Driving Around Glassing 4F

[coonhunter]

I spent some time tonight glassing some fields in the vicinity of where I do most of my hunting. I saw 13 different bucks and all were in hard horn. Last week every buck I saw was still in velvet. Lots of does and fawns, some still had spots. All together I saw around 50-60 deer.

 

None of the bucks were huge, but about half of them were rack bucks with the biggest being an 8 with about a 16 inch spread. Definitely no shortage of deer.

[Jaeger]

Across the road in 40, I haven't seen many bucks yet but worse I haven't seen any rubs anywhere yet.

 

Velvet to horns now.   There should be some rubs around shouldn't there?

[Curmudgeon]

There has always been a significant difference between 4F and 4O. The winters seem to be harder on the deer in 4O even though weather and ground conditions aren't much different most of the time. Occasionally a noreaster will drop heavy snow in eastern Delaware that doesn't reach Otsego but that is infrequent. 4F is much more agricultural so deer may go into the winter in better shape. I wonder how food availability varies between units in the winter.

[coonhunter]

You are right Curmudgen. I was in an area of active farming. The area has lots of guts and evergreen areas to help deer in the winter cold and snow. For some reason the hunting pressure here has dropped off to very low the last few years, and the population continues to grow.

[HuntOrBeHunted]

I just found my first rub 2 days ago. It was super fresh. I'm on a rub hunt now lol.

[buckmaster9]

Just had my first pictures of hard horned deer a few days ago,but they all seem to be out of velvet. Also seeing lots fawns with spots still.

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[coonhunter]

On the farm I am hunting in Edmeston, the chase is on. Bucks are showing in the daylight in full pursuit mode. Vacation this week, so maybe I can have a little luck with one of the older bucks.

[Curmudgeon]

Same in Burlington. Things are hot right now.

[virgil]

It's killing me to have to wait until this weekend.  Hope things are still hot on for the opener and that I didn't miss the rut entirely. 

[Curmudgeon]

I watched a 2 buck 1 doe interaction late today. Things are still happening.

[coonhunter]

Hot and heavy until about 9:00 this morning, and then still for a couple hours, only to pick back up a little after 11:00. I saw at least seven different bucks, and some of those several times. Real exciting day in the woods. 

[hunterdan44]

Where r u coon?

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[hunterdan44]

Oops should have read the whole string. I'm in 4-0 not back in woods till Thursday bad forecast but we'll see .

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[coonhunter]

As hot as it was yesterday, I saw two fawns come through a little after seven this morning, and that was it. Sat dark to dark. Unbelievable.