Opinions on the Rut (early or late?)

rlhans00

Spike
What stage do you guys see? We have hunted every week since mid October and haven’t really seen any signs of chasing or seeking. We have the bucks on camera eating and the does don’t seem to be getting any pressure. I’ve never seen it like this. I’m hunting Guilford County.


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snappymike

Spike
Just watched a nice buck chase 2 does for 200 yards across a powerline and into the woods from my buddy's deck. Buncombe County.
 

davidson county

Eight Pointer
I have only seen one chase in the woods. but by the look beside the roads I travel. something has their mind on other things.
 
Blades

Blades

Six Pointer
The past few years I’ve hunted in Cabarrus, thanksgiving week to 2nd week in December I see good action. Even saw chasing into late January last year. I think there were some articles of an early rut starting around November 4th....don’t think their models were indicative of an early rut from my perspective. I hunted archery in September and October and saw little action last week in October but just a bunch of small bucks. Mid November my winter bucks from last year and new guys started showing up. Should get better from here but then again, the big guns are out and a lot of deer are dropping.
 
Thutty-thutty

Thutty-thutty

Eight Pointer
I shot a 10 pt yesterday at noon in Ashe County chasing a doe & I saw small 8 pt around 7:30 chasing, but around 9:00 I had 5 doe come to bait without a sign of any bucks. I also spotted 2 doe out of breath going across the ridge but nothing was trailing. On camera I've had bucks in bait during all hours morning and night. I believe the best part of the rut just started these last few days.


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Lucky Clucker

Lucky Clucker

Old Mossy Horns
Had one chase a,Doe,yesterday, and 3 weeks,ago had 2 different. Chases,and seen a buck breed a Doe,last week, it is,drawn out around here.
 
appmtnhntr

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Hunted 4 counties this week.
Between that and my buddies, here's what we've seen.

Full on rut in Burke and McDowell counties. Getting hot in Wilkes
Already over and done with in Avery and watauga.
Full on in Ashe, and not started yet in Alleghany.

Buddies killed /seen bucks in Forsyth and guilford that aren't even starting to stink yet
 
ScottyB

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
rlhans00 said:
What stage do you guys see? We have hunted every week since mid October and haven’t really seen any signs of chasing or seeking. We have the bucks on camera eating and the does don’t seem to be getting any pressure. I’ve never seen it like this. I’m hunting Guilford County.


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How many days have you hunted every week and how many hours of each day? I have logged more hours in a tree this year than ever before.... im talking probably close to 250 hours ...... have not witnessed a chase yet this year.....I go lots of years and never see it from the stand... guess what I am saying is dont plan to see it each year.... its just a bonus if you do.... neither of my bucks this week were with does!!

Its been on in Guilford since Nov 8....... I posted seeing a giant off hwy 74 pushing a doe in a bean field.... just cause you didn’t see it doesnt mean it ain’t happened
 
sky hawk

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I rarely see any chasing, and when I do it is by the young bucks before it gets started. I'm not sure if it's the type of cover or herd dynamics we have or what, but visible chasing is nonexistent around us.

I can tell when it's happening though because the big doe groups get split up. There are a lot of single does and fawns by themselves, and a lot more overall activity. Based on that, it's winding down as usual around here. Starting to get big doe groups on camera again, and bucks on camera just dropped off the last two days, based on the card I pulled yesterday.

There's still probably some bucks roaming for the last few does, but it's getting ready to go dead as usual.
 
aya28ga

aya28ga

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Does & fawns are together and I haven't seen a buck on camera since early last week. I'd say it's pretty much past peak here in Warren county.
 

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
In beaufort we have tons of does and we will see some young bucks pushing does but its rare to see full out chasing. I've only seen it maybe 2 to 3 times at the club. The 7pt I killed this year I heard grunting off to my left a few times. Then a doe crossed the lane and he was trailing by about 15 minutes or so. Certainly not pressuring or pushing her.
 
Quackman

Quackman

Twelve Pointer
Took video of a small buck breeding a doe several times on Wednesday in Beaufort co. Wednesday and Thursday down here was the most rut action I have seen all year.


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shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
Quackman said:
Took video of a small buck breeding a doe several times on Wednesday in Beaufort co. Wednesday and Thursday down here was the most rut action I have seen all year.


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We usually see rut type behavior the first week or two of the season. This year it seemed to be the first week of november.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
We've seen very little this season. Saw a good buck chase aroind Oct 20. That's been it except for little tiny bucks chasing. Lots of bucks on cam last week in October and first week of Nov but nobody really saw any good chasing like we used to. Does are herded up and no color or stink to tarsals.

Land has changed so much here with more cutover than anything. Think it all happens in the nasty thickets and we just don't see it anymore. Not as much fun to hunt as it used to be. This is Northern Caswell.
 
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rlhans00

Spike
ScottyB said:
How many days have you hunted every week and how many hours of each day? I have logged more hours in a tree this year than ever before.... im talking probably close to 250 hours ...... have not witnessed a chase yet this year.....I go lots of years and never see it from the stand... guess what I am saying is dont plan to see it each year.... its just a bonus if you do.... neither of my bucks this week were with does!!

Its been on in Guilford since Nov 8....... I posted seeing a giant off hwy 74 pushing a doe in a bean field.... just cause you didn’t see it doesnt mean it ain’t happened
Click to expand...

Man! I’m not even close to logging those kind of hours. Maybe if I had an understanding wife [emoji23] Thanks for your post.....makes a lot of sense.


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ScottyB

ScottyB

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
rlhans00 said:
Man! I’m not even close to logging those kind of hours. Maybe if I had an understanding wife [emoji23] Thanks for your post.....makes a lot of sense.


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What helps is my sons love to hunt and the wife is all about what they want to do..... so win win for me!
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
Had an 8 point on camera chasing does off corn in front of my camera. Sad part was this happened at 5:00 pm and he headed in direction of one of my stands.


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Redeye

Redeye

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
We started seeing the first chasing on Thanksgiving morning here in Forsyth. Only young bucks though.hoping next week it gets real good!
 

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
I watched a big buck chase a doe behind my dads house 2 Saturdays ago, followed by another small buck. I have had does on camera and then about 5 minutes or so later there is a buck since late September. Buck I killed Thanksgiving day was rutted up and stinking to high heavens.
 
woodmoose

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
rlhans00 said:
What stage do you guys see? We have hunted every week since mid October and haven’t really seen any signs of chasing or seeking. We have the bucks on camera eating and the does don’t seem to be getting any pressure. I’ve never seen it like this. I’m hunting Guilford County.


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It was over 3 weeks ago,,,,hang it up and go fishing,,,,
 
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