the season...game on for me from here on out...kids will hunt on weekends and me during the week.Game on!!
From: TurkeyBowMaster
03-Jan-15
I forgot to mention that it has seemed to rain almost every day for the last 2 weeks and when it wasn't raining it was warming up to rain. Thunderstorms are headed this way now but it is going to start cooling down tomorrow and be really cold by mid week.
With all the moisture, I will be expecting some brutal hunting conditions. It's suppose to be 18 Thursday morning and a high of 40. That will be a wet cold and hopefully just what we need to get the bucks going.
From: DC
03-Jan-15
A friend of mine said it is on, in North Alabama. He saw two giants chasing a doe and when he pulled his trigger the bullet was a dud.
So anyway, I went up there this morning to get in on the action and the BOTTOM fell out. I am soaked to the bone from rain. All I saw was a coyote and couldn't sling an arrow at it. Too Thick. Rubs and Scrapes everywhere. Dang Rain! The creek was so high that I thought it would come into the cab of the truck when driving across. Long way for me to drive just to sit and watch it storm. Oh well that's hunting.
From: Rayzor
04-Jan-15
We had a strong rut (third rut ??) the week of Dec 21 in South Central Virginia. We had bucks showing up on cams during daylight left and right and a few good pics of bucks dogging the does and chasing the smaller bucks off . Several were ones that we had never seen or had been missing since late summer. I got lucky and killed one at the tail end of it on Dec 26th and within a day or two most were gone from the cams and/or nocturnal again. The real luck is it was the same one I had shot just over his back on the 23rd.
The rutting activity was much stronger than the rutting activity we saw at the end of October and around Thanksgiving. Weird the heaviest rutting activity last year was the week after Thanksgiving. Some late activity around Christmas but not like it was this year.
Kind of a mystery but I'm glad it worked out. I had put in 134 hours on stand in 3 states when I missed him. It was a real downer. Shot him after 139. it was awesome to redeem myself and take the same one.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
07-Jan-15
Very cold and really windy this evening. Hunted twice this week and did not see a deer. Things should pick up soon.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
08-Jan-15
Havnt seen a deer in 3 outings...all evening hunts during cold weather. Saw a small buck cross the road coming from work. I think the we are still a week from the bigger bucks moving.
From: NorthT
08-Jan-15
6 degrees when I got out this morning, didn't see a deer all day. Afternoon same results
From: TurkeyBowMaster
10-Jan-15
Things are starting to crank in west central Alabama. Saw severaldoes all hanging out around scrapes. Big does too. Saw a couple 2 yearl bucks.
From: Muskrat
10-Jan-15
We are observing rutting activities right now in North Florida, Tallahassee area. Scrapes I'm watching have bucks and does visiting, and we have seen numerous bucks in hot pursuit of does with the does acting like romance is on their agenda.
From: DC
10-Jan-15
Bucks are hitting the scrapes again fairly hard. Should be cranking up again soon. I'm looking at the 12th. through the 16th. as the prime for Jan. I have to work so it should be on for sure.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
12-Jan-15
Small buck came through right after the major feeding time and headed for cover. Slow after that. Up in another spot catching the mid day minor feeding time.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
12-Jan-15
2 bucks in at 8 and 14 yards.. money shots.. too small.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
12-Jan-15
Had my oarngr and honeybun. Going to get back up for rest of day. Going to scout my way in to a unpresssured spot and hopefully find some good sign and a funnel. Time to rock n roll like Nat king Cole.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
12-Jan-15
Hoping things will get going and a big one will come by me tomorrow. Statistics say it's not going to happen. I normally don't see big ones until the 14th at the earliest and it is usually the 18th or later. Still early for the big ones in my area but the little ones are keeping me entertained.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
12-Jan-15
Hoping things will get going and a big one will come by me tomorrow. Statistics say it's not going to happen. I normally don't see big ones until the 14th at the earliest and it is usually the 18th or later. Still early for the big ones in my area but the little ones are keeping me entertained.
From: TSI
13-Jan-15
From: TurkeyBowMaster
14-Jan-15
Still havnt seen any chasing after hunting really hard the last 3 days. The weather was really overcast and gloomy today and not much seemed to be movin. Starting nites tonite..so I will only hunt am or pm but not both. 7 days of that then a couple off days and then 3-11 shifts. Rut should get going good by the time I get off graveyards if not before.
From: BusAL
17-Jan-15
I had a spike chasing a doe all around me for over half an hour at Skyline the morning of the 9th. Went back on the 11th and they were still there but not running around like crazy. Guess he figured out that she wasnt quite ready, and the big'ns knew it, too.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
17-Jan-15
Good chasing this evening by a mid size buck. He was grunting pretty loud. Had a couple spikes come under the stand. I expect to see the big ones any day now.
From: PeroteHunter
18-Jan-15
I hunted all weekend, saw 6 does each day and a few young bucks, no bucks chasing does though. On my cameras last week there were few to no deer active during the day. Great video of bucks hitting scrapes though at night. Maybe next weekend.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
19-Jan-15
From: TurkeyBowMaster
19-Jan-15
From: XMan
19-Jan-15
I will be down there Jan25-Feb 1, hoping for nice cool weather and no wind or rain.
TBM leave a few for us northerners please.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
19-Jan-15
That will be a good time I hope...I'm on long weekend then and will be after em hard.
From: TSI
19-Jan-15
HMMM,a gun?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
20-Jan-15
Didn't see anything this am...Sat till noon in one of my best rut spots. I know they have chased some, but I never saw them chasing hard. So, I am not sure it they are about to start or in lockdown. I'm guessing lockdown and the warm weather is not helping.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
20-Jan-15
Didn't see anything this am...Sat till noon in one of my best rut spots. I know they have chased some, but I never saw them chasing hard. So, I am not sure it they are about to start or in lockdown. I'm guessing lockdown and the warm weather is not helping.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
21-Jan-15
Good deer activity thus evening.. feeding but not rut. Saw 6 and was about to kill a doe and the spy up the hill caught Mr drawing...over.
From: APauls
21-Jan-15
What kind of bow you shootin there TBM?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
21-Jan-15
700 Remington in 270 cal. My son has put 2 down with it so far.
From: TSI
22-Jan-15
Is that a rage broad head!LOL,TBM dont you see just a little bit of a difference between what you preach and what you practice?T_oo many B-ad M-essages.
From: sureshot
22-Jan-15
Steve, Way to go getting the boy out, even if he is shooting the 270.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Jus ran a Simmons through one as the rain begins to fall....freaky little one side rack. Didn't climb up u til 9:30 and got him down before 10.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Walking shot...best I've made in two years. Only 14 yards right in the wheelhouse.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Crazy morning. Got a late start, went to one spot and the wind was wrong, went to another spot, walking all the way in....I know I felt light....forgot my stand...still in truck. Went back to truck, drove to nither spot where stand is already up in a spot where one got by last season...climbed and in 15 minutes had one shot. I hate to use the word luck but it's hard not too sometimes.
From: COLT45
22-Jan-15
Nice! Post up some pics
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Just realised the hat is still on backwards...that a what been wrong ...been turning it round
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Blue jean pants leg replacement seat...this how po folks roll
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Almost up to the label in the ground...and it's a long arrow.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
Kill tree. Not very high but somewhat hidden.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
From: Beav
22-Jan-15
Congrats!
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
A few of these little orange meated acorns still left and drawing a few deer.
From: GhostBird
22-Jan-15
Congratulations Steve.
I shot a doe last Saturday. Needed some meat for the freezer and was going to shoot the first deer in range. The doe and a yearling came trotting up the mountain and I shot her at 25 yards. She bolted downhill 60 yards and piled up in sight. Two minutes later, five more does came up the hill, but diverted their course due to the commotion... and wouldn't you know it, trailing behind them was a nice 140 class ten point. They all passed by at about 65 yards and he would not even acknowledge my grunts as I tried to coax him over. I should have known the trotting doe was running from something. Happy to have some meat and bloody my new Nitrum 34.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
From: Woodsman416
22-Jan-15
Well done.
From: BusAL
22-Jan-15
Checked the kill sheet on post and it looks like they were going good last weekend. About a dozen racked bucks were killed those three days. 15" beam or spread there to be legal. I'm seeing 1 1/2 yr olds by themselves and doe groups without escorts on my mountainland. Lotta bark been knocked off and leaves cleared lately. Got venison but still looking for the one.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
22-Jan-15
GB I've passed a lot of deer in my life and rarely has that led to killing the big one, but it happens...more this time of year. Most of the time it's like this am and like last year, a year ago today I believe, when like this am, a solo buck comes in. I have had intentions to use the new baiting laws to at least keep some deer on our place and influence their patterns, but havnt got around to it, therefore this was a completely natural situation, just like last season. It feels good to kill them this way...to me it does, not that our baiting laws help bowhunters that much and I really should take advantage of the new laws to save deer more that to kill them.
From: Eric B.
22-Jan-15
Congrats on the cool looking deer!
From: spike78
23-Jan-15
Nice deer TBM congrats. Isnt the deer supposed to go in the bed of the truck and not on the bed cover?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
23-Jan-15
"Nice deer TBM congrats. Isnt the deer supposed to go in the bed of the truck and not on the bed cover?"
Yes, but I've got my sleeping bag in there setup for sleeping and tree stands and boots and cloths...pretty much full of stuff, so I just put him on top to keep blood out of there. That truck is my portable hunting camp, plus sometimes when I go to sleep while driving home from graveyard shift I will pull over and get in the back.. it is sort of my doghouse with life saving capabilities.
From: spike78
23-Jan-15
Yeah I need one of those. I have a Tacoma with standard small cab and every hunting season its piled to the ceiling back there.
From: Joey Ward
24-Jan-15
Caught this one working a scrape line on a fire lane.
10 Yard shot, 70 yard recovery.
Recurve bow, big Snuffers, and a Griz Stick arrow.
Watched a spike chase a doe around for about 30 minutes at this same stand the day before. Figured things were starting to get hot.
From: BusAL
24-Jan-15
Nice'n Joey! What time of day did you see him?
From: Joey Ward
24-Jan-15
Made the shot a 5:00p.
Thanks Buz.
From: PeroteHunter
24-Jan-15
Two does and a fawn just walked by, no followers.
From: GhostBird
24-Jan-15
Nice buck Joey... congratulations!
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
That's a good one Joey. What kind if recurve you shooting?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
Its good to see some southern bowhunters still getting it done. Most have quit or gun hunting. I'm back gigged up and locked on this pm in the same stand where I killed the other day. I almost never hunt the same spot twice, but during the rut I find myself repeating stand sites several times. So far this stand has only produced doe sightings in the evening. The app Time2Hunt suggest it be good starting an hour before dark.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
Shot my buck on the lip that skirts the head in this holler. A classic rut spot...about as pinched as it gets down where I hunt.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
All I saw was one doe and killed her. She was at a distance of around 24 yards which is a tough guess as to how to aim. I guessed that she would squat because it was so still and she ablidged. Shot her with my 10 yard pin and the arrow dropped as she did. Double lung.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
Entrance on the doe I shot
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
Exit is even higher. Deer layed down trying to get out if there.
From: spike78
24-Jan-15
Nice shot. Simmons? Big hole.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
24-Jan-15
Yes Simmons. The exit hole was higher than the entrance and I was 18 feet in the tree. Deer really layed down on its side trying toget out of there. I expected that to happen because it was so still and quiet. Shot the 10 yard pin and it is sighted in to hit a little low...Deer was around 24 yards.
From: spike78
25-Jan-15
Looks like you have been talked out of your faithful Rage?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
25-Jan-15
The only reason with so many were impressed with rage is it was the first really big head they ever shot and animals started hitting the grounds faster and leaving better bloodtrails. Had everyong tried the big Rothar Snuffer or Simmons landshark they wouldn't have been so impressed.
From: Joey Ward
25-Jan-15
TBM, Black Widow. My only bow. Been hunting with it since 1989. It's the only weapon I hunt deer with. :-)
From: spike78
25-Jan-15
I shot one deer with a Rage and was impressed with the hole and bloodtrail but walking back to truck one day I came up to a flock of turkeys and began my stalk (in fall season) and every step i took the damn blade popped open on tiny twigs and I kept pushing them back together. All I kept saying was this is rediculous and that ended my short use of the Rage. Not to mention the replacement blade kit was useless I couldnt get the shot one apart.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
25-Jan-15
Same problem with gobbled getters...they opened when shoving into the quiver so you had to close before shooting...that could go unnoticed on quick second shots and cause trouble. Any mechanical that doesn't have a rubber band holding it shut will fail.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
26-Jan-15
The big ones are finally rolling...saw I good one from the road. He wasn'tpaying the traffic any tension.He was just staring..that blank stare they get this time of year. Saw a really big set of tracks on our place at a spot where a 7 point did a lot of chasing last year.
I am up for a midday sit hoping to catch one checking his scrape or eating acorns.
From: Zbone
26-Jan-15
You guys killing with those Simmons Treesharks leaving huge holes really got me wanting to try these heads...
From: TurkeyBowMaster
30-Jan-15
Back up for the second time this am. Just wasn't satisfied with my first spot, so I moved to the stand where I killed the buck a week ago. I never saw a good chase faze thus year. We are more than likely in lockdown now. I am seeing does together..no bucks. The does are not moving much..just standing around. It like they are waiting on a buck to free up. Possibly they have been bred. It's just harder to figure itout where the rut is not as intense.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
31-Jan-15
My youngest son killed his first rack buck today, a 5 point. My neighbor took him along with his son while I worked on ragged vehicles.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
31-Jan-15
My youngest son killed his first rack buck today, a 5 point. My neighbor took him along with his son while I worked on ragged vehicles.
From: DC
01-Feb-15
I went three days this week after work. I saw three does together Tuesday. I passed on a good shot.
Wednesday, I had a really nice rack mature 7 point about 20 wide with one tine broke off come within 15 yard and I did not have a shot. He smelled where I walked into my tree and he locked up. He was there at 5:15 and it gets dark at 5:30. I sat in my stand waiting for him to leave so I wouldn't spook him until 7:00 p.m. That's when he finally left. It is amazing to me how long a buck can stand in one spot when they feel uncomfortable and that 6th. sense kicks in.
Saturday I didn't see anything but jumped a deer coming out of the woods.
My season is over even though in South Alabama there is still two weeks left. Had fun. Stuck 6 deer and put 5 in the freezer.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
01-Feb-15
DC it is amazing how long our deer will lock up or just wheel and run at scent we left on the ground hours earlier. I remember on bowhunter telling the story of how he scouted a new area. He climbed a tree in that area the next day and a buck came in and smelled where the guy had walked 36 hours earlier and locked up, then got out of there.
You don't see that in a lot of other places.
From: Joey Ward
01-Feb-15
I passed on two spikes, a small forkhorn, and doe, yesterday. One of the spikes passed the doe with no interest. Still waiting on older buck.
I've got a few more days.
From: Joey Ward
02-Feb-15
Saw a huge buck come across the road in front of me on my way to work this morning. He's what I'm looking for.
Had his nose to the ground and was obviously trailing a hot doe. Going to take off Thursday and Friday. Weather looks good.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
02-Feb-15
See him after daybreak? Was he in a bottom or in my he hills?
From: Joey Ward
02-Feb-15
Around 6:45am. Swamp buck.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
02-Feb-15
I see most of the bucks in the morning in bottoms or saddles in the terrain. Most are seen really early...about 6:15 to 6:45
From: CAS_HNTR
02-Feb-15
My buddy shot this southern AL buck last week......scores about 300" on TBM's scoring system ;-)
From: BusAL
02-Feb-15
Wow! I'd give him a 575! Grains of cedar and Razorhead, that is.
Thought I was waaay back in away from anyone in a long thicket Saturday morning when two shots rang out close enough to hear the pump-action rackin'. Went to look and found a happy hunter with a nice 8pointer that woulda been in my shooting lane to some big rubs in just a bit had he lived for twothree more minutes.
They've been moving real good around here the last few days. May have to go south for just one more deer hunt. That new ten day season y'all got down there is tuggin' at me hard.
From: IdyllwildArcher
02-Feb-15
Grats to your son TBM. Got a pic of the kid with his trophy?
From: TurkeyBowMaster
03-Feb-15
IWA the wife got some pics on her phone. He went with his paw yesterday. They saw 4 doe, I saw 3 and heard a buck chasing. Heard his antlers hitting stuff as he ran so he is got to be big.
From: Joey Ward
03-Feb-15
Saw another big buck chasing a doe across the road this morning. They were about 100 yards from a hunters truck parked on the Lowndes WMA.
Still hopeful.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
03-Feb-15
Skipped today. Processed cades deer and cooked the straps. He helped the whole time. We went for a walk on trails by the river. Sometimes a good relax day revives you. Suppose to rain tomorrow so will have to wait and see how tomorrow goes. Thursday looks good..Suppose to be cold and windy. Hoping to finish strong. Goes out Tuesday. Hoping to pull at least 3 all day hunts before it ends
From: TurkeyBowMaster
06-Feb-15
Missed yesterday. Envoy fuel cell pump finally quit...been giving problems for about 5 years and finally quit...cost me a day hunting. Got a terrable cold and working 16 hours today. Off the next 4 days. Going tomorrow evening, and going to pull 2 all day hunts Monday and Tuesday. That will end a most unusual season.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
07-Feb-15
I got a terrable cold and put Vicks salve on my feet and out socks on...should be good to go by Monday. Got to finish strone
From: TurkeyBowMaster
09-Feb-15
Going out fir one last try tomorrow. Killed the biggest buck I seen theis year and last year...how many can say that? I really would like to shoot one more.
From: Gonzo
10-Feb-15
I can say that...
From: mrlocon
10-Feb-15
Turkeybowmaster. Do you use loc on like a portable and set up each hunt or do you leave up all season.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
10-Feb-15
mrlocon I seldom leave one in a tree and use one stand most of the year. During the rut I will leave one for a week or two, but mostly hang and hunt. I don't make much more noise than a squirrel hanging or climbing.
From: TurkeyBowMaster
10-Feb-15
Season ended today...hunted all day and got skunked. The new February season didn't provide much in the way of sightings but the weather was warm. Sooooo ready fir Turkey and pre season.
