The Rut.

Well it seems that the Whitetail rut has started here in Wisconsin. How about were you are?

I have been seeing bucks and does together for the last couple weeks off and on. I saw a thumper with a doe about mid week last week about 1/2 mile from the house. I had a small racked 6-8 with a doe cross the highway infront of me Friday afternoon. Thursday week before last I was cutting fire wood, and had a small racked buck again 6-8 with a doe bedded down under the tree top I had been cutting on the day before. I have seen a couple ground scrapes so far, but I have not been really out looking for them.
Acorns have been dropping the last couple weeks, and the deer are now back in the woods eating them. That has cut down on how many deer I have been seeing.
I had 2 does at the pond about 100 yards from the house just before dark last night.
I have 2 stands up. My ladder stand is over a single trail running across my property (35 yard shot). I have my swivel stand behind the house in a valley where multiple trails cross. At this spot 3 valleys merge into one about 1/2 mile from the creek.
This will be my first deer season that I am totally retired. I can spend every day of season, daylight till dark hunting if I want to. No (On Call) cell phone with me this deer season.

Sounds GLORIOUS! Best of luck this season.

+ 1!!

Things are getting fired up in MN as well. We are seeing scrapes ALL OVER. Couple of small bucks have been tailing the does, but they are too dumb or eager to realize it's too early. No shooters have been chasing yet, but soon......
Everything does seem a bit early this year.

Of course I hope to get one of the big boys with my bow before the shootin starts, but I really want to blood my 7 08 this year. The 5.5 Blackhawk with irons would be ok to:)

I plan on buying some bonus doe tags for the gun season. I didn't get any with my bow tag, because I wanted to save those for the handguns.

I love this time of year!!

all of this talk is driving me nuts! I have another month before WVa opening day......

bear comes in on 20 nov here PA cant wait have to keep poping squr/turky/ for now lol

Yeah, this year it starts on a Saturday -- the woods will be crowded!

yea got to fine a spot got some picked out hope they work.void/the pumkin heads all around lol

Man...I still need to put up a new stand! Talk about down to the wire. ML opens on Sat.

better get it on guitarpicva. going in about week to put out scouting cam my wife got me last santa day lol. hope to get some bear pics

Better get crackin'!

Bow season is underway here. It started Oct.15. Gun season doesn't open until Nov.20. Haven't had a chance to do anything this year. Haven't been bow hunting none. This is what I usually do nearly all year. But overtime at work hasn't allowed any of that this year. So, I made the choice to save my vacation days for gun season to try to score my first year handgun hunting. Our rut doesn't usually kick in until mid to later Jan. Last year I shot a buck chasing a doe on Jan.31. The last day of the season. Good luck to everyone.

Missed one with the bow yesterday in Bama hit an unseen limb through about a 10in opening. But rut is still a way off in the South wont kick in til late Dec. Which is good since there are still several fawns with spots still on them.

Starting pre-rut/rut here. Hunted last evening - I didn't do anything, but my buddy that I had put in a Oak grove bow stand saw 9, including 3 bucks chasing does. He was trying to let the air out of one of the big does, but they wouldn't stop, being harrassed the whole time by the bucks. Bucks weren't shooters, but give it a week or two, the big boys will be on the move.

Still about 3 weeks out here,maybe 4.

Nothing going on around here yet. The Mule Deer start rutting the second week of Nov. and the Whitetail around the third week.

The rut doesn't start for another month+ down here...

Got home just before 6:00 PM last night. I had 6 deer in the field just out of my yard when I drove in. They took off to the small pond which is about 100 yards from the house and hung out their for another 5 minutes while we watched them. No horns, but I still like watching them.
Deer Season starts here in Missouri 13 November, so I still have 2 weeks to go. I have 1 stand my brother will use that I plan to move, or atleast turn a different direction. I have both of my tree stands set up, and ready to go.
I still need to check out my 6.5x30 JDJ, and 35 Bullberry Contender Barrels, and make sure they are shooting OK, incase I decide to use one of them for my second tag. I am planning on using my 9.5" SRH 480 with a 30mm Ultra Dot for deer #1.