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Rut late this year?

So I’ve spent a lot of time in the stand this year in Z10, and I haven’t seen any sign of the rut yet even as of yesterday. My guess is that this cold snap will kick it off. Are you guys seeing more scrapes or bucks responding to calls?

I hadn't seen anything until yesterday... my spots were / are dead... but a pile of nice bucks got shot out this way yesterday. All were rutting good.

Rut is on like donkey Kong

It feels weird to me. It seems hyperlocalized this year. You will get 5 guys seeing deer going nuts and 5 guys who cant even find a scrape or a rub to indicate that bucks are around. Not a lot of in between.

Im on the other side of the state, but its been on here. Rubs, scrapes, daytime pics, and 2 large bucks over a mile away from their usual home range.

As my very experienced buddy from PA says; "the rut is where the rut is". I've had seasons where I had zero rut action and seasons when they're running with their chokes out. The buck I killed yesterday came in with his tongue hanging out like a german shepard and I could smell the musk from forty yards away. I've sat other recent stands where I only had squirrels. Timing is everything, be in the woods much as possible in Nov.

Zn11 Taunton/Norton no sign of it anyone else in my area seeing anything looks like rut

X2 with Ungie. There was a good amount of rack bucks seen and shot here in Western Mass on Monday. All up and moving all day.

This year is one of those trickel ruts a little at a time some weeks all kinds of sign others like there gone hang in there short spurts if rut

was out Monday morning southern zone 9. didn't see them but heard deer running and a buck grunting.

was out Monday morning southern zone 9. didn't see them but heard deer running and a buck grunting.

was out Monday morning southern zone 9. didn't see them but heard deer running and a buck grunting.

was out Monday morning southern zone 9. didn't see them but heard deer running and a buck grunting.

Monday, finally seeing Buck following Does,,, Off in the distance of course.

I was saying not rutting early last week, but since Sunday I have seen 3 bucks chasing does in our fields, and a bunch of new rubs. So I would say it’s on in 4s.

This guy showed this morning at the NY Camp. To bad I’m 350 miles away

BC is spot on. You want rut you have to be where the bucks and hot does are. It can be very frustrating when guys are reporting great activity on this page but you are getting blanked. I have had years where I have seen zero bucks during the rut and some years when I see many and I'm hunting the same property for a good 15 years. This year so far I've seen squat. Can't even find a scrape in areas that have them every year.

Senior I'm with you. Rehoboth, Norton, Mansfield - I'm not seeing a lot of action. Although there are plenty of deer getting hit by cars from what I hear.

I saw a frantic chase with one buck two does in holliston and a calm pursuit in sherborn. They seem to be around and excited but I haven’t had one near my stand yet.

Sometimes the hot spot has moved. Take a Sunday walk into new spots and look around.

A few days ago I was walking the dogs and found some local sign. Trees shredded ... I went a little further and off ran a giant doe. (I mean Pony size) I also know of the location of a few other Does and when / where they move out of that area. Click!

So why am I hunting the other place? Full stop. Change plans ... Gotta run.

Last night driving I saw a does crossing the road at different locations. That’s a good sign.

'Roller-coaster' weather will alter activity patterns. Cold is good for daytime' hunting, warm will drive the activity to after-dark.

Before or after a heavy rain is really good. Rained most of the day yesterday. At 4:30 I was driving up a side road and looked over, there was a 6 point on the edge of a clearing just staring back at me. Nose in the air, he was on the prowl for company.

If they're predicting rain, get out there. As soon as the rain stops, get out there. Bleeping cold, get out there. Warm, hunt early or late.

You've heard the expression that 'deer live on edges' . Usually said in reference to habitat, but the edges between weather systems are also important. After deer have been hunkered down during heavy rain, or during a too-warm spell, they're eager to move and feed, and breed.

Lots of does hanging out together laying in fields last night saw one group w 9

I used to have this honey hole in northern Virginia wedged between a golf course and a 30 acre floodplain that buffered a condo complex. Bird feeders and fancy gardens kept the doe around. Some sits there would be 40 doe pouring through a 2 acre draw. The Rut was like going to the movies. Little 6 and 8 point bucks would wrestle and fight and then a monster 12 or 14 would come and scatter them. Never had to wonder if the the rut was on. Aaah the good old days.

Major activity timing: Illinois /Ohio then Western Ma/NY then central Ma then 495beltway then down Connecticut and the South shore of Ma and onto the Cape beyond the Taunton on an S/E line. Every year... same Bat time same Bat channel. It may shift locations locally and some minor variations in each area but generally, it's the same pattern. Warm weather makes nighttime breeding more comfortable. But it will happen according to daylight and accompanying hormone triggers, not cold or Voodo.

Checked and pulled cameras just now. 12th and 13th holy chasing , 13th between 1145am and 1215pm 3 different bucks at 3 opposite ends of the property chasing does, I couldn't believe it.

Right on time. breeding around the 17th. Just as the wildlife biologist said. We are next on the coast.

I have had chasing start November the 1st on my first kill, right on threw to Veterans day my second kill and still seeing chasing. The rut started early this year in my opinion. But I'm just baked B&M.

Rut is a big word for only 3 letters. It includes a lot of behavior for a long time. Actual Breeding, however, is most often a small window ( locally ) according to the wildlife biologists. On our piece of the rock, it is roughly the 17th of November and the action just before it is the real deal before the big bang. Chasing that leads to breeding/ conception.

Some early and some late breeding happens but it is a small percentage of the norm.

Will bucks chase a doe that is not ready? yes. is that the rut as we think of it? it is for the buck at least and most say it is all part of the "rut". Many factors come into play that determine what we see and how we interpret it. But actual breeding time is deducted by fetus aging when available. That is factual.

Hey guys I’m new on here but I haven’t scene shit in the past two weeks and my spot is absolutely hammered tons of scraps and rubs I have some nighttime pics of some studs but haven’t scene any chasing /seeking and I also haven’t been able to call them at all yet and as I already read yes there is a few reports around town but who knows I guess just can’t give up

Ma ridge- Hang in there. Eventually, the big boys will be done with the big girls and they will be looking for a younger model.

I believe if both mature Bucks and Does survive the previous year ( they know each other ) they are locked onto each other during the earliest breeding. The sure thing. But when that romance is over ( as soon as he can say I have an early meeting) he is off for the next available recipient. So stay out there ... He ain't done by a long shot.

We all hunt from sunup to sundown. I will go on record and say 75% of actual breeding happens on the night shift. Also check your moon chart. the 17th is not chiseled in stone.

I think you're right on, PI. I don't know about you, but I see way more doe's than bucks.....they've got a lot of "work" to do.

Massrudgerunners

Have you got any recent pics of that deer. Judging by your timeframe he would be either 9-10 or older

I watched a buck breed a doe in the middle of Topsfield on Friday at 12 noon on my way home from work. The rut is definitely on.

Mass, not sure if this helps but I followed my bucks tracks today in the snow for hours to see what he was doing. A couple interesting notes is that their were a few spots he went through where it was impossible for a shot like real thick crap, side of a steep ridge where I almost slipped and killed myself, or where you would have been winded no matter what. BUT one interesting thing is that their were TWO spots where he followed the path he took two days in a row. He is very killable at these two locations one was on a ridge where he walked the middle and it’s on 40-50 yards wide and the other amazingly was he walked down a walking path for like 50 yards as he almost had no choice. This path I see rubs and scrapes on every single year right where he walks and I just never sat it. Lucky for me their is a beauty of a hemlock next to it! I learned a ton following this guy around and call me crazy but I think I saw him four years ago as a small six. My point is next snow follow him around as you will learn a ton about what he does.

We got snow like two days ago and it’s still on the ground I hunted Saturday afternoon and there were tons of tracks including his I believe he is just super smart last year when I got that pic he was there in the light in the morning at 645 I think it was and that was the only day I couldn’t get out

Ma ridge. Just a creature of successful habits. They are dumb as a stone. Find him and kill him.

"creature of successful habits" Well put Pi.

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