Observations on the rut in PA

[Jappel]

I live in Butler, about an hour north of pittsburgh. I hunted HARD all archery season. Saw no chasing or searching on the farm I hunt. Corn didnt get cut till thanksgiving day. I truly believe that the full blown rutt happens between archery and rifle season. Oh and bye the way I dropped an eight point all bye himself in a cut cornfield on the first day of rifle! Saw a family group of does that day.......nothing on their trail! I would really like to hear from my fellow pennsylvania hunters. Going red tag hunting for does tomorrow(february 6th}

[roughrider 123]

Saw nice 2.5 year olds hanging with does end of october, good rut action after 1st week of november. Killed 8pt wed. of 2nd week. After setting up in a new area for a doe, I got 8 different bucks on camera from christmas to late jan. I have a new stand hanging in that area for 2010 season.

roughrider out.

[tex3012]

hahaha its funny but i agree !!

[roughrider 123]

1st. scrapes of the year laid down in last 3 days. I am curious as to how this rut plays out according to D and D hunting predictions for late nov. rut this year. I am running 4 cameras trying to figure moon phase movement with actual weather conditions. Damn cameras are almost addicting. We have a 3 1/2 year old minimum in the club this year so I will be hunting most of the open season. I have always seen a rut burst between oct 6th and 10th. I will post results as I obtain them.

Roughrider out.

[BlountArrow]

Man, I just dont know what to do this year...
I mean I'm like most people in that I can't step out my back door and be in the woods.  I live in TN but for the past 2 years I make the trip to PA in November to hunt for a week in efforts to catch the rut in SouthWest PA.  And, then of course, I come back for the opening day of rifle season and hunt a few days there.  Like most people, I have a limited amount of time available to take off from work and I'm just trying to pin point when in November would be the best week to catch the rut or at the very least optimize my time in the woods.  I'm almost wondering if instead of coming the 1st week of November if I should be concentrating on later November like 3rd or 4th week.  I just dont know what to expect in PA based on last years spotty rut.  I have locals telling me the 1st week of Nov is generally good and then I see a lot of posts pointing me in the direction that maybe the latter part of November would be better this year.
Help a brother out...what are your thoughts?

[ajkrem22]

1st. scrapes of the year laid down in last 3 days. I am curious as to how this rut plays out according to D and D hunting predictions for late nov. rut this year. I am running 4 cameras trying to figure moon phase movement with actual weather conditions. Damn cameras are almost addicting. We have a 3 1/2 year old minimum in the club this year so I will be hunting most of the open season. I have always seen a rut burst between oct 6th and 10th. I will post results as I obtain them.

Roughrider out.

Roughrider

I was out this past weekend and saw the first scrape. Definitley just the start of things cause on other properties I am still seeing bucks together. Can't wait unitl Oct 2.

Man, I just dont know what to do this year...
I mean I'm like most people in that I can't step out my back door and be in the woods. I live in TN but for the past 2 years I make the trip to PA in November to hunt for a week in efforts to catch the rut in SouthWest PA. And, then of course, I come back for the opening day of rifle season and hunt a few days there. Like most people, I have a limited amount of time available to take off from work and I'm just trying to pin point when in November would be the best week to catch the rut or at the very least optimize my time in the woods. I'm almost wondering if instead of coming the 1st week of November if I should be concentrating on later November like 3rd or 4th week. I just dont know what to expect in PA based on last years spotty rut. I have locals telling me the 1st week of Nov is generally good and then I see a lot of posts pointing me in the direction that maybe the latter part of November would be better this year.
Help a brother out...what are your thoughts?

BlountArrow

It is so hard to predict the rut even though D and D makes it sound so easy sometimes. So many other factors come into play. If you truely agree with the moon phase thing, then this year is probably not going to be that great again for yo because they are saying it will be a trickle rut. Rutting is going to start very late Oct and go through the end of November. It will be almost impossible to pinpoint a good week if you follow this.

My thoughts are you should try and wait unitl a little closer to November before you pick your week. Try to find the first cold front moving through in Nov and thats the week I would hunt.

[BlountArrow]

Thanks for the info RoughRider.
Unfortunately, my job isn't that flexible so I'm going to have to make a decision on what week I can spend in PA real soon. I just dont know what to do. I guess if it is just going to trickle through it may not matter, but I dont know. Anybody else want to weigh in? Anybody hunting SouthWest PA?

[roughrider 123]

After looking over the moonrise/moonset schedule for November, I see that the moon rises mid to late morning during the 2nd week of november. I am on vacation that week and work 3-11 for the whole season so I should see whats going on out there this year. I prefer the last week of bow because of weather, I want cold weather below normal for the rut and the later the better for me. I work in an electric shop and 3 of us took bucks that week last year out of a total of 5 for the whole season. Rifle season this year may see some rutting but it will be nocturnal after monday morning flurry of hunting. I am really looking forward to december as we now have 4 weeks to bow hunt bucks late season and I got several large deer on camera after christmas last year.

roughrider out.

[ajkrem22]

Thanks for the info RoughRider.
Unfortunately, my job isn't that flexible so I'm going to have to make a decision on what week I can spend in PA real soon. I just dont know what to do. I guess if it is just going to trickle through it may not matter, but I dont know. Anybody else want to weigh in? Anybody hunting SouthWest PA?

Well if you can't wait to decide than I would go back and check any notes you have kept on previous seasons. If you have done better the first week than thats the week I would hunt. Either way good luck and keep us posted as to what you do and your results.

[roughrider 123]

Going over notes from last winter and have come across an exciting fact from last year during winter bow season. From december 27th to jan. 7th I caught 7 different bucks on camera at one single location. 2 large 3 year olds, 3-8pters, a 6pt and spike buck. This period fell into the seeking/chasing phase of the full moon for december 09 according to D and D rut predictions for the year. I'm really looking forward to that time again as it falls 12/17 to 12/28. The january time frame is 1/15 to 1/26. This is a thick 20 acre area in a farmland/woodlot/housing setting. We in 5c get 4 weeks of buck hunting winter bow this year.

Roughrider out.