Contributors to this thread:
Would like to start a new thread that is more informational and topic specific concerning just rut observations as we are approaching the best time of the year. Not posts that start out with; woke up late, bad alarm clock, so had to call my brother, since I forgot my release, boss called me in early, etc. You know, irrelevant stuff that nobody cares about. Looking for posts like; noticed 1st signs of chasing (or no chasing yet), seeing mature bucks around does while shining, or noticed a lot grunting in the woods. Topic specific that can be helpful knowledge.
Just had a nice 8pt 2.5 year old come through checking scrapes. He was on a mission to keep heading down the line.
Light rain here just had a decent 8pt about 17” inside sneak in on me. Heard the grunting before saw I him.
Light rain here just had a decent 8pt about 17” inside sneak in on me. Heard the grunting before saw I him.
Light rain here just had a decent 8pt about 17” inside sneak in on me. Heard the grunting before saw I him.
Racine co, does still with fawns. Young bucks are moving a bit more but I haven’t seen any chasing.
Just had a 1.5 year old buck chase a doe by me. Not harassing, but full out chasing. Grunting the whole time. She had a buck fawn with her, but he just watched as the other 2 ran circles through the woods. About an hour before that I caught a glimpse of at least a 2.5 year old following an unidentified deer. He wasn't chasing, but I assume the other deer was a doe. Another guy saw a 2.5 year old check scrapes along a corn field edge last night.
Mature bucks just started to show up on cams, still 99% at night. Starting to see bucks of all sizes with does while shining. Not chasing or harassing, just around them.
Should include the County in the report also.
Lincoln County, Doe are going unmolested at this point. Any buck activity still seems to be at night by my trail cameras. Have not witnessed any chasing yet.
Grant Co. Things are stagnant. Yesterday was my first time out this year. Didn’t see a single deer. Very little sign also. Should heat up by next weekend...I hope!
I haven't got out for a day & a half but I did see that a Buck worked my fake scrape so I put a cam near it. This a.m. I had 2 does followed by a Buck & then another doe. Kind of funny that the last doe looked a bit wore out but the others didn't. I think the Buck was just following & hoping something would happen soon.
Scrapes opening up a lot in northern Sawyer County. Some reports of buck pestering does.
Shooters moving at night. Seem to be on the feed bag yet. Doe's still with fawns. Northern Marathon Co
Quiet here. The neighbor was out rattling though.
(Ozaukee)
Big six on camera before light this am, son kicked him up going in. Spike tonight and I kicked up something going in at 2:00 this afternoon. A few new scrapes since Tuesday. Still pretty slow here in Marinette Co.
Wife's cousin shot a big old 10 tonight chasing
Had a big bodied deer opening a scrape about 20min before dark. Lack of light when he finally got close enough to see. Fawns still with does. Had one young buck harassing a doe but she wanted nothing of it. Manitowoc/ sheboygan county
Chief was that in Pierce?
Get ready! This post happens every year, but just like clockwork, it happens on cool days, and often at low light, either in the morning or evening.
Remember the most important thing. Does need to be bred at a time that allows their fawns to survive the spring. It happens every year, roughly at the same time, it simply takes one hot doe in your neck of the woods to make you think the rut is on. I've seen two does already that I know were in estrous. I only hope to catch a couple more, that happen to attract a more mature deer that ordinarily sleeps all day, and moves at night, to make a mistake during shooting hours. On average, you get at least half a chance at this, provided you haven't burnt up your woods, or you're lucky enough to hunt often, and tread lightly!
Yeah rut just outside of martell in Gilman
"Yeah rut just outside of martell in Gilman"
Sweet. That is a great area.
Has been slow in central WI. Will be back Thursday-Monday. Wednesday is a high of 52 dropping down to 30 Thursday morning, and then continued low 40's upper 20's at night for the weekend. Might be the cold weather we need to get them going.
Southern Rock County Young Bucks harassing the Does. 130" - 140" class 8 point tailing several Does in the picked corn field roughly 15 minutes of legal shooting left, passed him up to see what the next several days brings.
1st signs of smaller bucks following does, some chasing, mature bucks still laying low, only night movement. Still overall calm before the storm here in sheboygan county.
Slow in Adams County this afternoon. 1 1/2 year old buck came into the food plot around 5:00. That was it!
2 small spike bucks chasing doe, with more grunting bucks yet out of sight. Steady movement from 4:00 on.
Southern Adams county: heard lots of running around tonight. Maybe it has finally started
At 5:50 pm I stop at a big Hay field . Break out the bino's & count 29 Deer . 5 Bucks that I can see some antler . 2 mature bucks .
Every Deer had its nose in the hay . What the heck ??? Lincoln county .
With little chance of rain, it rained for 2 hours! Didn't see anything, but the cam showed 2 mature bucks yesterday at 9am and 3:30.
Waupaca county. Sat 2.5 hours tonight, 7 deer total. Saw 2 different chases, one small buck and one decent buck. I couldn't have stopped them if I wanted to. Both bucks grunting non stop while chasing. Both ran the same trail minutes apart maybe 30 yards from me. Very cool to watch. Wish I would have had my phone handy to record but I'm trying not to. Missed an opportunity last year on a nice buck because I was filming a buck that I had been seeing quite often that had a broken leg. Get out there!
Kat, itching to get out to Waupaca county. Will be headed that way on Thursday morning.
Have seen some chasing and heard grunting now for over a week in Richland county. Earlier it was the younger guys but bigger ones on the move since last Thursday.
Still slow in sheboygan county. Small bucks doing their typical behavior thinking does are ready. Big bucks still laying low but moving a little more frequently at night according to trail cams. New bucks never seen before also showing up on cams. So it's starting, but slow start.
Unbelievably slow here in Marinette county. Everyone I talk with is saying the same. Sooner or later things will pick up. Usually after the 5th it picks up for me, but with the warm weather how knows. Gotta to be soon based on previous years. Good luck all.
Saw a big buck chasing a doe in Dunn Co today. Sadly, it was from my living room window.
Saw a big buck chasing a doe in Dunn Co today. Sadly, it was from my living room window.
Shooters on trail cam in daylight but not chasing that I have seen
Big boys running at night from reports, I have not seen much of any chasing in eau claire or Clark county, odd.
4 small bucks walking around carelessly and grunting tonight. Had another deer stalk me as if I were a doe on the walk out. Wondering when the more mature bucks will start acting similarly.
Passed a 1.5 year old fork, a 2.5 eight, and a 3.5? large bodied wierd racked buck today. None of them acting rutty. They were on bed to food patterns. But they were in a spot that I usually see does. Pulled a cam card on the way out. Some good bucks on it, but nothing great. Nothing over 3.5, but that's not a deal breaker for me. A few of them were active in daylight the last few days.
My son Zac had a buddy that longbowed a large double beam buck today in Iowa Co.
Sheboygan County......Saw a 2.5 yr old about 50 yards off a county road thrashing a small tree between 2 corn fields at approximately 3:30PM yesterday while I was driving. No doe were visible.
Had some chasing yesterday in Dunn County. 2.5 year old chasing does and a few smaller bucks cruising around. Activity until about 10:30 am. Lots of activity (saw over 20 deer). Big ones one camera in past week moving just before daylight
I don't know here in Lincoln Cty. Seen a buck harassing a doe last night but I still have doe's traveling with this years fawns yet. I have one of those scent drippers out. Been there almost two weeks and nothing. Kicked open another one yesterday and sprayed some Wags Intruder Buck in it and I have tracks in that one after one night.
Does traveling with fawns is normal throughout the rut. They only chase away the fawn for the few days they are in heat and they don't all come into heat at once. I've seen a lot of small bucks out in the middle of fields in the daylight while driving the last couple of days. All 1st year bucks though. Have not seen a lot of movement from bigger bucks yet. I think that will change in the next couple of days.
been strange the 1 "shootable" buck i saw was walking to my stand monday and he was guarding a doe(watched him chase away a 6 pointer)....all the little buck i continue to see are more interested in eating and dont act like their's anything else going on
Lot of scrapes not freshened in Clark county. ITS REALLY LOUD IN THE WOODS!!!!
Scrapes not worked and everything after dark. They look ready just need some daylight. Southern Lincoln Co
Saw 5 doe and 3 bucks today. Nubber, 4 point, and small 8. The 4 and 8 were chasing does round and round. It was good to see and hear the grunting. My son shot a dandy 10 pointer on the 19th of October within 100 yards of this stand. His was a 20 inch inside spread. Its only gonna get better.
No movement in southern Eau Claire Co. Sat from 1pm to quitting time Tues & today with only hearing 1 deer(?) walking behind some thick brush. Haven't seen a deer while driving to & from stand yet. Dang sunshine really warmed things up today.
Saw half dozen young bucks freshly killed along I94 in Jefferson and Waukesha today.
The kids are chasing tail!
Southern Adams county, bucks chasing does today. About time!
Western Racine co I just watched two nice bucks fight across the street from my job site. It’s getting going. 9:30 am.
Milwaukee to Johnson creek. At least 75 deer in the fields during the time it took to drive that short distance. I’ve never in my life seen that many deer in that amount of time.
Iowa County, today saw 2 large bodied deer along a highway with their heads sawed off.
I saw chasing today while helping my kid move into Eau Claire all day today, then a birthday party at 4, arggggg. I also have to add, If I ever have to take another job before I retire hopefully in 5 1/2 years, I am going to negotiate for all November off. I cannot take just having a week anymore.
All I saw this afternoon sit was a large (huge) doe with three fawns filter past me just before last light...
Hunted the 2nd and 3rd and passed a few smaller bucks cruising through and last light saw a nice 10 that I would’ve shot had he been 5-10 yards closer. Saw a solo doe also but didn’t see much of rutting activity. Will be back up next Wednesday (west central Adams)
Jackson co. Public land. My boy saw a bruiser out cruising at first light. One other cruiser. Both Saturday. One lone doe with no followers sat evening.
8 freaking anterless deer and not a horn around!! I hope they drank a lot of today's rain water and at least piss all over my woods. Marathon Co
Hunted Public Land Jackson County 10/31-11/4, deer movement really picked up this weekend. Mature bucks showing during shooting hours on the cams. 11/2 bud saw nine deer during morning sit, bucks harassing does all day. 11/3 son had small 8pt working scrape under his stand, I had doe being harassed by 8pt at 8 am - 11am shot the largest deer of my life. Buck was checking a large scrape line, 20yd broadside/slightest quartering to angle. Left right looked very good, but thought I might be just a bit low (really thought I might have heart punched him). 12pm got out of my tree and looked for arrow - pass through, no guts on shaft or broad head. Back out, got my son and hunting partner started tracking at 1pm. Blood w/ bubbles in it right away but I also felt blood was pretty dark. Lots of blood for the first 200yds (softball size patches), then just steady trail of blood for another 200yds. Never bumped the deer, deer never laid down? Lost the trail at 4:30pm - called in blood tracking dog, dog got there at 6:00 pm and so did the rain! Started track, from last blood, dog found blood several times for another 200-300yds and by then the rain was really coming down at 10pm we called off the search as dog didn't seem to get on anymore blood and none could be found. Never found a bed and never found the deer - just sick to my stomach. I'm thinking clipped on lung and maybe liver - just can't believe the deer never laid down??? I know he's dead, will give another look starting Friday, tuff, tuff animals! Get out there as movement really seemed to take off this weekend!!!
Biggest buck of your life--I'd have to take off work and look 1 more day. Hope you find him.
I sat in the rain from 12-5 today. Saw 2 small bucks. I'm after a nice 10pt, hope to see him this week. It's on fellas
Major chasing yesterday. Saw 13 bucks 6 does. Passed on 4 that were 3 1/2 yr olds. Finally!!! It was the worst year until now. Pierce county
Major chasing yesterday. Saw 13 bucks 6 does. Passed on 4 that were 3 1/2 yr olds. Finally!!! It was the worst year until now. Pierce county
Out this morning, waukesha area, one doe came in and bedded near my stand about 30 min later another doe came in with a big buck on her tail. Never came close enough for a shot but they are chasing!
Out this morning, waukesha area, one doe came in and bedded near my stand about 30 min later another doe came in with a big buck on her tail. Never came close enough for a shot but they are chasing!
Chasing a lot today. Midday I saw a 2.5-year-old moving about looking for a hot doe. This evening just after dark I pulled into my driveway, stopped to check the mail and a basket 8 was standing there with a doe about ten yards away. They barely walked into the woods as I got out and stayed there until I drove up to the garage.
Rain and snow forecast for a few days. My next hunt day is Friday, my Birthday. I hope to sit all day.
Slow today in Richland Cty this evening…..small buck pushing a doe....no intensity.
Eastern Racine co. My camera shows my local doe still with her 2 fawns as of yesterday morning but my little fella has definitely been out seeking for longer periods of time. My area will be nuts once my doe goes into estrus.
Sat over my lunch yesterday as I had a free 3 hours. Didn't see anything, but I like the strategy.
Some standing Ag fields giving me some trouble, but still think I should see some chasing activity during this weeks cold snap.
Checked a camera this morning. Had some late night movement with the big boys recently, and a 3 1/2 yr old 8 point at 9:30 this morning. The first sign of daytime bucks cruising at this stand. Have the day off tomorrow. All day sit planned.
Action during the day. I hope he makes it another year though.