Rut Report

[Haywood]

This is the thread to post the signs of the rut you are seeing in North Carolina.
 
Tonight I heard a buck grunt several times nearby but he never came into sight. He must have been following a doe because grunts nor snort wheezing would draw him in. A few nights ago I saw a buck hanging close by a doe so seems to me the rutting action is about to explode. I'm going to try my best not to get fired from work but it is mighty hard not to be in the woods right now.
 
Good luck to all.

[Hawgnman]

Monday night last week, Oct. 26th, I saw a doe being chased by a buck(?) off to my far left. They were moving so fast that I didn't get a good look. Tonight I was in the same stand and saw nothing. Bummer!

But here is the guy hanging around that stand...

[Haywood]

That is a tall racked buck. Hopefully he will show during daylight in the next couple of weeks. Good luck getting a shot at him.

[gcgarner]

I watched a very old big-bodied 5 pointer hang around about 6 does at my corn feeder at 8:30 this morning. He didn't seem interested in anything but the corn. Some of the does seemed to be fighting with each other a little. I don't know what this means.

Here is a couple photos of the "big boy" in my area. The first photo is at the feeder. Later, I found a pretty hot scrape and put my camera on it and got the second photo (at 5:47 p.m. !!) Keep in mind that this is NOT a huge deer, but for my area in Western, N.C., he is a brute. The split brow tine makes me want him on my wall pretty bad.

In my area (Morganton), the rut doesn't seem to kick into gear until late November. But this guys is scraping now.

[Brute750i]

Ive seen some chasing as of 11/13 here in wake co. This morning had an aggressive 6pt respond to a estrus bleat call. Things are looking right on schedule for a traditional rut likely to come into full swing in the week of 11/16/09...

Get your guns ready and clothes washed because this year NC has lots of big bucks that will be traveling!!

They say a buck can travel 4000 acres during the rut so if you've got does you'll likely have a buck!

[Chugbug]

Just returned from Granville County.  I got a nice 8 pointer trailing a doe and then my son got an even nicer 8 pointer chasing a doe.  I bet it's really getting right down there this week.  Back here in Western NC, it does not seem to me that much of anything is happening yet.  I think that we really need some cold weather to get it all "cooking".

[gcgarner]

What's going on with the rut? As in lack of? Is it the warm weather or what? There is absolutely NO rut activity here as far as I can tell. Perennial scrape areas that usually get really active around the 2nd-3rd week of November are not even opened up yet. Just a scrape and a rub here and there. Small bucks seem to be chasing a little, but not too much.

[Chugbug]

Same here.  I gotta believe it's the warm weather.  This will probably make the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the Western Region firearms season better.  The either sex week could be good, but I am not too hopeful for next week.  Either they are not rutting or they are gone...!  They are still eating, so their not gone.  Good luck and I hope they kick in before it's too late.

[gcgarner]

Riddle me this:

Took the bow in the woods one last time this morning. I hunted on a 100-acre section of woods behind my house. At about 7:30, I had nine deer come from behind me. 7 does, 1 button buck, and 1 young 4-pointer. The 4-pointer was bringing up the rear, but still part of the group. I've seen him with this group of does/fawns all summer.

One of the does must have got a whiff of a leaf or branch I rubbed on the way to my stand, because she sniffed a sapling, blew, and 6 of the does took off. The 4-pointer, button buck and small doe stayed behind. They were about 15 yards from my stand. The 4-point acted nervous, and checked me out pretty good, but I never made a move and he slowly started feeling comfortable again. He browsed a little more and made his way 10 yards in front of me, then took a turn behind some brush and went on his way to the bedding area. I could have EASILY killed him, but I let him walk. The button buck and small doe still lingered behind. About 8:00, my wife left to go shopping and let the dog out. So, shortly after that, here comes my dog, Emma (I'm a good 200 yards behind my house ... she just wanders the woods sometimes). So, poof, the deer see her and they're gone.

But my question is: Why is this small buck still sticking with this group of does, just like he did during the summer? It's like he's just "one of them". Is it still too early for him to be separating? Is he too young? Does he have an identity crisis? Is he gay?

I know this deer is 1-1/2 years old. Watched him last year as a very small fork-horn. His antlers are nearly black, very pretty deer. I'd like to see what he becomes.

But ... is the rut just THAT slow that he's hanging out and feeding with the does just like during the summer? There was no chasing, no grunting, no sign of rut activity AT ALL with this deer. He was just hanging out.

What's your take on this?

[Brute750i]

seems weird he would still be sticking around. is he the biggest buck in the woods youre hunting?