Contributors to this thread:
What’s everyone seeing out there as far as rut phase in your areas I’m in Woodbridge And the small bucks are starting to really push the does around.
saw bucka seeking and chasing yesterday morning and afternoon, today 6 does and no bucks. all my cams slowed with buck sightings.
It should be lights out in a few days. I’ve seen a few estrus does around…
It should be lights out in a few days. I’ve seen a few estrus does around…
It should be lights out in a few days. I’ve seen a few estrus does around…
This coming week....magic.
My cameras have been dead for a few weeks. Just started seeing doe’s again. Only time will tell! Good luck!
I had some pretty good bucks on camera consistently up until about the last week of October and then it went down to seeing them maybe once a week and in some cases they have disappeared. Lots of dinks and does lately
I've getting some good bucks on my cameras this past week. From Tuesday-Saturday I've seen 10 deer from the stand 2 of which were bucks. One 2 year 8 point and one that seemed pretty good. He was too far away though. Zero chasing. They are ripping up scrapes pretty good though
BD - I hope! Only seeing them on cams.
Looking at the sides of the highway from Maine through mass..... there's been some movement...until an opposite force took over. Bucks and doe alike
And one taking a ride in the bed of a pickup truck. Only saw hoofs....can neither confirm buck or doe. I gave the successful hunter the thumbs up
I drove to TN and back over the last 4 days. Hundreds upon hundreds of roadkills. Probably more than that.
nehunter's Link
I still can't walk in the woods, so I helped my Mom throw away some brush.
I drove my truck behind my apartment and tossed the brush and then a hot Doe stood up and watched me hobble back to my truck. Then she started eating what I just tossed at only 5 yards. Then a 2-3 year old 8 pt follows her past my truck into the backyard.
This cell phone video was taken at 5 yards max.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7de8i31m7fJyJjj27
What a pic, almost looks fake. Such a beautiful animal.
nehunter's Link
The hot Doe seems to want him put in danger. I've seen it before, bringing a Buck to places they usually wouldn't be.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KptJLH31vjXDfrfV7
NE,"bringing a Buck to places they usually wouldn't be."...as it usually is..lol
Hoping soon. Got a few more daytime pics recently.
Had a buck hanging out behind a doe this morning on camera.
Saw 2 does behind my stand. Tough shot. Lol Better than squirrels & bears.
estrus fawns will get a buck in trouble.
Estrus fawns will get a buck in trouble in late season. While the fawn wanders around the buck will try to follow staying in security cover. Sometimes it costs him dearly.
Sat all day today and two of my best funnels. Saw nothing this morning and saw nothing this afternoon.
Almost texted you at 0730 Blood. Trophy class buck tending/chasing a doe, followed by a lesser buck 10 minutes later.
You should’ve texted me. At least I could have lived vicariously through you. ;)
Buck pushing a doe this evening with 5 minutes left. Came close...yet so far away
Tomorrow morning I head to the stand where there was a doe... And a creepy old buck stalking her
My son had a 6 point chasing a doe up a brook grunting the whole time a half hour ago
Looking at the corn field through the window
Looking at the corn field through the window
I just pulled into our KY camp late last night. Didn't plan on hunting this morning as we like to check out the stands, replace straps and scout.
Well at 5:00am I hear a weird sound outside my window, I walk (hobble) out the back door and there is two 140" bucks ready to fight. There's also a Doe bedded 50 yards in the corn field. The Bucks fight for three minutes and could care less about me. I could have walked up to them easily.
Oh well, time to checkout a spot for my ground blind.
Can't hunt here as our friends leased it to a relative.
Glad you’re already seeing action. Saw only 2 does & bears in NW CT.
Did a 6-9 this morning. I'd rather it be 10* colder and no wind. I was freezing, and it was only 39*. Nothing seen or heard. Sat on the ground and about a half hour in I realized a big tree had fallen over the trail I was watching. I think I've hunted this property 7 times this season and haven't seen a deer yet. 150 acres of oaks and a swamp. Lots of sign, I know they're there. Good luck if you're out.
I'm in Kentucky and this up and comer just now walked out into a field following two Does.
Hunted a private land spot this morning. 33 degrees and stupid windy. Passed a 4 point at first light. Couldn’t get a pic because I grabbed my bow when I heard it walking to get ready. And then realized it wasn’t was what I was looking for. And then passed this little guy 45 mins later. Both bucks were just cruising.
Blood, you're definitely putting in the time!
Soon, A Hot Doe will walk by and drag a Booner with her!
Good luck!
Thanks Steve. I’m waiting on something special. And, 2 things:
This is the first year in a LONG time I could have filled all 4 of my archery tags.
I just zoomed in on that buck. And it’s in velvet on one antler and it’s peeled and hanging on the other. Really weird and cool.
^^well at least you know you still have time to shoot him before he sheds. Lol
I’m sure you gonna have a booner coming your way blood.
Tonight before closing from the direction where I thought I was hearing a lot of chasing I was fired up when I started hearing the trotting heading my way and to my surprise it was just a coyote haha
This buck was cruising last night at sunset. He is going in the freezer.
He looks tasty. Is his right antler F'd up?
I’m starting to see more mature bucks on camera. I’ve scouted this state property in nw corner the last month and there are some big bucks back there.
a lot of movement daylight on camera. no monsters
Brian, good shot on that buck. Congrats
Congrats Brian! Great shot too!
Congratulations Brian!!!!
Thank you everyone! He was definitely moving fast. Only thing that stopped him was he saw me and stopped 20 yards broadside. He was absolutely covered in ticks which made skinning him tough. Crawling all over my hands. Antlers tines broke off. Got 2 new bucks showing up on camera so time to go back in today!
Thank you everyone! He was definitely moving fast. Only thing that stopped him was he saw me and stopped 20 yards broadside. He was absolutely covered in ticks which made skinning him tough. Crawling all over my hands. Antlers tines broke off. Got 2 new bucks showing up on camera so time to go back in today!
Nice job brianbowhunter, clean quick kill is what ya want! Enjoy
Was out this morning on private land. Very quiet. Very perfect. But only saw three red fox. Zero deer movement. I’m wondering if they are all following does right now and not cruising as much? Any thoughts?
Past couple days I have been struggling a bit also. Seems quiet out here. Chances are though I’m just not in the right spots haha. Just gotta keep grinding and it will pay off.
two big boys on camera now! diffrent spots .
My buddy shot a buck tending a doe yesterday. On camera last Evening was a big buck hanging behind a doe . Another camera has a young buck that appeared to be cruising at 10.
15 yds yesterday, doe all alone. Then a spike came into the field right at sunset from another direction. No shots fired.
Just checked my cams as I have been away of the last two weeks. I have a black bear two healthy coyotes and lot of does. There are two small bucks, one with a damaged left rack and two decent bucks. I'll get out this weekend for a few hours. Next week out west fishing.
Saw today a dead doe exit 12 on7s, spike 84w exit3, a splatter just before the 84-7split, maybe a 6 on 84e before exit10 84e...maybe they're finally moving
All my cams have small bucks. All the big bucks have disappeared since Halloween. Sat this afternoon at a state land spot. Saw nothing. It’s getting really weird.
Nothing seen this evening for me at my hot spot, except for 3 turkeys on my way in.
big buck during the morning and came back again this afternoon. about a mile away from where we normally have him.
I usually see the most intense daylight rut activity for older bucks between 11/20 and 11/25, every single year. Not saying that it can't happen any other time, just my previous experience.
He was chasing Does , they ran by 15 seconds earlier. I don't have any pictures from this 8pt. They are roaming.
One good thing is that the Bear pics have stopped.
Well, I saw something I’ve never seen in all my years of hunting… And I know this sounds weird, but I just had a really nice eight pointer come chasing a doe - grunting, every single leap right behind her. With a smaller buck behind him literally roaring. They came past me about 25 yards. And I could not get them to stop.
Blood, saw the same thing a few years ago. 6 does went by followed by a 10pt and an 8pt right behind the 10. The 8 was roaring like crazy and made 3 scrapes along the way. Never heard it before or since. (I then proceeded to miss the 10 at 8 yards, and 20 minutes later missed the 8 standing in the same spot, shot over both with my recurve)
Tolland county here. mature bucks had daylighted 5 days ago for a couple days. Rut activity on cameras at night chasing does. oddly enough, the younger bucks have still been together. light friendly sparring (as of 3 days ago). no sign of daylight mature bucks since.
Absolutely sucks that when the gun season kicks off I have to vacate my best state land spots. Wish this state would just let us be able to keep hunting
I had a buck chasing a doe at full speed yesterday at 10 am in Fairfield County.
28* here, slight North wind. Saw an unknown deer running at 0615, don't know if it was the chaser or chasee. Two does and a fawn at 0715, I think the same group I passed on a couple weeks ago. They didn't come close enough this time. No buck following. While watching them I looked to my left (North) and a young buck was walking by around 40 yards out. He didn't seem to be looking for a doe. The does walked off after a while, but I didn't know where the fawn snuck off to. An hour later, she was right where I last saw her. She had laid down. The big guy didn't show up, I was set up 18 yards from the trail he used the last two times there. Additional scrapes and rubs on the way out.
Good to see that the scrapes opened back up near you Brian. That means most of the does of are bred and the bucks are back to searching and scraping. Good luck! I’ll be out in the morning.
Aaaaanother one bites the dust!
Been guiding my buddy out in MI this week. It’s been hard but he just sent one into this guy. Got it all on film
Zoomed
Zoomed
Last night outside the hockey game….
I don’t think I should specify, lest I lead a Brother astray…. ;)
Let’s just say it was college hockey, in-state….
Not that I haven’t seen them on the ball-field here in town….
Kind of surprised to see a spindly 1.5 YO buck with 6-7 does all to himself the other day — they were definitely smelling good enough to hold his attention. Saw a couple of those does having a stand-up fistfight (hoof fight?)
Maybe it was to determine who had to go first with the Rookie? ;)
CL, be a pal and give longbeard exact coordinates. LOL
A single 8pt this morning at 0735. Just slowly sniffing his way along. No grunting, no does. He was coming my way so no rush to shoot. I passed on a neck shot (rifle) figuring he would give me his shoulder in a few steps. I was sitting on a ridge on the ground. He turned down the hill behind some trees and poof, gone as quietly as he came.
Very quiet in my neck of the woods rut wise. One hillside is all torn up from feeding on one of the properties I hunt.
Went to a Bow Only State spot this morning. At 8:30am this guy and his dog came walking through the middle of the woods 20 yards from my tree. There are walking trails in there….and yet he was way off them, way up in the woods.
This is the 3rd encounter I’ve had with him in 2 years. And I barely hunt there……I gave him an earful today. I couldn’t hold back.
Good for you. Last time I hunted state land like 25 years ago...on opening day with gun non the less. Aside from the sea of orange. A couple and their 2 dogs come through at 7:30. No orange or red colors either. Idiots. I have tried some state bow only a few times since and luckily no issues.
That is one HELL of a long leash!!
Back when I weighed #65 and our high-energy, hard-headed Lab weighed #110, we had a 50-footer, but we kept 40’ of it coiled so we could make a dash for a snubbing post whenever he took off after a rabbit or whatever….
Here’s my report. Bucks are starting to seek again
Here’s my report. Bucks are starting to seek again
Ive got two cameras out that I see on the Moultree site, bucks still cruising. Above someone said something about does that aren't in the mood leading bucks to where they shouldn't be. I have seen that.
Years ago, a land owner who lived very close to downtown Darien called me to say an eight point was bedded on her lawn in the middle of the day. Barely believing that, I went over there and found a basket rack eight laying in the open right outside their bay living room window. I didn't want to shoot it but had to make a show of it for the homeowner so I grabbed my bow and walked up on him. I was in street clothes and walked right at him, 20, 15, 10 yards. An unseen doe busted out of their shrubs and he got up and the buck chased. The homeowners were looking at me with a questioning look, like "why didn't you shoot it?" I told them it wasn't a safe angle to shoot from, that the arrow could ricochet. Not totally true. But that doe bedded in a weird spot to avoid being pestered by the buck, and put him in a place he shouldn't be. 30 yards from a main road in full view in the middle of a sunny day on one of my permitted properties with some tattle-tail homeowners is in fact a dangerous place for a buck. Does can get those boys in trouble sometimes.
Dr. Deer, a life lesson for all of us, LOL
A little late, but I was gun hunting the morning of 11/16 and saw the most intense rutting activity I have ever witnessed in CT. I had two big mature 8 points fighting about 40 yards from me. I have seen halfhearted sparring before in early December, but these two deer absolutely wanted to kill each other. They squared off and charged each other at full speed and locked up. At least one knew I was there before the ruckus started but didn't care about me at all. Just out of my view over the other side of the ridge was a doe in the brush, I assume in estrus, which is what they were probably fighting over.
One of the coolest things I have ever seen while deer hunting.
Had a lot of daytime pics in CT of bucks 11/21 to 11/25. The buck I shot 11/25 had it's nose to the ground.
This morning my son saw a 4 pt. Just feet from the road with his mouth open and wandering around an overgrown field