Pre-rut predictions?
Contributors to this thread:Kansas
From: smellofestrus
06-Oct-17
I like how last year we had a good topic about pre-rut and rut around Kansas last year. I thought it be nice to have a similar thread like last year to keep everyone informed like last year of what kind of deer movement everyone was seeing around there areas.
From: smellofestrus
06-Oct-17
Here's the only nice one I've seen around my private property. Bunch of young bucks and does mixed in as well.
From: Matte
06-Oct-17
Bucks are definitely out of their summer patterns. On 600 acres of private ground I'm not seeing anything in the dirt on camera or through spotting scope. This is all river bottom ground with beans and winter wheat that was just drilled. On Walk in Hunting I have found three I would chase but they are sitting solo most of the time. Three more weeks and we should start to see alot more movement. I know of a 220" deer killed off Cheney Reservoir.
From: Thornton
06-Oct-17
You probably won't believe this, but three evenings ago I was watching close to 16 does filter by me and I heard a commotion behind them. A second later all heck broke loose and there was a crash and they scattered everywhere as a fork horn chased them out into the beans with his mouth gaping open as he grunted
From: drbonner
08-Oct-17
Hearing tales of small bucks already bumping does here in Texas.
From: smellofestrus
09-Oct-17
I haven't seen much does lately, seen lots of younger bucks grouping up together. Seems like there's starting to move around in the mornings and coming earlier and earlier each week from there nocturnal ways. I guess it helps with the weather going down.
From: JBS620
09-Oct-17
Been out a few times. Between the high temps and the October Lull, it's been pretty quiet. Not much moving.
From: Matte
09-Oct-17
I would be in the stand these select days. October 14&15 Evening and October 28-31 morning and evening. Then go whenever you want after that but from years and years of trail cam data into into an Excel sheet this have been great dates in October after that I have no conclusive data to show a good date unless you sit all day.
From: smellofestrus
10-Oct-17
Halloween weekend and the first week of November has always been good for me.
From: JBS620
10-Oct-17
I went out for a bit this morning and and while walking to my stand, I seen 5 fresh new rubs and scrapes, all within 100 yards of my stand. A bit encouraging!
From: Kansasclipper
10-Oct-17
I predict that the pre-rut, rut, and post rut will occur at the same time as it does every since Kansas opened up it first season in 1965. I know this is going out on limb.
From: aceout
11-Oct-17
seeing plenty of doe movement early and late afternoon. Fresh/new scrapes every day. Saw to smallish 8's chase a doe 300 yards across a standing bean field.
From: dragon76
13-Oct-17
checked feeders yesterday, several new scrapes since last week, getting close
From: cgoods17
13-Oct-17
what do you guys think about the week of Oct. 23-27? heading to ESE part of state then...
besides sitting in a tree the majority of the time, what are some of your tips and other clues should i be looking for at this time?
From: Matte
13-Oct-17
Sit back away from feeding areas as bucks will be cruising late and scent checking any does downwind.
From: cgoods17
13-Oct-17
so find the does and kinda sit back.. dont pressure too much?
what about if the weather is hot?
From: Heartshot
13-Oct-17
Test and retest your Thermocell before you climb a tree
From: Matte
13-Oct-17
Yes find the does but do not hunt right on top of where you expect them to be. For example; instead of putting a stand on the field edge back off and go in the timber line 20-30 yards and no you have opened up you effective range to the entire field plus 60 yards of staging areas (30 yards in each direction) if you catch bucks in the field then rattle,grunt or doe bleat them in.
From: Chief
13-Oct-17
There will be one! Be in the right place at the right time!
From: cgoods17
13-Oct-17
i am from louisiana, i have plenty of thermocells that work!
From: smellofestrus
17-Oct-17
I was out last night and saw big bucks together out on the crop fields feeding. Also catching a lot of new and different bucks on my trial cam. I believe they're on the move and fatting up for the rut.
From: cgoods17
17-Oct-17
have farmers started harvesting crops in eastern part of state yet?
From: smellofestrus
17-Oct-17
I have only seen a few fields harvested. The public land where I hunt still hasn't been harvested.
From: cgoods17
20-Oct-17
what have you guys been seeing out there? what is the action like?
i am heading up tonight and will be hitting it hard all next week. just trying to get an idea of how the movement is going.
From: smellofestrus
20-Oct-17
Seen two small bucks cruising. And a two does together. Haven't had any luck calling anything in. I might try a buck decoy on the corn field next time.
From: Kansasclipper
20-Oct-17
For October the 20th, the movement is the same as October 20th last year, and the year before, and the year before. Halloween is the onset of good movement every year.
From: lk2bowhnt
20-Oct-17
HA HA that,s great clip we sure get in a hurry don,t we. I say go set in a tree go huntin then keep on huntin when one shows up choot em
From: Matte
20-Oct-17
I say we are in pre rut, which is one of the best times to shoot a good buck before they get broken up. 8 new bucks on camera in the last two days. I do like the five days before and after Halloween to shoot a bruiser before they get all busted up.
From: Heartshot
23-Oct-17
Sat will be an interesting day to test everyone's "deer movement does not begin until" date. SE Kansas 27 low 51 high and cloudy.
From: Kansasclipper
23-Oct-17
Well Saturday is 3 days before Halloween so it really has nothing to do with weather. 3 days, give or take, before Halloween is and will always be the onset of good deer movement. Weather is a bonus. Matter of fact, that is why I generally always hold off hunting until that time. I feel that a couple of days before Halloween til November 1st and then around Thanksgiving are the best time to kill mature deer. First 2 weeks of November is lock down. Deer running everywhere but the 5 year old bucks are taking care of business.
From: smellofestrus
24-Oct-17
Sounds like this weekend is going to be packed with hunters in the woods...
From: smellofestrus
25-Oct-17
I was out yesterday. I had a jacket and it was still cold. Didn't see anything, but it's getting chilly and temps are dropping.
From: Kansasclipper
25-Oct-17
80 degree's today. Gonna be a terrible day tomorrow, 40 mph winds.
From: sitO
25-Oct-17
lol...any day in the woods is goods
From: KYBourbon
25-Oct-17
I saw 4 bucks in daylight today between 6 and 7. Driving not hunting.
After my thread on the wind I’ll be in a spot close to my house hunting from the ground in tomorrow’s wind. That’s assuming they let me out of work at a reasonable hour. Every day I tell them it’s hunting season and I can’t be there all day. They never listen.
From: RackWrangler
30-Oct-17
Any rut activity, I live in Texas but my trail cam is going on a small private piece west of Hayes. Hunted September but all bucks were coming in and out of the milo fields after dark. Trail cam photos have shown a lot more daylight activity in the past 10 days since the cold fronts moved in. Wondering if the milo was harvested or if they are starting to cruise a little earlier than usual. I have to choose between nov. 12-15th and nov. 25-29th to make the trip due to work schedule. Seeking some educated help on my decision. November new moon is early making me think possible early rut, however in the past years I've had more mature buck sightings in the later part of the month. I gotta schedule my 3 days off before the weekend. HELP me Kansas bowhunters!!
From: doubledrop
30-Oct-17
12th-15th in my opinion. I know some swear by that week of Thanksgiving and after but most of what I see are the last second rifle guys driving in and/or walking through places for setups and target shooting all around. Maybe it's mental but I cannot stand that week.
From: liktobowhunt
30-Oct-17
sunday morning had a nice eight running 4 does for and hour grunting and chasing. Does singled out all over the place
From: smellofestrus
30-Oct-17
10/28/17. I hunted Saturday with two of my friends and we saw lots of deer movement. I saw 3 young bucks and two does in the morning. And my friends said they saw a lot of deer and even bumped a few going into the woods. 10/29/17 I only hunted the morning, but saw one young buck and three does. Good sign! Looking better then last year.
From: smellofestrus
30-Oct-17
RackWrangler, I think the rut is going to be early this year. I would hunt Nov. 12-15th.
From: Kansasclipper
30-Oct-17
The weather is not going to bring those does into heat any earlier than last year or any year previous.
From: drbonner
30-Oct-17
We’re headed up the 7th and won’t come home til the 17th
From: z hunter
30-Oct-17
Early rut dr,..it will all be over by the 6th! ?? lol
From: Chief
30-Oct-17
There was an volcanic eruption in Pompeii last week and the ash will reach the central part of the USA around nov. 4th. This will cause a slight reduction of daylight intensity, even though it is unnoticeable to the humans, whitetail deer will be effected and it will cause a hormonal change, and because of this slight increase in darkness does and bucks will love each other sooner! Sooner than what you ask? Exactly! And this is the truth, really.
From: Rambo
31-Oct-17
Sunday evening I saw the first branch antlered buck. After sundown he showed up . The night before I saw 2 bucks 1 @4:30 cross the road and another in the road at sundown. No does seen with these bucks.
From: smellofestrus
31-Oct-17
Hunted the last three mornings and man sucks, but every time I walk to my area to setup my tree stand I bump deer. This is the 3rd time. They're slowly on the move... I think I just need to setup a treestand next time, instead of carrying my climber around...
From: KYBourbon
31-Oct-17
Maybe try sneaking in and hunting from the ground.
Last week I was on Public and had 2 small bucks within 10 yards of me feeding on acorns. No blind, just tucked into some cedars.
From: smellofestrus
01-Nov-17
I've thought about that, but I got a few guys that were saying the deers might be cautious and spooked if they see a blind...
From: KYBourbon
01-Nov-17
I didn’t use a blind. I haven’t gotten mine out of the basement in 2 years. Don’t really care for it.
Just find some cover with a good backdrop. Blowdowns, cedar trees etc. Actually every deer I’ve taken from the ground has been without a blind.
From: Matte
02-Nov-17
Wow tonight will be awesome. To bad I'll be at Pheasants forever banquet. Working on my ground today deer were on their feet all day.
From: Kansasclipper
02-Nov-17
Saw about 20 deer tonite. 5 bucks with the biggest about 140 8 pt cruised by about 15 yds. Bucks are feeding and does are bunched up. Not much pre rut activity. Big bucks seem to be nocturnal still.
From: smellofestrus
07-Nov-17
Haven't seen any activity at my usual hunting grounds lately. Just one doe this past weekend.
From: Matte
07-Nov-17
Best Hunting has been this week. Checked cameras today and bucks on their feet at all times of the day.
From: smellofestrus
08-Nov-17
Would anyone Decoy during the rut? And if you did would you decoy a buck or a doe?
From: Brick
10-Nov-17
There's a nature park nearby that I frequent during my lunchbreaks. The deer were moving well at midday today including a decent buck.
From: smellofestrus
14-Nov-17
Hunted Friday, Saturday, and Monday.... Didn't see anything Friday, since it was duck opener southeast ks sounded like a war zone. Saturday saw one young buck in the morning and a shooter buck with a doe later that night. Monday saw one young in the morning and a buck following a doe and later that night.
From: Schimschim
14-Nov-17
Been hunting since the 4th, in the Ft. Riley area, had a bunch of rut activity on the 9th, 10th, and 11th. Since then little to no action. Sat all day today and saw one Doe 10 min before sunset. Was raining and warm most the day so I’m guessing that kept most the deer bedded down. Hope it gets better the next couple days. Are most you guys having luck early morning or afternoons?
From: Rambo
14-Nov-17
My best guess is that we are in lock down and in a few days the big boys will be back on their feet which happens each year. I sat on Sunday all day never saw a deer. Same spot the day before I had Tcams of 2 shooters 8Am and 2PM. Might happen might not in "Lockdown"
From: Brick
15-Nov-17
I often walk in a nature park in Wichita over my lunchbreaks. I don't ever see bucks there except this time of year. I often see does, but typically only hidden in cover. Yesterday, I saw 3 lone does and a lone fawn feeding out in the open at midday. I also watched a forkhorn for a good long time. He had one antler busted off. He pushed one doe around for a while, walked across a meadow to check out another doe, then shook some bushes with his single, little antler before cruising on to a different part of the park.
From: Itsabooner
15-Nov-17
Not much movement last 3 days in sek
From: HuntingHeadBones
15-Nov-17
Mature Bucks chasing does in Wilson Co for last 3 days.
From: smellofestrus
17-Nov-17
Not sure what is wrong with Neosho County, but haven't seen any big boys this year at all. Hunted this morning and only seen two young bucks moving in the morning.
From: smellofestrus
17-Nov-17
With that said 20mph wind and 40mph gust tomorrow, has anyone hunted in windy conditions?
From: liktobowhunt
17-Nov-17
Its goin on in southeast part
From: HuntingHeadBones
21-Nov-17
Still chasing in Wilson Co!
From: Rich
22-Nov-17
Was that one hurt or just decided to lie down on the pavement for a breather?
From: smellofestrus
27-Nov-17
Well decided to end my archery season. Hunted the last Wednesday to Saturday and I think the post rut is on. I'm still seeing bucks on the move, but I think after this week, they'll be gone into hiding with rifle season coming soon. I usually end my season as Thanksgiving comes in, so this is my first time archery hunting through thanksgiving and boy, I think I've seen bigger bucks this past weekend then the early season. Well onto to rifle hunting!
