Rut Report 2021
Whitetail Deer
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What's going on out there? Be in a tree a week from today. Almost November!
Does are still out and about eating. Bucks are starting to cruise with noses to the ground and scrapes are abundant. Soon, very soon!!
I have yet to see any cruising or chasing. I can only think of one archery season since the 80's that has been this low on deer sightings and activity.
Haven’t seen any chasing here in Iowa, yet. Should fire up any day, though. Smaller bucks cruising some.
WNY, young bucks making scrapes and sniffing trails... I believe November 6 is looking really good around here.
Starting to chase here in Tennessee even some big boys are moving around good luck Lewis
Last night I was still seeing bachelor groups. Saw 4 bucks together and a couple does came thru after them.
Around my place in Colorado, this is the time of year that buck bachelor groups disperse and they seem to vanish. Then they return and join the doe groups in about a week or two. A 10 day rifle hunt, that starts today, probably has a lot to do with that.
Matt
Saw a mature 8 pointer with a doe locked down in a standing bean field Thursday
Back home in the Poconos I saw a buck cruising for does last Sunday at 2:30. At 5 I saw the same buck come thru the same spot chasing 4 doe on the dead run.
Yesterday I was watching a doe and 2 yearlings the last 20 min and just before dark a buck came running in and chased her out of sight- too dark to see how big.
This morning I heard a buck chase a doe into my treestand well before first light. No less than 15 grunts in about 3-4 min then they circled around my stand(based on the direction of grunts) and headed over to my buddy 150y away. He said it was a Y buck and doe. About an hour later he saw a small 6 chase a doe past his stand grunting the whole way.
Another buddy 200y the other way saw a big bodied buck on the other side of a field chasing a doe.(too far to see the rack) This property is in Western Pa about 90 min north of Pittsburgh.
I would say this coming week should be great! Hopefully the BIG BOYS start cruising!
Seeing lots of scraping activity
bowhunter09, what part of Illinois?
Had a crusher come to the decoy 2 nights ago I didn’t do my part.
I'm in central Montana. Have about 30-40 whitetail deer in the field in front of the house each night (200-500 yards away). I have seen zero activity. The big bucks are mostly absent but that started in early October.
About 50 miles east of here I saw a 4x4 muley tending a doe. She was bedded and when I approached they moved off slowly. You could tell by here roughed up hair that he had been mounting here. That was a week ago.
I saw a 2 point out cruising this morning. He still had a milk mustache so he may have just been looking for his mommy.
The nine point on the left was in a bachelor group of 5 , 3 days ago but was messing with does yesterday evening.
I think this is the most early rut-related activity I have ever seen. Even bigger bucks have shown interest, which in my experience doesn't happen much in October. I've seen bucks chasing for two weeks here.
Usually dont see these guys (Illinois/2 days ago), out in middle of day. This guy was crossing the road in front of my house - sniffing around and shredding some trees.
Bucks started chases does last week. I have couple nice bucks ran to my tree stand when I rattle antlers. I had a 170 inches come close 30 yards but a doe smell me then I couldn’t make a shot. I recorded a buck has a very loud grunted I have ever heard when he was chasing does. https://youtube.com/shorts/khuBl_Q-_j0?feature=share
https://youtube.com/shorts/khuBl_Q-_j0?feature=share
Lovehunt11 's Link
Nice video Don... we are at peak as far as foliage, still so green by you.
This guy was chasing this doe around this morning in CO.
Awesome stuff! Won't be able to focus at work this week. Good luck to all of you out huntin!
Crazy Halloween had a bear in a trap while tracking this guy shows following a doe paid no attention to us luckily the bear pulled out Good luck Lewis
This guy came sneaking in minutes after rattling yesterday
Worst time of year to be tagged out. Went out to fill a doe tag yesterday morning and saw a buck chasing a doe in Manitoba. Filled the doe tag.
On my annual hunting trip in SE Illinois. Seeing good rut activity. Seeing nice bucks pushing does. Things are heating up.
A friend of mine shot a good buck yesterday morning that came in grunting while he had 3 dies around him.
He seen another good buck come into a field this morning checking the does out and making scrapes on the field edge.
This was all in SE Nebraska.
Hot doe with bucks going crazy in Indiana this morning.
Watched a big mature buck tending a doe at 4:50 PM this afternoon, hours before dark... It's on...
Saw a Buck at3:00 pm on a shoulder of 8 lane Hwy between chicago and milwaukee mouth open tounge hanging
South central Iowa have seen one small buck and two mature bucks chasing and grunting. One stood watching a doe for a half hour downwind of me. He must have no sense of smell from the ‘Rona