2014 rut report.
Oklahoma
I figured everyone is already thinking it so ill start off.
Scouted the thicket along a creek in the quieter part of my property yesterday here in Pott. County. The rains and front that came though monday gave me a fresh veiw of the ground and gave me a better idea of my buck movements. Found 31 fresh rubs along 3 lines. Its starting to heat up.
Watched two young bucks getting after it this morning. batchelor groups are no more as of last week.
Anyone else seeing any activity????
Oh yeah, watching this guy now on a daily basis. Hes really started to swell up nice.
Not a real "rut report" but over the past few days watching the deer behind my house I've seen some humorous "rut action". A button buck has been following, butt sniffing and generally annoying every doe he sees. He gets slapped around then he does a rodeo bronc imitation. Bucks, kicks and spins then sprints a lap or two around the yard. Frustrated I guess and entertaining to watch.
My smalker bucks chased does all over the farm yesterday. Windy but none seemed to care. Heard a fight back in the thicket while feeding horses in the AM. Watched a small buck run across hwy 39 chasing a doe. I nearly hit the doe. Heavy chasing from 11am until 3pm. Sat from 1 until 7 on another stand. Had "125 10, an 8, a spike 3 does running around me for 2 hours. lots of grunting. Felt like I was in a Benny hill skit! All yesterday.
As a Game Warden told me years ago, the best source to obtain a rut report is visiting with highway patrol officers and asking about road kill activity. It's no surprise, when the flip switches and the big boys start chasing, the road kills for mature bucks seem to peak overnight. Yesterday, I visited with a highway patrol officer and he said young bucks and doe kills are rising, but few big boys. As expected, he said he's seen a drastic rise in the last week of young buck sightings at night along the highways.
FYI - I usually pull over and visit when I see them stopped along the rest areas on the turnpikes. Don't hesitate to visit with the officers - I've had them talk my ear off about hunting and deer.
Some chasing reported on my lease south of Tulsa this past weekend. One guy witnessed a couple of forkies fighting. It wasn't just a sparring match, they were pushing and shoving each other pretty good. I had 2 fresh scrapes and a bunch of new rubs in my area.
Starting to find scrapes in northern Osage county. Not seeing any chasing yet
Little guys are running does all over. Had a stand on a major trail thats been dead cold for a month lit up like Christmas the last two days. Pics and video of 14 different bucks up to 3 1/2yo pushing does within every hour of daylight yesterday alone at that one location. Driving in last night from dallas, saw one of those young bucks pushing a doe out of my front pasture across the road at 3am just before I got to the gate.
Youngsters are full-blown here just south of okc. Im guessing end of next week the big boys will come out and play! Hopefully after I stick one in Nebraska!
Sat for 5 hours yesterday evening. Sitting now. Had bad encounter wth a 140 class bruiser. Came in about 5 o'clock strait up out of the creek behind me strait downwind. Grunted. Stopped 15 yrds broadside. Took off like a rocket back into the thicket. Blew a few times and circled back around me. Blew 4-5 more times and gone. First time busted this season. Not cool.
In NW OK all Fri-Sat, saw ton of does, no bucks. Haven't reviewed game cams yet. Think with full moon and warm weather more seeking and chasing happening at night. That will change in about 24-48 hours.
The buck I killed on Saturday came to a grunt call. He was fired up and ready to fight.
Where's the pic stinkbait?
ITs on the Trophy thread but here it is anyway.
Now THAT is a rut report. Way to go stinkbait1!
Both bucks I saw yesterday were close behind does. The girls weren't having any of it but the bucks always stayed close. This was in NW Oklahoma.
Saw the same thing also up NW OK. Bucks out seeking. Guessing and hoping each day gets better and better, up here all week.
Big guys have been out last few mornings and evenings!
Been in nebraska chasing deer all last week and came home to some great bucks showing up on camera chasing does in daylight.
Fresh snow on the ground... tomorrows the day!
Had 2 bucks trailing does in NW OK back to bedding. I saw a 3rd buck briefly in thicket then disappeared. Not sure if he was bedded with doe or not. Evening was does only.
I saw 2 mature bucks cruising on Halloween - I got a chance at the second one and got him down. 9 points, 150 dressed, lots of mass.
Most rut activity I actually saw was just this last week with my wife killing a great 13 point following a doe the day before Thanksgiving and me killing my #1 buck on the list the very next day chasing a doe from the very same tree. I saw bucks chasing does all week up on our place but down in the southern part of the county it was dead for rut action on our deer lease...
Spent this last wk hunting out west bowhunting in the orange army still seen some chasing going on mostly in am.Seems to be trickle rut out here this yr.Be back at it in the morning.Good Luck to those still out with the Bow in hand
