What are you seeing? WHat are you hearing

lots of scrapes and rubs and been seeing lots of younger bucks harassing does the past few days. Was out with my son this morning he grunted in this young buck to 30 yards
http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/t...sfqapvuu3.jpeg

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Originally Posted by onelessarrow

I've been seeing rubs for the last couple/three weeks and have just started seeing scrapes this week.

I'm going to put my two cents into the weather debate. As there's a pile of research on this.

There's rutting activity and then there's breeding activity. In warmer weather you will see less rubs and less scrapes, that's a fact.
Deer have their winter coats now and if its too hot, it results in less rutting activity during the day.
Scrapes and rubs are territory markings for other bucks, not doe's.
Doe's go into estrous for a 24 to 26 hour period sometime during roughly the first 2 weeks of November depending on your area. What day a doe comes into estrous varies over that 2 week period.
If it's too warm, the breeding will happen at night, "but they will still breed".
The hormone levels related to daylight hours are for doe's, not bucks. It's the estrous scent of the doe that sexually arouses the buck.
So warm weather has little effect on breeding per say, but, much more effect on rut activity(scrapes and rubs) during the day.

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Totally disagree about hormone levels in bucks not changing do to seasonal changes, regardless of weather. We have always heard about testosterone levels skyrocketing as the fall season progresses, that's also what causes the swollen necks and rubbing and fights and pushes them to wander and check scrapes in search of hot does leaving messages.
Rubs are territorial for sure, but scrapes are more meant as "message boards" for does to visit than anything else. That's why they pee in them.

This from deermanagement .us Just sayin...
"Most of the major events in a buck’s life occur because of a single hormone, testosterone. For the most part, testosterone simply makes bucks more aggressive.
Under this assumption, you would guess that testosterone levels in whitetail bucks during the summer would be low—and you’d be right. However, testosterone levels increase into the fall, causing bucks to rub the velvet from their antlers and fight with brush, trees and each other into the rut. A doe in estrous is all the more reason to fight for breeding rights."

Cheers

Last week I had a doe on camera at a scrape. Minutes later a small 8 pt. Came in and hit the licking branch and freshend the scrape. The next morning the same event took place. The buck appears to be following the doe. This is all just upwind of some heavy bedding. All daylight hours for now.

Just got home driving into my laneway it’s half mile long through bush 6 does standing in drive one with tree branch in its mouth eating leaves


“When government becomes a law breaker, it breeds contempt for law”

Have managed to get out for evening hunts about a half dozen times. Seeing the same does and fawns every day. The bucks have been showing up on the camera only after legal light, but their patterns are shifting. At first they were active around midnight to 1 a.m., now they are showing up at about 15 to 30 minutes after legal shooting light.

Local OPP have issued warnings about deer on the move, reports of deer/vehicle colllisionss almost daily. Big buck hit last week, a buddy never made it to the stand yesterday he came across a car
/doe hit... free meat in the freezer and his tag still in the pocket. It's picking up, and lucky me just starting 5 weeks vacation and 2 tags in my pocket!

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Originally Posted by smitty55

Totally disagree about hormone levels in bucks not changing do to seasonal changes, regardless of weather. We have always heard about testosterone levels skyrocketing as the fall season progresses, that's also what causes the swollen necks and rubbing and fights and pushes them to wander and check scrapes in search of hot does leaving messages.
Rubs are territorial for sure, but scrapes are more meant as "message boards" for does to visit than anything else. That's why they pee in them.

This from deermanagement .us Just sayin...
"Most of the major events in a buck’s life occur because of a single hormone, testosterone. For the most part, testosterone simply makes bucks more aggressive.
Under this assumption, you would guess that testosterone levels in whitetail bucks during the summer would be low—and you’d be right. However, testosterone levels increase into the fall, causing bucks to rub the velvet from their antlers and fight with brush, trees and each other into the rut. A doe in estrous is all the more reason to fight for breeding rights."

Cheers

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I agree with this theory. Why else would bucks start their early rut phases in oct if does are not in heat til nov.

FINALLY seeing buc movement, Had a fork come in Friday eve and then again Saturday morning,
Have other smaller bucs on the cams during legal shooting
seeing lots of scrapes now too

Seen 4 does Yesterday morning and 1 nice buck following the 1 doe around came within 60 yards of me but no shot .
Lots of scrapes around the field edges

Hunted the last 3 days in WMU92.

Bucks are starting to move at last light & many doe & fawn pairs seen. Population is way up.

Back at it again this weekend. I have an additional archery seal & am enjoying bow hunting again in Ontario... :)