Best Rut dates '09

[bullwinkle]

Had a long conversation a few years back with the registration station owner in my area.  He told me the big bucks always get registered between Nov 2 and Nov 10th.  Historically my log showed the most important thing was weather followed by Nov 5,6,7,8 as the best days. Last year I hunted every day, Nov 2-Nov 8th.  The 60F weather killed my sightings.  I passed on about 10 bucks but it should have been many more and didnt even see a nice one
 
My friends said, it popped the week after I left.  This year I am thinking of taking vacation Nov 6-Nov 13th and leave my place quite the first week of Nov.  If the does settle in maybe my chances for a big buck will increase?   Some of my big time bowhunting friends claim the rut is getting later than in the past.  I remember the days when 10/31 was the first day you wanted to be in the woods, it really seems like this has changed
 
Interested in everyones perspective on the best days to be in the woods in Central Wis in Nov?  I know the right answer is everyone of them, which I hope to do someday.  Hate having to pick one week but such is life.  Thankful to have a job in this economy

[Nubs]

I know this year was a strange rut, I saw a lot of chasing the last week of Oct. In fact my friend shot a big nine on Oct 27th, the buck was out early following a doe. I did not see much action after that until the middle of Nov. There is a lot of research and evidence that states the rut kicks into to full swing around or after the first full moon in Nov. I also know that a great majority of all record book bucks entered into the P&Y every year are killed on the fist 10 days of Nov. My advice would be to hunt the first week and a half of Nov every year if you can.

Some things that can play a role in deer movement of course would be weather. Hopefully we can a nice cold snap every year during that time to really get things going but some years it has hit 70 degrees, that really slows things down as far as day time activity.

[bowhunter53]

I have bow hunted since 1969, I guided bow hunters from 89 to just last couple years, I hunt almost every day in the early season (evenings) and do hunt every day morning and evening starting about 10/25. If I had to pick one day it would be 11/7. As nubs said the last week of Oct. this year was cool and the activity was really picking up and than it got warm, which seemed to shut things down some what until about the fifth or sixth. Then in my area things really got going, as it usually does. Most of the really big bucks I have seen were after 11/4, so if I had 7 days I would chose 11/5 to 11/11. This is also the time period when my hunters took the biggest bucks.

[Goose]

I don't buy into the moon theory, to much variance for a proper fawn drop.
 
Starting on Halloween its great up to the 15th or so. If I had to pick one week this coming season it would be the 2nd through the 6th. You can count on pre-rut being under way and possibly some chasing. Scrape hunting would be good as would be hunting downwind of doe bedding areas. The bucks will be on the move.
It's been my experience that the first 2 weeks of Nov.  are great just depends on the weather if its at night or during hunting hours.

[buckhunter21]

I don't know about '09, but I'm a big CA fan and believe it's the second full moon after the autumn equinox.  Seems to work almost every year, BUT THIS PAST YEAR.  This past year was very different and I can tell you I didn't see much rutting activity for one reason or another...

[Goose]

If your a moon guy/gal, CA has predicted an early rut this year, late Oct, early Nov. to be best time.

[Demoderby4]

I, as buckhunter21 said, didnt see much action as per the dates CA predicted, i saw more rutting action oct 28th-Nov 6th, the woods were almost dead by mid nov where i was (rutting moon was the 14th or 15th in 08) so i guess it all depends on weather and other aspects as well, i had put a lot of faith into CA's predictions (i still have faith in them) last year was the first year that his predicetions seemed off for me, we'll see this year, if memory serves me right, seeking should start last week of oct this year (28th) and chasing will ensue the week after. That is for the northern half of the country at least.

[Goose]

Just a question, most people agree that it was off last year but most of the time he's on.....
Last year he predicted a late rut so it would be noticeable if his theory was right or wrong....
Now this year(09) he's predicting a early rut (late Oct. to early Nov) which should coincide with the average rut (in some peoples opinions. So how do you tell if he's right?
Last year was the year to prove the moon theory....and where I hunt it didn't seem to pan out as predicted...
 
I have the out-most respect for CA and look up to him in everything he's done but I disagree on this one.

[bullwinkle]

Goose - I agree with you.  The range of the full moon is 1 month.  I personally dont believe the range of the breeding rut over the cycle is 1 month.  I think the range of the breeding rut is about 1-2 weeks each year in Wis.  Between Nov 10-Nov 20 with a little overflow on each side.  Weather is the biggest influence in my opinion.

[bigwisconsinbucks]

I do believe in Charlie's moon theory. The rut usually is cranking here after the full moon as he predicts. It also does depend on the weather, but I think the moon plays a part also.