Rut Activity?

[Splaker]

I have not seen a single deer but heard them about a week+ behind my stand... very frustrating as I seem to miss the main rut every year! I wish i had more time to hunt!

Would you guys venture to guess that it'll be potentially good until late November (in terms of horny, careless bucks coming out at all hours)? Hoping to book off some full day bow hunts in the next week or two..

[SongDog]

I have not seen a single deer but heard them about a week+ behind my stand... very frustrating as I seem to miss the main rut every year! I wish i had more time to hunt!

Would you guys venture to guess that it'll be potentially good until late November (in terms of horny, careless bucks coming out at all hours)? Hoping to book off some full day bow hunts in the next week or two..

They gotta still feed. If you can hunt where the does will be feeding your in the best spot. If any does weren't bred in the first rut they come back into heat around 30 days later and you can bet the bucks wont be far away. New bucks cruisin the area will be chasing them around and you could see them anytime of the day.

[bassboy19]

Buck I took on Halloween was fighting right before I took him, neck was real swollen and he absolutely reeked! Definitely full swing rut in my unit (87) but I have yet to see any real chasing, just cruising resident and transient bucks

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[onelessarrow]

Actually weather has no effect on breeding dates at all. It's all about photoperiod. Now weather can certainly affect daytime activity levels, but bucks will be breeding does at around the same dates every year regardless.

But that's a different thread...


Cheers

A whitetail buck's body can overheat on the plus side 5'c.
He will limit the amount of searching he does rather then risk heat exhaustion, whether it's daytime or night time.
It has an effect.

[Marker]

Buck I took on Halloween was fighting right before I took him, neck was real swollen and he absolutely reeked! Definitely full swing rut in my unit (87) but I have yet to see any real chasing, just cruising resident and transient bucks

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I am in 87 and noticed the same thing, I put some corn down out in my feeder tubes on Sunday (yesterday) and plan to get out this weekend now the guns are gone.

[budfish]

A whitetail buck's body can overheat on the plus side 5'c.
He will limit the amount of searching he does rather then risk heat exhaustion, whether it's daytime or night time.
It has an effect.

Agreed. Depends on how we define the rut. Does will come into estrous based on shortening days- Photoperiod (or whatever its called) but it takes 2 to breed. Buck movement definitely based on weather. When we get the cold front with the perfect timing- that's when the magic happens, and we better be out there!

[bcxextreme]

Today I was at my spot just to grab a camera i had in the bush. On the road going in about three fields over a super nice buck (likely 8 ptr) crossed the road in front of me. He went into a field on the other side of the road and stopped to look at me for a few seconds then put his nose to the ground and continued on his way.This was at 11.30 am. I decided to go back for an afternoon sit. I got there at 1.30 and he was right in the cornfield I drive into. Nose to the ground paid no attention to me.He only looked up as I stalked him and got a couple hundred yrds away.Looked at me for a few seconds and hopped into the adjoining field where we cant hunt. Didnt see him after that.

[fuel80guy]

I saw 5 does last night without any bucks and saw another 4 does this evening with no bucks.
I find it odd this time of year that no bucks were around these does.
I was watching both groups of does for half hour each.

[smitty55]

A whitetail buck's body can overheat on the plus side 5'c.
He will limit the amount of searching he does rather then risk heat exhaustion, whether it's daytime or night time.
It has an effect.

Like I said, high temps can affect daytime activity with temps like last week now that they have their fall coats. Nights are cool enough. That's why guys were getting their buck pics at night. This week is different as the breeding time gets that much closer. Now they're chasing even during the day as the girls are getting prime. They go into estrous at the same time every year, and if the big lads want to get lucky they better be there at the right time, or some other guy will, weather be damned. The buffet line only opens up once a year.



On a side note to my response, according to the annual Field and Stream best days of the rut to hunt, this Wednesday is the #1 day to hunt. Rut activity is high, and with the new moon high in the sky during the day activity levels should be good all day long, so have your lunch in the bush. Although around here it's a solid east wind for 30 hours starting on Tuesday. Yech, my least favorite wind for sure. Oh well, wet leaves make for good still hunting...

Good luck out there this week. Cheers