Well I don’t see this thread again for this topic so just as well start it. Post up what you all are seeing for rut activity. Covered 120 miles of interstate today for work meeting and several dead deer especially bucks from the past few days so they are moving. Had pretty good hunts since last Friday with mature 4+ yo deer hitting scrapes last half hour of light.
203ntyp
PMA Member
Seems the mature buck haven't moved much during daylight yet except for the last few minutes of shooting light. Need to be close to bedding area but the young dinks have been cruising more. Saw a mature buck Monday evening close to dark coming out of a 100-yard-wide strip of brush and a small stream running through it. Sat there on a hunch, strip is bordered by the road I live on and a development. Saw a good one this morning sneaking through a 6-acre thicket about 40 yards from my stand around 8am this morning.
Last two days noticiblw worse than this past weekend which other than one sit was on fire for me.
gunrunr
Life Member
Pretty quiet the last few days for me. No megabucks showing up in daylight but some older bucks coming out near dark. They are lip-curling, working scrapes, sparring with each other lightly and just wandering around in the open but are not going up to the does coming out to check them yet. Should be soon I would think - will only take one hot doe in the neighborhood to change their whole attitude and then its game time!
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Slow to OK in Minnesota—heading to Iowa tomorrow!
Had a three yr old buck tending a doe all afternoon in a thicket. Had a 4yr old come get close and I experienced one of the longest ,roughest buck fights I’ve ever seen. The bigger 4yr old ran with his tall between his legs after a 4 minute battle. The victor came back and tended the doe until dark.
Trapshooter1
Well-Known Member
Had a very good sit in NEIA yesterday evening. Slipped into a bedding area, and was non stop activity for 3 hours, Scrubs, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 old bucks all around. Honestly stopped counting different deer after 25.
There was a hot doe in the creek probably 125 yards away. Big framed 3-4 year old was tending her and guarding her. (He didn't come close enough, but would have been hard to pass that deer.)
Probably one of my best sits for activity in the last couple years. That property always seems like the rut comes early.
Have sat other properties within 5-7 miles of there and just normal activity
There was a hot doe in the creek probably 125 yards away. Big framed 3-4 year old was tending her and guarding her. (He didn't come close enough, but would have been hard to pass that deer.)
Probably one of my best sits for activity in the last couple years. That property always seems like the rut comes early.
Have sat other properties within 5-7 miles of there and just normal activity
northcedar
Well-Known Member
So a bigger 4 yr old got beaten by a smaller 3 yr old? That's crazy. Can that be a common thing or kinda rare? Are buck fights more about attitude and skill or more often just shear body size and power? I haven't witnessed many throw downs in my life.
tall@wide
PMA Member
I'm on the stand now and this morning has been MUCH slower than the last few days.. I have seen a 140s 9 pt cruising and two does so far.. Amazing what a temp rise does for deer movement. Bucks should be tearing it up today going from food source to food source and bedding area to bedding area looking for does.
Daver
PMA Member
IMO, body size and attitude are much more of a determinant than rack size, or even age, when it comes to which buck is ruling the roost. FWIW.
jflournoy
Active Member
I sat on Wednesday morning at the same stand I sat this morning. Wednesday I saw 15+ deer and multiple mature bucks cruising or chasing does. This morning I saw a 2 1/2 year old pestering a doe and a fawn a little and that was it. Obviously different weather conditions. Interested to see what this evening brings. I had some pretty wild chasing action 2 nights ago at the spot I'm going to again this evening. Cell cams showed a definite uptick in daylight mature buck activity yesterday, but not much camera activity overnight or very early this morning.
3yr old had long tines and poking the shit out of 4yr olds face.
October > November. 
