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Early Rut

Haha you know i had to start this today.

I have been waiting for it!!!!!!!!!

Starting to see rubs here by Fort Riley. Few small scrapes but haven’t seen any chasing.

Starting to see rubs here by Fort Riley. Few small scrapes but haven’t seen any chasing.

Heard there was a red moon (whatever that means) in the last few days and that the deer were rutting and getting hit all over the roads.

I saw four dead muley fawns on the road yesterday, but I'm in Utah

I have been seeing some pre-rut activity in southcentral. Small parties of bucks (2) and some single bucks following from a distance. I think this weekend (Halloween) will be the start of the party. Thoughts? Temps are looking good for next week so I am getting excited for sure!

Since 1965 the start of the Kansas rut will occur a day or 2 before Halloween. Same as every year.

What changed in 1965? Or was that the first year there was 2 deer in kansas?Really isn't it prerut and then when bucks are actively breeding rut?

Really the rut timing depends on many things on a micro basis depending on herd dynamics, weather, stuff and things... but the phases prolly start within a few days of each other every year...

The first season in Kansas was 1965. So since then, people have claimed that "this year was an early rut". Nonsense. It happens the same time every year. Deer will be actively breeding any day now. I have seen many mature bucks locked down with does on Halloween. Probably why the Drury's call it "Magical Halloween". The peak will occur mid November. The best time to kill a big one is right after the peak. That's how it was in 1965, how it is now, and how it probably always will be.

I’ve always thought it’s the length of daylight that triggers the rut. And weather impacts the intensity and how much rutting occurs during the night and day.

The rut takes place the same time every year. The activity you see is influenced by weather, hunting pressure, habitat, and the preferred food sources available. Peak breading in Kansas takes place between Nov 11th - Nov 14th. The rest falls in line with those dates. A bucks testosterone peaks on October 31st (give or take a few days). Facts are facts... but hey, if a person thinks otherwise and hunts accordingly and has success...stick to what works and don’t worry about data or hearsay. Good luck to everyone this November. I think we can mostly agree it’s the BEST MONTH.

It cannot logically start on the same dates every year for the entire state of KS...sorry, but that's not possible.

I have lived in the NW corner, SE corner, and in between and the rut starts about the same time every year. I have seen no difference across the state.

Depends on personal opinion of what thw rut is. Is it Scrape and rub lines getting checked everyday? Bucks dogging does constantly? Is the rut the inevitable lockdown where one guy goes days with no deer but the hunter two miles over just had the best sit of their life?

When deer start working rubs and scrapes daily, sparring daily, necks swollen, lips a curling, yearling does afraid for their lives I call that the rut. By the way went and spent the day with a Rancher in Attica today. Not one deer out in broad daylight and we traveled half of Harper Co setting out round bales for the cattle. Maybe the rut is a little late down south.

I watched a mature buck grunting, head down, following a group of does, and then chasing one down at full speed on Oct 17th. Reckon he didn't get the memo.

Not worth arguing about, it can happen at different times on different properties within miles of each other...seen it.

All about being at the right place at the right time...

Hoping my strategies lean things in my favor. Great weather here in NE Kansas to set up a good sit Saturday morning just off directly down wind of a particular buck bedding area.

LOOKING FORWARD TO IT TO SAY THE LEAST.

With our season lasting half of the year, you could see anything at anytime.

The season is a bit long, I agree...and Xguns should have their own season, it's called rifle season.

Only 7 months that you can't legally shoot a deer. Ridiculous! What other hunting season is that long? Anything to make money at any cost, is the motto of the KDWP.

I would agree 100% with Sito. Rut behavior can literally vary from deer to the next or one property to the next. Guys that loudly proclaim 'Lockdown' is to blame, or this or that, either have little experience in the woods, or need to get off their azz whilst camping over a corn pile. I think that snow we had last October did speed up movement. I was hunting mulies in Idaho in 70 degree weather while I watched Facebook back home pile up with dead bucks during that cold snap.

Agree with the X-bow “comment”. I’ve said in the past if an individual has issues shooting a bow because of physical limitations this should be an exception (hope I’m fortunate enough to be hunting when I’m in this group), now reading the regulations where draw locks are legal, I feel that should be the “option” as a gun is a gun is a gun. With a draw lock it would still involve shooting form and consistency vs looking through a scope. I do currently have shoulder issues so the bow is at 47# which is more than enough to efficiently harvest a deer when skillfully used.

The rut can very a day or 2 here and there but across the state the first does will come in right around Halloween. The same every year from corner to corner. Lockdown does occur, where the biggest bucks breed a majority of the does. They are doiminant for a reason, and not just fighting. A stray doe will come in and all the other smaller deer will be chasing her but the dominant bucks bed down with a doe for a couple days then move on to the next. Does are also selective on which bucks they prefer. Doesn't always work out for her but they can be selective.

It’s impressive that you’ve been able to observe every 40 acres of the entire state for an entire month every year for the last 56 years

I amaze myself sometimes.

There’s a lot of does being bred while those dominant bucks are bedded down with a single doe that is in estrus. That or there’s a lot of dominant bucks. I’ve never seen whitetail bucks gather herds of does like a bull elk will gather his herd of cows. I have seen does get bred by multiple bucks on several occasions also.

But then, I hunt a spot that I will see 12 to 20 deer a morning within 50 yards of my stand during the dreaded October lull. Then come late October through the rest of the season they become very hard to find. Been that way for the 18 years that I have hunted it. In my experience there is no October lull, you just have to hunt where the deer are in October.

So why do you think those deer disappear in late October?

Change in preferred food. Like clock work. Then the rut starts, the does move out to large overgrown pastures, and the bucks follow. I will see 1 or 2 does, if any, instead of the 12 to 20, and then might see a buck as he’s traveling from one property to another looking for a hot doe.

So approximately when does the rut start every year for you the last 18 years? Sounds like its pretty consistent.

I usually start seeing some bucks start seeking around Halloween, give or take a day or two. Also at this time, some howling no sign yet. When I see heavy chasing in the hills/pastures probably between about 11/7 to 11/15. Then things start slowing done again. I’ll start seeing an occasional buck seeking remaining unbred does, but not running around like an oversexed school boy with his tongue hanging out. During a 5 or 6 year period, I killed 3 bucks on 11/13. Now all that being said, I have not shot any B&C bucks, most maybe pushing 120 P&Y. But never had any on camera either.

Tomorrow morning will be perfect if a person has done their homework. Bentstick has is right with the late precut/chasing phase. There is a time when mature bucks will inventory and locate does in preparation for the breeding period or “seek”. Do they want the earliest doe in the woods? ABSOLUTELY!!! A does hormones will change and she will smell different. Does this mean she is ready to bread? No. Will a mature buck locate mutable does? I believe so. Does he have them patterned? Again, I believe so. He will, IMO, continue to go back and forth to the areas (doe bedding) so he can get in on the first one of any family group that comes into actual estrous. Get a cold frosty morning after the weather has limited movement for a period of time (CURRENTLY 3 DAYS STRAIGHT) and it’s a HIGH PERCENTAGE day to hunt. Just my guess....some Higgins will be taking a dirt nap before noon tomorrow. Good luck all!! AIM SMALL...MISS SMALL....

have never seen a buck hounding a doe before Nov 3rd...like following her every move. I'm sure it happens, but I ain't seen it with my own eyes.

You are right sandman it's that time when anything could come along.Weather has so much to do with if the hunters SEE the pre rut and then rut or lockdown. If it's hot then there wasn't a rut at least thats what is getting typed when in truth it just happened after dark. I see the young bucks running during the time from now out till middle of Dec but the mature bucks will most likely just get stupid when smelling a doe close to or in estrus for the next week then they will start searching after finding that first doe in heat. Then will lock down and go from doe to doe for a couple weeks and usually get crazy around week of thanksgiving.This is the time we see the oldest bucks holed up with a doe in a place you never looked twice and then all the sudden he's there.It's here, the time we wait 11 months for.Be safe wear your harness or don't leave the ground.

No matter the temps or moon phase I’m planning on doing some rutting myself whenever I get back home one of these days.

Lol how bout that. Good luck.

Lol how bout that. Good luck.

I flung an arrow at a big 8 point with a drop tine back in 07'. When he chased some does into a ravine, I thought "no way" because it was 70 degrees out and first few days of November.

Be Still, at least you have an additional 11 months if you don’t getter done soon...lol! Can’t image only having that short of a span.... Again, GOOD LUCK ALL!!!!!

Yeah fellas I hope I have better luck this year. Last year that day it got so hot I had to strip down in the tree to keep from sweating. Well she didn’t believe me so I sent her a pic. Thought the pic might kick things off when I got home...kinda like freshening up a scrape. It didn’t work...she said it wasn’t sexy at all and that’s not how you freshen up a scrape. You would think after all these years I would be better at knowing the rut and how to hunt it but I haven’t learned one thing...except one. It only happens when the doe is ready.

Well, seen a lot of deer on the drive to my hunting area this morning. Problem is that I never seen one while on stand. When I walked in I had a single coyote that was yipping and carrying on. Figured this would delay the deer moving to their typical bedding area they use but sure didn’t expect them not to move through at all. I did see a pretty nice 10 pt crossing the road from the property I hunt when I first arrived. First time hunting this year so my hopes were high. On to the next sit, it will come together at some point...

Watched a legitimate 5+ year old with his nose in a does backside on Oct. 26th of this year... 25 yards from the road. He didn’t like me watching him, but he wasn’t leaving her. When she took off he put on a show as he was dogging her.

Killed my largest compound bow buck several years back on November 7th and it was 78 degrees... running does with his tongue hanging out.

Killed my largest buck ever last year on Nov. 28th at 3:30 PM... searching for the doe in estrus that I had busted out sneaking in on him.

Numerous years I’ve watched bucks chasing does in December and well into January.

One year I set several days between Nov 1st-14th and saw very little chasing. (AM and PM)

Gentleman, the rut is fluid and it’s only happening when it’s right in front of you.

I could care less about when the rut is... it’s more about where it is happening.

This. Is. Why. You. Scout. And. Don’t. Rely. On. Game. Cameras.

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