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Movement update...

I've seen three really good bucks, and all but one (and that was a week ago) was on a hot doe and had the whole woods lit up with small to medium bucks...
 
Yeah day light or lack there of is the only thing that controls the rut. It is soley on the amount of dark hours that effects the rut. Melatonin builds during the Dark hours and once it reaches a certian point estrus is exhibited. Moon phase controls when we see the movement along with weather. Warm weather and nice clear moon lit nights are pushing most big buck activity to the overnight hours. We need a high pressure system to push in here and cool us down considerably and we will see the big boys. Did some recreational lighting and the big boys are getting their does covered they are just doing it all during the dark.
 
This is a report from Johnson Co. Saw a 4 different bucks with does in the last couple of days, just following them. I don't think the does are in estrus just yet, but the bucks are staying tight with them. Last night saw a group of young bucks moving though the timber, they were alone, they looked a little dejected.

Starting Friday night I saw around a dozen deer, now is the time to be out there.
 
Well i really dont knw if the rut has really kicked off cause alot of button bucks still being seen with mature does so she hasnt came into heat and i havent walked into the timber and smelled that mrs. doe pee lol
 
too warm

going to be warm most of week. - saw 1 8pt chasing a doe last night and that was it. Hate this time change, now it is next to impossible to get out after work.
 
Hunted last night and the only deer I saw from my stand were a small forked buck with a doe as I was climbing up at 2:30. I was sitting on a ridgetop hay field and the wind was aweful, and my gut instinct was correct that they weren't going to feed there so I climbed down about 15 minutes before last light and snuck around on a little scouting mission. Watched 3 mature does and 3 yearlings come out into another field last 5 minutes, no bucks.

With the way they were all grouped up still it's hard for me to believe that the rut has gone "full blown". Normally I would expect them to be scattered out a little more. I've also not seen the daylight activity that I have come to expect, even later last week when it was a lot cooler. I've seen some smaller, younger bucks on their feet during the day but no mature deer. I think with a small front moving in later this week and as the moon gains strength it's gonna get set off. Hopefully, anyways...
 
I've yet to see any chasing where I'm hunting. I've seen several mature un-attended does. The only buck I've seen so far was a small 6 point. There are active scrapes and rubs where I'm hunting, so I know there are bucks in the area. I'm hoping this week it will turn on.
 
SE South Dakota (Sioux City area) - Sat three hours Friday night and didn't see nor hear anything. Was able to get out again yesterday morning to a different spot over looking cut bean field. Five bucks and about 10 does (most with fawns) in the field at sun up. Not one buck over 120". A few bucks were nudging does but nothing heavy.

Buddy saw a 130" class bedded with a doe in an open field yesterday. He also saw a bruiser with a doe in the thick river bottom.
 
As of todays sit since Oct. 1, I've logged 45 hours in the stands. Today I didnt see a single deer. Have done one all day sit so far, last week, saw 9 bucks and 4 does that day. The biggest one was a nice looking 11 pt about 145 inches. He's the largest one I've seen so far. Didnt see any deer from 930 am til an hr and a half before dark on my all day sit.
Total deer are: Bucks-18 different ones. Does-38.
I saw more buck movement during the Co. Bluffs city hunt that began Sept 11 than I have since the statewide season opened. From Sept 11 til Sept 30 I saw 13 different bucks, and only 12 does with 2 of them harvested.
 
Today was the first day I've sat where I didn't see any does...

But, I saw my first mature buck of the year, he was just out of range at 50 yards, I only shoot 40 yards and in. Nice 11 pointer, probably a 4.5 year old. Had a 120" 2.5 year old 8 point run right underneath my stand at first light this AM.

Not bad for a warm day. Hopefully this weekend it will be better. I have tomorrow to hunt then have to work the rest of the week.
 
Was out all last week by Edgewood and it was Slooooow. I did see 2 mature bucks by themselves and a few smaller bucks hounding does. Almost all movement was in the first 2 hours of the day and last 1.5 hours of the day. I hope it picks up soon.
 
I have seen a lot of movement the past couple of days. Sunday morning in my stand I had a doe with two button bucks right below, she obviously hadn't come into heat yet. I'm guessing those are her twins. Then about 10 a small six or so was chased a gruop of about 6 does by me. I think just one was hot becasue he was only after her, the rest were just sort of milling around following. He had his head down and mouth open. This was all in Warren County.
Then yester evening I had was in a different spot in my ground blind. I had 9 does run out of the timber on the edge of the corn field I was hunting at about 3:00. Then about a half hour later a 4pt was milling around me at about 20 yards. Then at about 4:45 some deer came out in the field. There was about 5 little dinks and one bigger buck. Anyway they started to go back in the woods so I grunted and the bigger one came straigh to me and I shot him at 3 yards(I'll have photos and a story in the Harvest Forum later). Then about dark there were some bucks fighting and deer running all over the place. This was in Polk County.
This morning there was a little basket buck that had been hit during the night by my house. Then right by Pleasant Hill off of Highway 65 there was a buck breeding a doe right in the middle of a beanfield at about 11:30. Hardly any cover near by.
 
Movement Update

I'm hunting central iowa. Hit a public spot friday morning and seen a bunch of does early with nothing following. Seen a busted up old guy cruising and rattled him and another great 8 in a little bit later. Hunted some private ground that evening and seen a ton of does and none were being followed. Seen a bunch of scrub/young bucks cruising or responding to rattling. Same deal all day Saturday. Only exception was a little 4 pointer following a doe. Not really pushing or chasing, just following at about 20 yards.

I fear the big ones are locked down already and hoping they free up about the time I'm able to hunt again this weekend. My luck it will happen mid week and all the good ones will be locked down again. FREAKING JOB ANYWAY!!!
 
I have seen a ton of deer. I def dont think anything is in lockdown yet. Everything I have seen chasing has been young basket racks. I did put an arrow in a Big 8. He was harassing 2 smaller bucks in a field with no does. They are just cruising rite now. Put a bad shot on him and hit him high, went out the next morn to see if I could locate him only to see him following 2 monster bucks about 300 yrds away:thrwrck:. So he will atleast make it. I would have mounted this 8 pointer had I gotten him but standing next to the other 2 buck he looked like a baby!:D All 3 of the bucks were cruising together with no does. Watched them for about an hour, checked a few does but no chasing. All kinds off deer movement though so Its def about there! :drink2:
 
I had the last 4 days to hunt. Saturday I saw just one lone doe. My brother had a fun morning, but all baskets, no shooters. Sunday I didn't hunt because the wife was working. Monday was warm. Saw nothing in the AM sit. Went to do some errands around 10 and saw a nice 10 point hounding a doe across a picked and plowed cornfield. That got me all fired up to get back to the stand. By noon I was sitting again, and saw nothing. Same goes for today. I'm really hoping that the weather is keeping things down. Done hunting now till this weekend. Hopefully it cools off, a lot.
 
Shot a doe this morning. Right after I shot her a basked 8 eight came in and tried to push her around but she was bedded down trying to die just 15 yards away from me. He didn't leave her for about a half hour.
 
I hunted yesterday morning (the 9th...supposed to be one of the best "movement" days of the year), and it was deader than a hammer. I had one little buck move through at 6:30, and two more dinks cruising at 10:00...this is an area where I've seen all kinds of movement. I saw a buck trailing a doe out in the middle of no mans land, so I figure there are just enough hot does that it pulls every buck in ...it's kind of been like it's been allll or nothing!
 
Ya I read that lie to iatreehugger. I had nothing but does and one of the smallest 6 ptrs I ever saw in 3 hrs last evening.
 
slow

Hunted 4:30 -dark - Saw one very small 7 pt. cruising by himself, and on way home saw I think 3 does in a field. Could've been 2 does and a small buck. But, that's all.
 
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