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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 14:35:44 GMT -5
Your observation is evidence that "the rut" is not just a 3-4 day event that happens the same time span each and every year. Heck when a buck goes into lock down with a doe it can last 36-48 hrs. And that s just one doe.
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Post by boonechaser on Sept 25, 2013 14:45:54 GMT -5
Agree with you that the RUT is not a short term event. My only point is from year to year it begin's at approxiamately the same time within a few given day's. External factor's such as moon phase,weather and hunting pressure etc. may give a hunter a false impression that the RUT is slow or not happening at all, but in fact it is just happening at night and not during legal hunting hour's. I have area's that I don't dare hunt during October as not wanting to leave evidence that i have been there, but come early Nov those are the stand location's that I will be in. Both are travel coridor's near bedding area's and they produce almost every year.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 15:00:04 GMT -5
I know that the actually bredding of does occurs mostly during the same general time period each year. What hunters see each year can tell a completely different story. Its logical to assume that being that most hunters believe that the rut is actually in the first week of Nov. each year, that they would spend most of their available time in the woods then. Whereas if they hunted evrry daylight hour from Oct. 20 to Dec. 1 they may have another favorite time span and that it could change from one year to the next. In other words, being that the first week of Nov. is by far the most popular time to hunt, more hunters do it then except for the opening day of gun season.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 15:02:42 GMT -5
BTW the peak breeding period can be dertermined by the date that fawns drop and counting back a number of days. This is pretty consistant data when compared year to year.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 15:16:22 GMT -5
I've hunted the last week of October hard for more than a dozen years. I'll take the first week of November every time.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 15:24:05 GMT -5
Where I'm at it depends on the harvest and where the does are. Last year, thanksgiving week was the best. Thats the point, even though we all know the time of the rut is fairly consistent, what you can see in the field is not nearly as predictable.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 15:35:40 GMT -5
I sure wish I saw more activity in late October because I get a two week fall break in late October. I have never killed a buck in late October. I just don't see many. I think they go nocturnal then where I hunt. More estrous does come in in early November and that gets the bucks back out in daylight again. I guess it's different in different areas. Probably relates to hunting pressure too.
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Post by M4Madness on Sept 25, 2013 15:55:12 GMT -5
I've only killed two bucks in October -- October 26, 1997 and October 2, 2011. That doesn't mean that I'm waiting until November to shoot a buck, but I do go into the woods in October focusing on killing does. If a good buck shows up then, I'll be extremely happy, but I don't count on it.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2013 23:08:07 GMT -5
bucks will mate when the does are availaible. if you are shooting does in late october that may be the reason you havent killed a buck in late october. they are not all ways right behind the does. i have also heard that illinois does not gun hunt the rut but have first hand expierence that bucks are chasing breeding and rutting during all 3 gun seasons there. their last season being in december. like others have said the rut last for a good while with different phases for EACH age group of both bucks and does. the younger bucks coming in first to try to beat the big boys to whats available and the younger does coming in last. come mid october to around christmas time if you shoot a doe you may not be seeing whats just behind the next tree. for what its worth, i saw a 140 class buck last week in indiana tending does. does that mean the rut is early this year?
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Post by greghopper on Sept 25, 2013 23:27:13 GMT -5
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on Sept 26, 2013 6:06:36 GMT -5
I think it will start right before bucks start chasing does and end before February. ;P I can never figure this one out, but I keep hearing from the "experts" that it will be late
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Post by steve46511 on Sept 26, 2013 6:47:56 GMT -5
Lots of good stuff here. Just a quick note.
I've often heard similar discussion mentioned locally and I think it was mentioned above (at least once) but locally at least, WAY too many call "The Rut" a time when they see the most buck movement (Pre-rut chasing).
To me TOO, I like this part best for hunting bucks, or at least if hunting a nicer one. (rare anymore) but "the rut" it isn't, but I don't say anything.
I prefer the chase phase more than the rut. Too many big boys are then locked up on a doe on and off, for a few days.
My old records showed me taking "A" buck within the first two weeks (Then season opened the 15 of Oct) Six years in a row, (and there was a LOT fewer deer in the woods then!) I had my buck by the end of the first week of bow season, 3 of which the first 3 days, but curiously the DAY I have taken most bucks is Nov 4th with some on Nov 5th. OPENING DAY of gun I've taken THE most bucks of course, but....it never falls on the same day each year.
It's easy for me to look at these records as "meaning something" but they might also indicate more info on WHEN I HUNTED, LOL! Dumbhead me, I didn't record days I hunted and didn't shoot one. DUH!
Same ol, Same ol......the best time to buck hunt is every minute you are able while conditions are "right" IMHO ONLY! 2 cents.....etc etc.
On this subject, Woody, an idea is coming your way via PM.
God Bless! GASP! 5 days and I just looked outside at the FOG, no wind, 48 degrees....I think MY neck is swelling! :-)
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Post by dbd870 on Sept 26, 2013 6:51:44 GMT -5
The Princess was born on Nov 7th. The weekend closest to her birthday has historically been one of my best weekends.
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Post by swilk on Sept 26, 2013 7:35:36 GMT -5
I have killed 2 bucks in October in the last 10 years.
October 31 2005.
October 28 2012.
Starting around October 20 i will hunt every evening M-F and both weekend days. I can do this until the time changes the first weekend in November. I always take off the week before gun comes in.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2013 7:55:09 GMT -5
Unscientific, just a personal observation but it really depends on the maturity of the buck you might shoot. If you satisfied with a 3.5 year old or younger the first week in Nov. will be your week. If you want an older class deer, then mid-Nov. seems to be mo' better. The absolute best rutting action I've seen is the 3 week period centered around T-giving day. Big bucks love to bred, but they also love to breath and have enough sense to not waste their time chasing warm does.
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Post by swilk on Sept 26, 2013 8:02:29 GMT -5
The two bucks I have killed in October were each 4.5 years old.
What you see and when you see it depends greatly on the property you are hunting.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2013 8:05:20 GMT -5
Maybe, because you can't see 5 yr olds unless you have them. But there's no doubt that baby bucks chase more and earlier in hopes of getting the jump on the older guys
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Post by swilk on Sept 26, 2013 8:10:28 GMT -5
No doubt ... the woods is crawling with 1.5-2.5 yo bucks cruising from mid October on.
On properties with low pressure and large "sanctuary" type areas you might catch older bucks earlier in the year than on other properties. Or maybe not.
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Post by jakester136 on Sept 26, 2013 9:55:04 GMT -5
all the of the mature bucks I have ever taken have been the week before gun season comes in; to be more exact they were all in the last two days before gun season. two on Thursday, and two on Friday, all in evening before opening gun Saturday. (three of them came after rattling, grunting sequence, one just happened to stop by): also seems to me the days were all drizzly, overcast, low wind mild days right before cold fronts.
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