3rd week of November
Whitetail Deer
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This if my first time taking off work, for the 3rd week of November to bow hunt. Usually I take the first 2 weeks off, this year I decided weeks 2 and 3 instead...who has some great memories from that 3rd week? In the past, has rut been full swing still for you? Or has things started to calm down, but now is the time you will catch the out of towner’s cruising your area?
Slowed down here in Idaho big time. 2nd week was nuts.
I much prefer the 1st two weeks but have seen some real slammers the latter part of Nov.
Saw a fawn yesterday with faded spots. Last years rut was in wide range for sure.
Sit midday. My cameras are showing all my mature bucks moving from 11am to 1pm. This pattern has held up through the years for me. Seems like as the rut wears on those big boys get antsy middle of the day.
Here it is always full swing the 3rd week. If you have the right does in your area, you will see bucks and lots of them. But, that is rarely the case. So, between the does you have in heat, and the alone bucks cruising, it is usually a bomber week.
third week is great in MD but that may be the doe to buck ratio is insane so the first few weeks there isn't much competition.
I think for big bucks the 3rd week can be very good. Coming out of lockdown where I hunt right about now and the big guys are looking again. As far as buck sightings and a lot of chasing the 4th of Nov to around the 10th was nuts around here. I killed a pretty good 4.5 year old Nov. 7th. Shawn
Not sure what you mean by third week exactly but I tend to think of Nov in these time frames |1-5 very good| 5-11 Outstanding | 12-20 mediocre | 20-25 Good |25-30 very very good. Of course each day isn't a cut-off and it only takes one hot doe at any time to make it the best 10 minutes of your life. But in generalities those are how I feel about the time frame. I will say this; I have seen more gagger like true giants at the tail end of November than any other time of year.
Hunted a place in Saskatchewan for a couple years where we rented a house from a local farmer that hunted and he generally only started getting serious around the 25th of November. i remember him saying "Oh ya it seems like they're just staaaarting to rut as we got there about that time. It was Saskatchewan, but man the heaps of bone he had...just piles of racks in the "discard pile around 150"ers sheesh.
I once watched a Boone and Crockett slip through the timber at 40 yards with 7 does in tow like groupies at a Tim McGraw concert, around nov 7, which goes along with my theory. I do believe that most giant bucks have all their resident does that submit to them because of their superior age class and genetics. Once all the groupies are bread, they move on and start prowling looking for open does closer to nov 20 and onwards. I know lots of giants are shot pre rut, but like anything whitetails, just a general pattern I’ve noticed
I agree with APauls time frame assessment. I personally LOVE later November, as I believe a lot of the older age class bucks are on their feet looking for that last doe.
I have a friend who has 6 years Trail Cam Data and he sees the most daytime movement of a Mature Buck’s between November 18th to the 27th. The best dates according to his Data are the 21st and 22nd.
We both agree that with fewer does in heat the Mature Bucks know it will be over soon and they sort of panic. They have to work harder to find a doe to breed. I can say that over the last 25 years I have had my best opportunity at a Giant buck around Thanksgiving.
I’m hunting Friday and Saturday and I’m confident I will have a shot at a Mature buck.
this year-N.E. Ia Nov. 16th, 2 Large Bucks, Nose to ground. 1 9am 1, 3pm. Nov 17th this guy chasing 4 Does at 8:30 am. Last night, same Buck, after dark next to my house cleaning out my bird feeders 10 feet from my Deck door. I looked back on some photos I had of large Bucks that were dated. Most for our area was from 15th thru 23rd of Nov chasing. My son, 1 hour away is seeing his most activity the 2nd week of Nov.
Nov 20th 2017. Preparing for battle. 70 yards from me.