2012 Rut Topics

[umpiremark]

In my humble opionion ... I think this weekend - pre-Halloween weekend - is stacking up to be the unofficial start of the pre-rut here in Wisconsin. With warm temps since Sunday and a big cold snap coming Friday, I think things are really gonna pop.

My thought was to use this thread to inform all our fellow WI hunters, what's happening in your neck of the woods with the start of the rut.

Are you seeing scrapes? Rubs? Are bucks cruising, looking?

What's working for you? Grunting? Rattle sequences? Scents?

List where you hunt in WI, what you're seeing each hunt and discuss your observations.

Should be a fun couple of weeks.

[Gafrage]

I have been seeing does being pushed by mature 3.5 year olds Monday, the 22nd.

I had several bucks fighting in front of my stand Sunday night, even with the warmer temps, the bucks were still on their feet and moving during daylight hours.

I've rattled in bucks every night, but it doesn't seem that they are responding to grunting much, but I do hear grunting and snort wheezing almost every time out. The key to getting them close so far, has been a good old set of rattling antlers.

By my neck of the woods, Central Wisconsin, I've had constant buck movement during daylight hours since the 15th of Oct...and it basically started on camera since Oct. 13th. Sure, earlier were smaller bucks, but there were mature bucks mixed in and now its pretty much every shape and size of bucks.

Every time out since Monday the 15th I've seen bucks except Tuesday night. That's a huge turn around since not seeing 1 buck all season long and just seeing does and fawns, so to me, and what I've observed, the "pre-rut" has already started in most parts of the state, and bucks are already travelling long distances to sniff around and sort out some pecking orders.

Its only going to get better.

Good luck.

[ChuckNorris]

Lots of early rubs this year. Been seeing them for a month, but more and more continue to pop.

Scrapes just now starting to show up in the plots. One of our "perennial" scrapes has been getting worked over for a month or so. Trail cam on it shows mostly does and smaller bucks.

Around Oct. 15th had a doe on camera waving her white flag and a minute or so behind her was a smaller buck.

Hunted last weekend and saw some action but not a whole lot. Buddy of mine watched a smaller buck cruise the edge of an oak ridge in the early afternoon. Never slowed/stopped to eat, look around, or anything. Head was low but not down on the ground.

Hope to make it back up there next weekend. Probably will miss it by a couple days like always.

Juneau County

[umpiremark]

My son and I hunted Friday through Monday up at Necedah. While we did see some scrapes opened, some small one larger, we did not see a lot of rutting activity. Most all buck pics we got had little to no color on their hocks. We saw families of does feeding, yet. We have one pic of a buck dogging a doe, but she looks about as uniterested as my wife on bowling night!!!

I managed to grunt in a spike (actually a spork - spike + fork) but no other calling seemed to work at all.

From 10/21 to 10/25 we had 30 pictures of 13 different bucks on our food plots. Mostly spikes, sporks and little hat racks. Two nice bucks (posted on Trail Cam thread) but way late at night.

Checking cameras again, from 10/25 to 10/29 we had 18 more pics of 12 different deer, 8 of which were on camera 10/21-10/25.

We expected more movement this past weekend. The cold front that went through Friday, crystal clear nights, teen a.m. temps and calm winds. But we had little to no movements and zero bucks (expect Spork). Does were feeding on the turnips right at dusk, with very few on camera during the days, either.

I'm thinking it's time to get off green crops and get into the woods deeper. Bucks must be skirting by scent checking? I guess ...

Thoughts?

[unclebuck]

Went out last night (monday) and tonight and saw a real small spike last night and nothing tonight. Been doing a little grunting to no avail. Going out every night this week, so hopefully it picks up a bit. Or a lot.

[bouhntr]

going to try and get my butt out of bed tomorrow morning, holloween morning, hopefully i'll see that monster buck we all are searching for .or at least see some deer. even with the full moon, being it's cloudy out, i'm hoping the deer will be moving during the day instead of staying out all night. It will be windy out so that to might be an issue.we will just have to see. good luck everybody. be safe

[camoman]

I have been seeing a lot of young bucks harrassing does the last week. Plus they have been doing lots of rubbing and scrapes. Most mature bucks had no interest in the does yet. That is the key word, yet. The end of this week and the beginning of next week is going to really heat up. With the harvest full moon tonight, that will trigger the action. So strap into your stands and get ready to rock!
I am in eastern Wi, in Sheboygan county.
Randy

[Retch Crabtree]

"pre-rut" started weeks ago. Actual rutting activity will begin to spike this upcoming weekend and will run for the first 3 weeks of Nov as does come into esterous. Just like every year.

[buckwild]

Last Sunday (Oct 28) I had a 2.5 yo 8 pointer come in at about 9:45 and move quickly to the ridge in front of me about 70 yds to the north (N wind). i turned my can call over twice and put it away. A doe popped out on the other side of the ridge and headed right for me. She gave me multiple shots but I figured the buck would follow. I was half right. A really nice buck must have already been with her because he came in and stopped at about 35 yards facing her (and me). She nibbled on some leaves and the wind spun around on me. She caught my wind and took off back from where the first 8 pointer came from with both bucks following close behind.

I figured the first deer I saw was out cruising and when he saw deer he came in quickly to say hi. The bigger buck was doing the same and had already hooked up with the doe.

Im am just south of the border in Winnebago, IL

[ChuckNorris]

At sunset on Saturday I had a forker working a trail hard and fast. Nose to the ground practically running. He was not on a doe because I had been on that stand all day and didn't see any doe. I stopped him at the base of my stand with a grunt. Squirrels took of down the trail and there he went, I think he was hoping the noise was from a doe. I grunted some more and he circled back around to me.

Sunday at 4pm I had a decent 6 pointer come by, opposite direction as the forker. He was not going as quick and head was not to the ground. Stopped him with a grunt, 15 yards broadside (estimated it at 20). Put the 20 pin on him and shot high. May have also hit a twig but he was only a couple feet behind it so I don't think it would've changed the arrow path much, if at all. I believe the 15 yard pin would have taken him. Hunting with an older/slower bow so yes the difference between a 15 and 20 yard pin is very noticeable on a 20 yard shot.

Interesting discovery on the trail cam. 3 doe go down the trail with the last one taking a pee. 10 minutes later a young buck walks down the trail. Steps over where the doe had taken a pee. Turns around sniffs the area. Looks around for a minute and then continues after them. Another 20 minutes go by and an 8 pointer follows the same trail.

Status of the rut in the Necedah area = who the heck knows