# 2010 Rut Report



## sdgoosehunter16

It may be a little early yet...any pre-rut action?


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## barebackjack

Yeah, id say a little early. Haven't even hit the mid-october "dead" period.

Halloween man, Halloween.


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## MDV89

A friend of mine was combining tonight and saw a 3.5 yr old 5 x 5 chasing a doe all over the field. There are a few does that cycle early that can get the boys up and about


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## texcl

Most the bucks I have on cam are still running in groups, but I did get pics of a 4x4 chasing a doe around, but it wasn't a real intense chase, shoot for all I know he could have been chasing her off the bait pile. :lol:


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## AdamFisk

Watched a bach group of 7 bucks on Thursday night, some were still grooming and "friendly" sparring with each other.....I'd say we're aways away yet. 

I have seen some fresh rubs, however they are nothing to get excited about yet. Most likely from rubbing velvet off and strengthening kneck muscles.


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## ImpalaSSpeed96

Rut is predicted to be a trickle rut this year w/ lockdown coming in late November. So expect the "best" chasing period to be in the second week of Nov this year. Never know when a hot doe might pull one by you though. Once halloween hits, I'm ready w/ my rut tactics in hand...


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## barebackjack

I just love rut predictions!


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## ImpalaSSpeed96

The guy I follow has actually been spot on just about every year. It's fairly predictable since its caused by light... Its not just something a deer decides to do... :roll:


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## barebackjack

ImpalaSSpeed96 said:


> The guy I follow has actually been spot on just about every year. It's fairly predictable since its caused by light... Its not just something a deer decides to do... :roll:


Preaching to the choir.

I love it when "experts" try to predict it. "Its gonna be a week early", "its gonna be a week late", "its gonna be a trickle rut", "its gonna be a group rut", :lol: .....no its not. Peak breeding in most of MN/ND is Nov 11th and 12th EVERY year.

Ive been keeping records for ten years. The rut timeline is almost identical down to the day year after year up here. Buck to doe ratio and doe age class breakdown for a specific area has more to do with how long it lasts than anything.


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## bigbrad123

ImpalaSS: I've read the same thing on the rut peaking in late November. Probably makes since since the full moon in November is on Nov. 21. However, I will say that I checked my camera last night and had a nice 10 pointer on there following a doe last Thurs. Got pics of both walking by the camera. Its the first time I've had pics of him since July. He showed up my camera on Sunday too. Didn't show up last night when I was in my blind though!


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## ImpalaSSpeed96

Bucks are ready to go as soon as the velvet comes off. Their testosterone level changes and they're ready. The only thing that REALLY effect the SIGNS of rut is the weather. In the northern hemisphere w/ cold weather, you are guaranteed to see rut activity between Nov 1 anywhere until the end of the month. I shot the biggest buck of my life a few days before halloween and he was grunting like crazy. I grunted a couple times and he came charging in like a freight train. If the weather is cold, i'd rather hunt the first 10 days of Nov over any other period of the year.


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## duckp

11/7-11/14 every year for the past 50 or so at this approx latitude.


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## texcl

I got a pic the other night of a 3x3 and a 2x2 sparing. I also have pics of an average 4x5 chasing does but not real hard. So they are interested.


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## honker85

HALLOWEEN!!!


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## honker85

barebackjack said:


> Yeah, id say a little early. Haven't even hit the mid-october "dead" period.
> 
> Halloween man, Halloween.


+1


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## bornlucky

I got to watch a buck crazy out of his mind last Friday night chasing a doe. He ran her under my stand 3 times. finally she hid behind some brush and he took his frustrations out on a good size tree about 30 yards from me. He was hitting the tree like an offensive tackle. I'd say the hormones are kicking in gear pretty good.

i really enjoy reading the reports of rutting behavior on this site. Keep them coming.


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## bigbrad123

I always wonder when is the best time to start rattling and using the grunt call? Any think its too early? Or anyone been doing it with any success yet?


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## MDV89

bigbrad123 said:


> I always wonder when is the best time to start rattling and using the grunt call? Any think its too early? Or anyone been doing it with any success yet?


Bucks start fighting as soon as they shed there velvet. This early fighting is mainly them establishing rank and territory....the fighting I have seen in Sept. amounts to them tickling there horns together and usually the less dominant animal backs down right away. With that being said you can rattle right now just tone it down a bit. As the weeks go by you should be able to increase your aggression - peaking around the pre-rut.


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## thorpebe

watched a buck run a doe across the hyw yesterday. he deffinatly had something on his mind and it wasnt cars or people.


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## bigbrad123

I've definitely started to notice on the trail camera the buck's necks starting to swell too.


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## greatwhitehunter3

Checked my trail cam this weekend and had two mature bucks chasing does already. The last couple times out in the stand, I still noticed some bucks roaming together so it's hard to say where they are at in their rutting stage.


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## bornlucky

Wednesday night I was pheasant hunting and saw a nice buck dogging a doe in the middle of a harvested corn field. Tha's the second buck I have seen in a week chasing a hot doe. I have a theory. Last spring while shed hunting, I counted 7 dead fawns. Obviously, it was a stressful winter which could easily cause does to abort their fetus. So perhaps we have a higher than normal % of dry does that are coming into heat early.


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## barebackjack

Saw a buck this morning, he looked at a doe. ITS ON! :lol:


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## bigbrad123

barebackjack said:


> Saw a buck this morning, he looked at a doe. ITS ON! :lol:


yeah, that's pretty much all it takes for most guys! :thumb:


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## HUNTNFISHND

barebackjack said:


> Saw a buck this morning, he looked at a doe. ITS ON! :lol:


WRONG! It's only ON when she looks at him! :rollin:


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## SODSUCKER

WRONG its on even when he thinks that she is looking at him!!


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## poozy

You guys get all crazy and its only the 15th of october, with the best of weather you won't see much daylight rut activity until Halloween.


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## AdamFisk

poozy said:


> You guys get all crazy and its only the 15th of october, with the best of weather you won't see much daylight rut activity until Halloween.


Never fails, this thread is right on cue with every other year!!!!!!!


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## jonnyr7

I shot a buck yesterday morning, he walked right through a bunch of does, completely ignored 'em. I am just happy I finally got my first deer!


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## bigbrad123

I think I may have hit the mid-Oct lull period in my spot. No deer last night (whereas I would always see half-dozen does in the past). Very few deer on my trail camera as well over the past week and my blind is right outside a corn field. Corn is coming down all around, so some of it might be skittish deer too. I have a feeling by late next week (after the corn is down by my spot), things will look a lot different and the activity will start increasing, especially with the colder weather coming.


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## texcl

I had a bunch of deer come in last night, 2 bucks and 2 does meandered right under me for about 2 hours, the big boys never showed though, the bucks were running together, they didn't show any rutting activity that I could see. They were moving by 5pm which is pretty early for these deer, I was sort of surprised with the moon phase and all.


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## TK33

couple of bucks, several does this morning and tonight. Absolutely no sign of rut.


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## bornlucky

out hunting last weekend. Not much sign of deer activity. Saw a few does, one fresh antler rub near a juncture of two trails, and saw a fresh scrape under a bush on the edge of a crp field. I hunted the spot at the fresh scrape and had a big dry doe come in. No buck though. Wish I had a camera to put up at the scrape to see who is there.


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## barebackjack

All hell is gonna break loose boys after this weather breaks!

Gonna be a good weekend!


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## HUNTNFISHND

barebackjack said:


> All hell is gonna break loose boys after this weather breaks!
> 
> Gonna be a good weekend!


Yep, if I could I'd be hunting a scrape line as soon as the rain/snow stops!

I'm hunting all next week, can't wait! Is it Friday yet? :beer:


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## ImpalaSSpeed96

Young bucks are ready. Had a 100 incher come right in to the grunt call last week in Ohio. Completely turned and came in on a string. The big boys know whats up though. Don't expect to see them chasing on their feet until real love is in the air....


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## bigbrad123

Sounds like things are starting to pick up. Went out yesterday to check on my blind and how it held up in the wind. Unfortunately it blew over, but no major damage other than a couple small holes in the roof and lost tent stakes, so i decided to move it to a different spot. Walked around a bit prior to doing so and found 2 nice, fresh scrapes. Moved the blind closer to them and hung up a scrape dripper (never used one before and figured I'd give it a try). Pulled the disk on my camera and had no pics during the storm and had a nice buck on there on Wednesday night during legal shooting hours after the storm. Not sure when I will get out next and may give it a few days for the deer to get used to my new blind spot. Wishin I had a nice tree to hang a stand in this area, but I don't. Hoping by this weekend, I can get out there and actually hunt as I am on pins and needles wanting to get out there!


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## maple lake duck slayer

Went duck hunting on the same land I bow hunt on this morning...LOTS of deer sign since the storm.


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## AdamFisk

I was pretty damn surprised to see this, but I watched a 125ish buck chasing a doe for about 10 minutes tonight. Needless to say, I got a little excited as well. 

Saw LOTS of deer tonight. Seen bucks in places I've yet to see bucks this year, in daylight, but I've known they are around. A couple dandys too.

She's heating up. I will be out there early tomorrow morning rattling and grunting my butt off.

One final hoorah before the orange army does it's thing, which, unfortunately, I'm not a part of this year. Gonna be a good year for them.


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## texcl

the day before yesterday I had 4 doe and a button standing in front of me and all of a sudden the button took off like a bolt of lightning I thought great I've been busted but the rest just stood there looking north, sure enough a buck popped out and started chasing the does. Last night I did one grunt about 30 before I ran out of light. about 15 later I hear some comotion behind me and it's what sounded like 2 bucks fighting it out. they were making all sorts of real short single wheezes and other noises towards each other. the one buck ended up chasing the other away and the smart SOB circled back around my stand and walked up to within 20 yards directly behind me (down wind)where I couldn't turn and he scented me, man what a let down, all I had been seeing during the day were 3x3's and below, but I have a 5x5 and a 4x5 coming in a night, well one finally comes in and scents me. Guess I'll be using my other stands till that one cools off. Good luck!


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## greatwhitehunter3

Had a real nice 4x4 at 15 yards this morning. Unfortunately I had to chance of drawing my bow and he walked off. I lightlt rattled once he was out of sight so he couldn't see me rattling and he came flying into the bean field. He walked around trying to find the source of the rattling/grunting and then walked off 

With slug season coming this weekend, tonight will be my last chance at this buck before everything goes crazy with all the idiots that come out!


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