Rut Report
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Heartshot
26-Oct-18
In order to reinforce my belief that the moon has nothing to do with the rut please report with state.
From: Big-Al
26-Oct-18
Front Range, Colorado, whitetails starting to chase and respond to light rattling.
From: Zbone
26-Oct-18
It's heating up here in NE Ohio, chasing began around October 22 - 23... Buck jumped through a office window on the the 24th, see thread...
Yesterday from guy on the OH forum - "Watched a nice 8pt mount a doe this morning in the CVNP, Brecksville."
From: APauls
26-Oct-18
Buddy heard some chasing two mornings ago, then called in a 100" buck using grunts and a can call. It was the buck doing the chasing so I am guessing she wasn't too receptive.
From: Whocares
26-Oct-18
Northern Minnesota. Rainy out, but kinda feel it in my neck....
From: Bowriter
26-Oct-18
Just about the same as it was last year, here. If it stays cold or gets colder than it is now, it is going to be great in about a week. Peak will be about Nov. 25.
From: NEIAbowhunter
26-Oct-18
Corn is really starting to come out here in Northern Iowa. These cool temps and the crops out will really fire things up. Two weeks ago I had a couple small bucks chasing already. Looking for peak chasing to be around the 10th of November per usual here.
From: Franklin
27-Oct-18
Smaller bucks are running hard in S.W Wisc.
From: MDcrazyman
27-Oct-18
in MD been seeking since 22 Oct, been seeing them piling up on roads too. should be hard this morning 27 after this 24 hour of rain blows through. Fingers crossed.
From: Highcountrystykbow
27-Oct-18
So Missouri the smaller guys are definitely starting to cruise..... been hunting steady the last 2 weeks and the last 2-3 days have seen several little guys cruising even at off times..... the big boys shouldn't be too far behind? Was hoping to catch as much of it here in the big woods but ultimately i'm leaving in a week for Nebraska only bc I love the muleys and wt both and the rut there with a little bigger deer..... where I hunt the muleys rut about when the wt do? Everyone always says they're later but over the last 15 years i've generally noticed they pretty much coincide..... can't wait! Happy hunting!
From: altitude sick
27-Oct-18
Bucks here have been shut down by the “Me Too” movement.
From: chesapeake born
27-Oct-18
Bucks are chasin in MD, started last week
From: Slate
27-Oct-18
Young ones chasing in NJ but, will miss the rut here. Heading to Kansas on the 30th.
From: ELKMAN
27-Oct-18
Montana is slow. Haven't really seen any rut activity what so ever
From: Hawkarcher
27-Oct-18
S central Iowa I’ve seen no chasing. Friends say they have sw iowa
From: LBshooter
27-Oct-18
It will be the same time as it always is, cold doesn't kick the rut on or off. It does increase daylight activity but has nothing to do with the timing. I always enjoy the forecast on rut, sort of like guys calling ages of deer on the hoof lol, To much tv watching going on out there, the rut is always the same time of year and the peak here in Illinois is always going to be around the 20th of November.
From: LBshooter
27-Oct-18
It will be the same time as it always is, cold doesn't kick the rut on or off. It does increase daylight activity but has nothing to do with the timing. I always enjoy the forecast on rut, sort of like guys calling ages of deer on the hoof lol, To much tv watching going on out there, the rut is always the same time of year and the peak here in Illinois is always going to be around the 20th of November.
From: Zbone
27-Oct-18
Guy over on the LeatherWall killed a buck chasing does on Thursday the 25th...
Peak here is always around November 11th, Veterans Day... Easy to remember that way...
From: LKH
27-Oct-18
About the 15th I started to see some chasing. Have seen one (plow the field) serious buck fight.
From: T Mac
27-Oct-18
I used to overthink the rut. Every year there’s a good chance of a hot doe, starting 10/20, around here and lasting through December. Peak is 11/1-15......same every year.
From: skull
27-Oct-18
My buddy in union county Iowa killed 180 last night
From: APauls
27-Oct-18
Was scouting last night saw 2 different 150+ bucks feeding in fields before dark. First of the year
From: pointingdogs
27-Oct-18
Haven't seen any chasing in northeast Iowa
From: carcus
27-Oct-18
Saw a scrape the other day
From: JL
27-Oct-18
NLP of MI. Private land is showing the bucks chasing the does and scraping heavy. Public has the smaller bucks ground sniffing the does. Been responding ok to a Doe-in-a-can. Pic is a little guy letting me take a pic of him from the stand when he walked under. Plus some choice vids from the last week or so.
Daytime buck.
Small guys
From: r-man
27-Oct-18
still going on here , In SC. saw a chase this morning . Saw 9 deer from stand . last movement at 10:45am . I could hear him grunting before I saw him. -*
From: Robear
27-Oct-18
Yep, photoperiod (length of daylight) is what triggers the does to come in heat. The wildlife biologists that I have talked with have done studies over the years here in Ohio where fetus measurements are taken from road killed does. They can tell the exact date the doe was bred. Year in and year out the very peak of doe breeding is the 10th of November. Sure there will be a few does that will come in a little early or a little late. Also ran into the big game manager for the state of Colorado during an elk hunt this past Sept and we were discussing the elk rut. He told me the same thing. The rut is triggered by the photperiod. It is the same every year.
From: Grubby
28-Oct-18
Saw some very good (for here) chase action last night. Lots of daytime pics from the last week. I’m in extreme northern Minnesota
From: PREZ
28-Oct-18
New Jersey.....Oct. 26 was crazy with little bucks chasing every does they could see. Full out chasing. None of the bigger bucks were sighted. Hunted the back end of the nor Easter on Oct 27 and only saw 1 doe. This coming week should be good.
From: Grubby
28-Oct-18
From: ELKMAN
29-Oct-18
Sounds like you guys are seeing more than me. I've got 7 cameras working with does going through semi daily, on four different places, and have only seen a handful of bucks period. Odd really
From: rattling_junkie
29-Oct-18
Manitoba....scrapes are now showing up every time I go out. Yesterday evening a 1.5 yr was interested in some does and grunting.
From: Big-Al
29-Oct-18
Chasing yesterday on the Front Range of Colorado. This guy is chasing no longer...
From: Zbone
29-Oct-18
Bucks are starting to cruise during daylight hours in my areas now...
From: Nimrod90
30-Oct-18
Indiana_ little bucks were chasing last week and were cruising late morning and following does . I killed a 135 inch 12 pt. in a mock scrape I made Saturday morning at 0735 with a 30 yd shot. After he ran off had another big 8 pt. get into my mock scrape and work it. Great time to be in the woods.
From: mattandersen
30-Oct-18
Started getting pics of mature bucks during daylight from about Oct 16th and on...
From: ELKMAN
30-Oct-18
Got 2 bucks on camera in the last 3 days. One of them appeared to be following
From: Genesis
30-Oct-18
My calendar says October Stuff is in full swing..Looking forward to November Stuff
From: Charlie Rehor
30-Oct-18
Seeing lone fawns and very few does. They are hiding from the dink bucks and/or first does are being breed, Bell curve has started
From: DanWesson357
30-Oct-18
PA- Saw a nice 8 point chasing does this morning on my way to work. BIG scrape on the path to my hunting spot this evening. Trail cam pic show smaller bucks are very active. Still not seeing the Big Boys.
From: Big-Al
30-Oct-18
Found 3 PY bucks tonight all alone... No chasing in the snow. My guess is tomorrow will be amazing.
From: Shawn
30-Oct-18
Just drove through Pa. Ohio,and most of Indiana and saw no dead deer along 80/90. It is the same as always, Young bucks getting worked up, bachelor groups broke up and the first does will come in about a week. The big bucks will be looking starting in a couple days. I say this hold true pretty much from NY to KS and will vary by a week at most! Shawn
From: ELKMAN
31-Oct-18
Seeing a little more activity now, like you guys are saying for the most part younger bucks. Is it normal for the does to hide this time of year?
From: Zbone
31-Oct-18
First road kill near the house was yesterday... Not a dead deer all summer or since last rut for that matter in that stretch of road until yesterday... I know that doesn't mean much, but road kills and vehicles/deer collisions stats mirror peak rut in my state...
From: ahunter55
31-Oct-18
Son & 4 friends/relatives in N.W. Ill. seeing few bucks but have taken 3 Does. Scrapes "just" starting to show up. Me, N.E. Iowa an hour from them seeing a few Does & no Bucks around. I did see one decent 8 "looking" around my timber at home 3 days ago. Few more days is my guess for our area. Last few years it seemed to get started around the 2nd & on. I'm heading out in a few for an afternoon sit in a stand I haven't been to this year. It's just nice being out there with no bugs & not freezing yet. Saw 10 Does down by that creek from 4 till 6pm Monday. 2 other 4 hour sits saw zero. See the one just under the branch?
From: Charlie Rehor
31-Oct-18
10/31/18 at 2:45 pm I have a Buck and Doe bedded in lock-down about 80 yards away. NW Illinois.
From: Rth1229
01-Nov-18
1PM CST 1/4 mile from my house. Cold front came through with some rain, temp down to low 50s getting em goin. Western KY
From: skull
01-Nov-18
Union county iowa Chasing really hard missed my opportunity this morning
From: Zbone
01-Nov-18
Dang Rth1229, that's a heck of a buck...
From: ELKMAN
02-Nov-18
Still slow here
From: SBH
02-Nov-18
Its starting in SW MT. Still slow, but its happening. Bigger bucks starting to show, ones we don't see until the rut. Had a 2 pt pushing a doe under my stand and hassling her last night. Anything can happen from this point forward. Good luck!
From: Scrappy
02-Nov-18
The rut has been canceled this year here in Iowa due to these horrible lite and switching winds.
From: Shawn
02-Nov-18
Been in NW Kansas 3 days. Very little action. Guy at Motel shot a nice 134" 8pt and he said it was chasing a doe with 4 other bucks. If you get lucky and get a doe that is a tad early the breeding is starting. Chasing should be good but not on my sits!! Shawn
From: Zbone
04-Nov-18
Just curious how many threads we gonna have on rut timing this year... See another one now started... Wish we could just keep it within one thread to simplify, but guess not... Will try to keep this one at top...
From: Bou'bound
04-Nov-18
We act like it changes annually or something
From: Zbone
05-Nov-18
Good point Bou'bound...
From: Lone Wolf
05-Nov-18
I watched a big 8 pt breed a doe on Nov 4 in the morning. Northeast Ohio
From: Zbone
06-Nov-18
High winds here in Ohio today, but rut is in high gear here... Watched a nice mature buck tending a doe this afternoon in the winds... First time this season seeing a mature buck during daylight hours... Winds don't affect the rut...
From: ELKMAN
08-Nov-18
They are rolling here now
From: Scrappy
08-Nov-18
There cruising here this morning.
From: Zbone
08-Nov-18
Yeah, it's peak here now, buck are cruising during daylight...
From: ELKMAN
10-Nov-18
Seeing the big ones but at night only... :-(
From: Zbone
12-Nov-18
Buck cruising around here...
From: carcus
13-Nov-18
The scrapes have gone dead for now, not seeing as much chasing, only seeing younger bucks, think the mature bucks are locked to does, and damn cold here in manitoba
From: lewis
13-Nov-18
Cranking up in Tn if only this rain would get out of here Lewis
From: Michael
13-Nov-18
Some bucks are cruising. Some are on lockdown and some are chasing on NW Kansas.
From: BigOzzie
13-Nov-18
FWP publishes every year that peak is Nov. 16th, in our district, If that is the case, they will need to hurry up, didn't see much rut activity this weekend. Limited daytime travel, not seeing scrapes yet. Therefore if peak is Friday, alot needs to happen between now and then.
oz
From: cord 62
13-Nov-18
3 days in Morgan Co. Ohio. Slow, saw one nice 8pt
From: Zbone
13-Nov-18
You guys call it locked down, I call it hooked up...8^)
From: APauls
13-Nov-18
Ozzie if peak rut is the 16tg then then from about the 12th-20th I’d expect it to be slow hunting. Peak rut means the time when most does are being bred. Most chasing happens when “bucks ready to breed vs does ready to breed” is tilted high towards bucks. As in all the bucks are looking but only a few does are taking. On Nov 16 you’ve got most does taking so bucks are all paired up and no reason to go looking.
From: Zbone
14-Nov-18
carcus 13-Nov-18 - "The scrapes have gone dead for now"
Yep carcus, right on time... Been taking notes of years and the date is usually the 13th or 14th...
From: Arrowhead
14-Nov-18
Well, I'm still seeing bucks in bachelor groups and sparring here in Alabama. I saw two fresh scrapes for the first time last week so they should be busting up their groups soon and start looking for does.
From: Zbone
14-Nov-18
Seen the biggest racked buck I've seen in couple years this evening with still 15 minutes of legal shooting light left... He was alone and on the move, cruising for a new lady... No shot opportunity, but my heart is still fluttering...8^)
From: Michael
14-Nov-18
Seen 2 different bucks as Zbone calls it “hooked up” today. This is in NW Kansas.
From: Scrappy
15-Nov-18
Lots of cruising two year old this morning.
From: Zbone
19-Nov-18
Rut seems to be dwindling down right on time here annually… Scrapes go stale around the 13th or 14, and daylight cruising seems to slow after about the 17th to 19th, or after the youth firearm season sends them back into their nocturnal mode… Sure there are still does to be bred, but the daylight cruising of mature bucks has slowed down or ceased in my area, when it seemed to peak last week or so… That daylight cruising only seems to last about a week to 10 days around here…
Two day statewide firearm youth season ended yesterday and due to miserable weather today took a road trip this evening during evening magic hour and watched a mature buck (nice buck) in cornfield stubble with a group of 5 does and another 5 does in the adjoining fields and he wasn’t a bit interested in them, nor were they of him… He wasn’t even sniffing around… They all now seemed in winter mode concentrating on food in cornfield stubble… Seen close to 20 deer this evening, and no running, no chasing, no rutting activity...
From: Michael
19-Nov-18
Friday, Saturday and Sunday I seen bucks of all ages cruising and or bumping does in South Dakota.
From: molsonarcher
19-Nov-18
Saturday saw 1 doe fawn and 1 half rack yearling buck. Sunday morning saw nothing. Sunday afternoon killed a broken 150” feeding. Cameras show does and fawns back together, and the bucks I had are no longer on cams multiple times a day. Mature bucks have gone nocturnal. I never saw any real chasing this season, and far less cruising bucks than years past.
From: Bou'bound
19-Nov-18
I seen two by road one with doe and one alone.
From: Hawkarcher
19-Nov-18
Rattled in a bunch of does Saturday.
From: Hawkarcher
19-Nov-18
This time they didn’t follow me into the timber so I thought I was good. Soon as I rattled they came running and wouldn’t leave. Like they were waiting for a speech. I climbed down and went to another stand. Where I saw nothing.
From: Hawkarcher
19-Nov-18
Sorry I mean I seen nothing.
From: Zbone
20-Nov-18
Things are really slow here now...
From: LKH
20-Nov-18
buck bred doe in front of the house 19 nov
From: Arrowhead
20-Nov-18
ALABAMA; Starting to lay scrapes and the young bucks are hopeful.
From: Zbone
22-Nov-18
Watched a decent buck feeding along couple groups of does yesterday, no signs of rutting activity... It's still slow here now, it's about done, if it's not it will be Monday when the blaze orange army attacks... I'm rooting for the deer...8^)
From: Bou'bound
22-Nov-18
I seen none today here.
From: Zbone
30-Nov-18
Bowsiter Ty has a trail cam photo of a BIG buck he killed cruising during daylight on Nov 15th and 18th... Congrats to Ty...
From: Zbone
10-Dec-18
I believe this doe fawn was mounted last night or sometime very recent... She was alone this morning without her mother and twin button buck is another indication... Notice tread marks on her back...
From: Zbone
10-Dec-18
From: ROUGHCOUNTRY
11-Dec-18
Face it, it's over except further south. It was a great rut while it lasted and if you missed out then you'll have to dream about it until next November........sorry:)
From: GhostBird
11-Dec-18
Rut is in full swing here in north Alabama/south Tennessee. Lots of chasing this past week.
From: Zbone
11-Dec-18
Took a road trip this evening trying to get a deer count of survivors of the blaze orange army, and watched a buck enter a corn stubble field and head directly to the only other buck in the field and they lower their heads and locked horns... It didn't turn into an all out braw, but got more serious than a little sparring...
From: Buffalo1
11-Dec-18
The chase is happening from the northern state line to I-20 in MS.
From: Zbone
16-Jan-19
Since muzzleloader our last statewide firearm season ended the other day, took another road trip this evening trying to get a deer count of survivors and watched a buck cruise across a corn stubble field like he had a place to go with a purpose... Acted like it was November and he was on the move...
He was the only deer I seen all evening and I traveled some ground...
From: Franzen
17-Jan-19
Had a small buck chasing a doe out in front of me over the weekend here in IL. Where are the FL guys with the current updates?
