# can the rut turn does nocturnal?



## bigbrad123 (Dec 22, 2005)

Can chasing/rutting bucks turn does nocturnal? Over the past couple weeks, I have seen numerous does and fawns during legal shooting hours. However, since last week, I haven't had a single doe on my trail camera during legal shooting hours, but have had numerous ones after dark. Even had a nice buck following a really big doe on the camera as well. Seeing lots of pre-rut activity....scrapes, etc, so I know its started. I've had 2 different bucks tending a scrape and also have had does visiting the scrape as well (but only after legal shooting time). Just strange how things appear to have changed. I went out yesterday morning and only saw one lone doe. I should note I am going out again tonight to hunt and will see if what I am seeing on camera is truly happening.


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

if there are lots of young bucks around, does may hold off from entering a feeding area where they are visible. does get sick of having them horney young bucks chasing them when the time aint right


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## bigbrad123 (Dec 22, 2005)

well, 3 things have happened to me...i recently changed positions of my ground blind, so the deer are skittish and only coming in at night, or the young bucks are making the does skittish, or somehow the feeding source has changed (which I haven't noticed) because i was having does come in constantly over the past month during the early evening hours and ever since last week's storm, its stopped. my blind is right outside a corn field, so i doubt the bedding area has changed, unless the bucks have chased them out of there. still seeing deer on the camera after dark, but not during the daylight anymore and didn't see any last night while out hunting


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

sorta noticed the same last couple times out. deer moving real late. Seeing them in the dark on the way home. Try switching to morning hunts. I just kind of think it is due to the nice weather. When it was cold a few days back I saw deer move earlier. Think if it gets cold that will push them around a bit.


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## bigbrad123 (Dec 22, 2005)

verg, i hunted on Sunday morning and only saw one doe as well. in my area (right next to a corn field), i haven't had a whole lot of activity on the trail camera in the morning hours. I'm assuming either they are already bedded down, or the feeding area is somewhere a ways away from my spot and then re-enter the cornfield elsewhere to go back to bed down.


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## verg (Aug 21, 2006)

one thing too is that if you are hunting the same stand each time they might have YOU patterned. I think this has happened to me this year as I have some new huge scrapes around my stand but haven't seen a deer close in two weeks. Deer probably have you figured a bit and are only coming to your area in the dark when you are gone. 
Maybe you're not but IF you are..try giving a couple days between each hunt or longer. I know this my problem. I haven't hunted one stand cuz it hasn't showed much activity so I've kind of hammered my other one. And of course when I left my one stand last night I drove by my other one and had a large deer standing under it. (too dark to tell buck/doe)
Maybe this is not your case..but something to think about.


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## bigbrad123 (Dec 22, 2005)

you could be right verg, however, i don't feel i've "overhunted" my spot, however, i'm starting to think i am too close to their bedding area and either they hear me, or potentially see me (if they are bedding in the corn). my plan is to give it as week or so and hunt a stand i have on the north side of this property. since i recently moved my blind, it will hopefully give the deer time to get used to it as well as give them a break from potentially seeing/hearing/smelling me. it will work out ok anyway with rifle season coming, i'd rather be up high than sitting in a blind, so i'll probably be sitting in my stand hoping people push the deer my way bowhunting with blaze orange on!


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