Rut report 2014
West Virginia
So who is seeing chasing where. Just this morning I heard of a person seeing some chasing in Marion county. Report rut activity here with the county it was in. Thanks!
scrapes in mingo and fayette but no chasin except little bit by yearlings but does won't have anything to do with them,,, be 2-3 weeks yet
No activity yet in either properties of mine in Mercer County, should get good here after this week with this cold front moving in!
seeing Rubs and scrapes in Tyler Co.
seen a couple rubs and one scrape in Jefferson county, have not seen any chasing yet.
Have not seen a rub or scrape in Berkeley yet. Did see a little button buck wanting to chase a few does in the food plot though...
I saw three different bucks pushing does this past saturday in pleasants.
I didn't hunt today but saw several bucks. Some I jumped up, some were just moving thru woods normally, some in field feeding. None looked like they were cruising or checking does.
Did see a bunch of rubs and several scrapes.
Haven't seen any scrapes but more rubs keep popping up guy at work has several rubs and scrapes right behind his place here in mercer co
seen rubs in Jefferson county by a nice buck. Up on the mountain my buddy found a honey hole where bucks of all sizes are going.
Hadn't seen but a couple of scrapes until yesterday. While still hunting I found 15 FRESH scrapes. Also seen two bucks roaming mid-day. No chasing yet though.
Bucks chasing does grunting and big boys on trail camera pictures really picking up.
My friend saw 4 bucks yesterday all following does around with 1 big one in the evening chasing a doe hard and grunting all the time. Came by him 2 times with no shot opportunity. Had a small buck come in this morning and tear up a bush and made a scrape right in front of him. I hunted all day yesterday and did not see 1 deer. These were 2 different places, but same county.
Haven't seen a buck since opening day but have found some scrapes and new pretty good size rubs so the stand got moved this morning after not seeing anything besides tree rats
Saw. A 3 point and a spike, both were just feeding. Showed no interest in the doe that was out in the field. Noticed both were just starting to get color on their tarsal glads. Did see a couple new rubs though.
Saw 3 bucks running today, nose to the ground....All 3 were young though..
Sat behind the house last night with the grunt tube. Saw a few does moving down to my right. just before dark heard something walking alot louder and almost in frantic steps. Hit the grunt tube. It came straight toward me then circled behind me. Couldn't hear anything more so i waited alittle and started to get down, to my left deer takes off. Im guessing it was a buck, never laid eyes on it.
What's everyone seeing? Buddy of mine had a new buck show up on his cam couple days ago, i think theyre starting to roam more and more. 77 yesterday, high of 58 here today. Almost 20 degree drop, going out this evening hoping to see some movement!
I'm hoping some of these scrapes get refreshed this evening.
Getting lots of regular action on my trail cameras over scrapes the last 2 weeks. New bucks showing up over the last week. It is starting boys and girls!
Finding more rubs and seeing more scrapes watched small buck make a scrape and hit the lick branch
Found 5 scrapes that weren't near my stand 1 day ago
Watched an 8 point (3 year old roughly 120") chase some does today, unfortunately not close Enough for a shot
Lots of rubs showing up. Out yesterday morning, saw a couple Does. But no bucks.
Saw 3 different small bucks just walking with a purpose back and forth across the field. Walking back towards the house I ran across several small scrapes - just starting here in Berkeley county.
Bucks run into groups of does here grunting as usual , but does aren't ready yet . Late this week it should start really good here IMO .
I'm hoping it holds off for a week I have to leave on Tuesday for 8 days because of work but when I get back I'm off for two weeks
Oct 29 i got a day light pic of a buck. 1:15pm. Its getting close.
Watched an 8 run a 4 off and then take in after couple of does bumping them pretty hard and I'm leaving in the morning for 8 days because of work how lovely is that
21 more years until i can sit in a stand all day everyday during this time of year. I saw 8 different bucks on sat. Three large bucks running one doe in single file line at 1:30 pm.
Just came back from OHIO. Saw 5 bucks Monday morning cruising between 8:00/9:00 all small.Think I was a week early.
Wednesday I had a small 6 come into some rattling and I heard one grunting. More rubs are popping up.
Next week will blow wide open in actual breeding. Little bucks are looking. I'm seeing them everywhere, in every county I've been working.
Spent sometime in Kanawha county today looking at timber. I found the holy grail of deer sign. A very obvious rub line coming off a ridge, picking up a bench 2/3rds the way down, and traversing it for about 1/4 mile before dropping off the point of the ridge. The rub line was conducted on trees the size of my arm up to my thigh. You could stand at one, and see the next. The logger and myself followed it for about a 1/2 mile total.
He was working scrapes along the natural bench too. I do believe that deer was highly vulnerable this week as he is wearing this route out. I'd say he will follow it for a day or so more before he is going to abandon his route for actual breeding. From the size of his foot and the sign he left, he is no DOUBT a bruiser of epic proportions. If I had found it earlier in the week, I'd took my hammock camp and spent all this week down there camping to ensure I was perched in a tree close by. Work and my step sons wedding has got me tied down tomorrow and this weekend. I was trying to get my step son to give me Saturday off but, I reckon I had better attend his wedding. Talk about lack of priorities. Who gets married in November?
It's been a longtime since I've seen this kind of sign screaming to be hunted. Bad timing. God Bless
my daughter had a baby 2 years ago 1st week of Nov,,, I nick named him RUT,, and had a long discussion with son inlaw on timing of his escapades
Hoping I timed it right. Off for the next 9 days. Going out at home today, then off to Sleep Creek WMA for a few days of big woods hunting.
STill not really seeing anything..little bucks here and there...
Did find some big rubs and scrapes, I think next week will be on fire
Just got back from Ohio. They are chasing there. Saw 8 nice bucks.,passed up a nice 8 saw several great bucks no shot. Back to hunting spikes next week.
Lincoln County, 11/8/14
First day out since taking two does in 10/4. Saw 9 total bucks. One of them was a good 9pt for my area. Guessing him to be a 3 year old in the 110" range. Most of the bucks were cruising, but a couple were dogging does.
Pulled camera cards and had countless bucks hitting a scrape all hours of the day and night. One mature buck showed up randomly in daylight several times. Scrape activity seemed to slow down over the last two to three days based on these pictures.
They must be chasing in Fayette County because I had a really big doe come running hard out in front of me on my way to hunt yesterday. I got a late start, and it was already daylight while on my way to the farm. I'm driving along down Rt 61 out of Oak Hill doing about 55 and came within inches of running right over her. Still don't know how I didn't. Thanks for the ABS on my Blazer Chevrolet.
Mingo County, WV. 11-9-14
sat on my stand from 6 until noon yesterday, didn't see anything. checked out a couple favorite spots afterward, saw 2 nice lone bucks from distance, no response to calls...
my little area of southern wv, is definitely still pre-rut.
it's a shame were bow only, i could have tagged out on opening day.
Mingo County, WV. 11-9-14 sat on my stand from 6 until noon yesterday, didn't see anything. checked out a couple favorite spots afterward, saw 2 nice lone bucks from distance, no response to calls...
my little area of southern wv, is definitely still pre-rut.
it's a shame were bow only, i could have tagged out on opening day.
Yeah, it's a shame that you can't shoot bucks with a rifle starting the end of September in the BOW-ONLY counties. It's also a shame that spotlighting isn't legal also. If we could Spotlight with a rifle in those counties we could kill some of those big bucks down there.
LOL.........That's what I thought when I read that
It is amazing how so different our views can be! Some of us feel it is a shame that our county is not bow only! LOL To each their own.....
Things have slowed down here a bit the past few days - hoping for things to change this week. Going to try to be in a tree everyday this week!
Hasn't broke open here yet. Still working the scrapes really well. Found some that weren't there last week. God Bless
Bucks chasing a lot this morning, but Does were running faster leaving bucks to give up and walk off. Saw lots of action till about 8:30. Then things settles down. No shot opportunities.
What a difference a day makes. Friday bucks chasing all over. Saturday only 1 buck seen just walking along the wood line. No interest in the Does.
Thought all this mast would make for an intense rut , man was I wrong . I haven't seen even 1 buck following a doe . Been off a week and saw a total of 11 does on last Monday and haven't seen a doe since . No expert ,don't understand what is going on . This is my 40th fall bowhunting and have rattle several times the last 25 and only rattled in 3 bucks . I killed 2 bucks this week rattling - go figure .
I shot a nice one in SE Ohio yesterday chasing a doe at 10:55 am. After I shot him, in the 10 mins or so for me to get out of the stand, 3 more bucks came on the doe's trail looking for her.
Im in stand now not a deer movin .. .cold and clear am in fayette co...weird...acorns everywhere ...no movement
Same here. No deer seen for the last two weeks while hunting. Haven't seen many working either. Really weird. God Bless
I have been seeing deer but very few bucks and no chasing. Very strange for this time - your would think this week things should be happening..... I saw 22 does and little ones yesterday evening and not one buck came into the food plot.
Years past I could sit out on my front porch or when I would take one of the dogs out at night and hear them chasing all over the place - have not heard that at all this year.
I have seen several bucks chasing while hunting this past week.Seen the same 8 point on two different days.One time he was under my tree, but behind me , then the doe ran the other way and he followed her. Had to work the last couple days and what I've found interesting is on my 100 mile round trip on I-64 I'm not seeing any bucks along the highway and only one dead deer. Normally I see bucks moving and chasing while I'm driving over in the mornings in mid november and always lots of roadkilled deer too. Hopefully this coming week it'll pick up some.
Just spent the last 3 days hunting daylight to dark in Mingo.....although I saw deer, it hasn't broke loose yet..
Not even close.....I saw a total of 15 does in 3 days and not 1 buck was even trailing or cold trailing...
I also saw 5 bucks, and they were all feeding....
Middle of the week to end of the week should be right
I Hunted all of last week in Jefferson county and have seen deer but no sign of any rut. I have seen smaller bucks out cruising but no chasing and I did see one small buck trailing a doe about 10 yards behind her. I have seen tons of does all by there self or with other does. I think were still in pre rut and the rut will probably hit next week during rifle season. Go figure.
I saw a buck two weeks ago chasing a doe in Pendleton county. Nothing lately though. Maybe its over
I saw buck chasing doe in a field in Marion county yesterday
Just had two very nice bucks chase a doe passed me at about 60 yards. Hard hearing anything in this wind! I feel like a kite strapped to this tree!
Just saw a buck chasing in Cabell this am.....Maybe its starting now...
Hopefully before the gun start blasting away Monday
On my way home seen a buck cruising looked like he was swelled up pretty good
