Think there is going to be a early rut this year?

[Buckfever85]

What do you guys think? I am sure that part of the rut is based on the amount of hours of daylight in a day. But cooler weather has alot to do with it as well. My terms of thinking is we will see the rut start to peak earlier in bow season as the nights have been cool this summer. Were i hunt on the western edge of the catskill mtns rut is usally peaking the last week of bow season.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I think there will be...a rut... this year.

[132 eight pointer]

I think there will be...a rut... this year.

    I've given up trying to figure the rut out.The best advice is go hunting whenever possible because you can't predict what will happen.And don't try to figure the rut out so much that it takes the enjoyment out of hunting.I have had more enjoyment and success by not having a plan and then just winging it.   

[Buckfever85]

I always spend as much time as i can in the woods but i still like to make wildlife observations ike this. Also when i have seen the most big bucks. But i am not a antler hunter i hunt for the sport but mostly for the meat.

[132 eight pointer]

I'm with you, if it is steaks or antlers I'll take the steaks every time.It doesn't hurt to record movement ,weather etc. I just have a limited number of days to hunt  and have been in the woods when I thought I should see deer and saw none,or didn't expect to see any and got run over.I'm sure it depends on pressure as well.I still call my hunting buddies and say things like " I read this weekend should be good".

[Buckstopshere]

Nope. It is not going to be an early rut this year, it is going to be right on time.  ;D

[First-light]

Wether its early or late work dictates when I take off. This year like last will be a 4 day weekend around Nov 4th. Last year at that time I had bucks chasing does. Ruts a hard thing to zero in on, many factors go into it all setting up to be a daylight activity. I'll tell you one thing, if you do hit it right it could be some awesome time in the woods!

[sweet old bill]

Pre rut Oct 10 thru Oct 29

Rut Nov 1 thru Nov 19

Just kidding who know it all deoend on the number of weather fronts that come thru and reduce the amount of light.

I ue to buy deer lure that was mfg in NY and the farmer would set the lights in the barm in July to reduce the light so the doe would change over in later Julyt so he could collet doe in rut pee.

[nyantler]

Who really knows when the rut will happen? It's always a crap shoot and the rutting window is sometime short or long... if anyone could really predict how it is going to play out each year... there would be a greater percentage of hunters taking bucks each year.. that is not the case...

[First-light]

Who really knows when the rut will happen? It's always a crap shoot and the rutting window is sometime short or long... if anyone could really predict how it is going to play out each year... there would be a greater percentage of hunters taking bucks each year.. that is not the case...

That is the truth!

[huntography]

Hi guys!

Deer & Deer Hunting has, in my opinion, has done a good job of making some rut forecasts over the years. Listen to Charlie talk about this year's peak of the rut - around Nov 10.

http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/2011-rut-predictions

I did an interesting post showing how the peak of the rut coincides with online google searches - they peak at the same time:

http://www.huntography.com/2011/08/11/how-peak-of-rut-coincides-google-searches-for-deer-hunting/

Ultimately, what I do is just spend as many days in the woods as I can. Weather permitting of course.

Rudy

[Geno C]

who knows when the rut will begin...

[Buckstopshere]

My track record for predicting the main peak of the rut is 100% for the last 12 years.  But knowing the peak of the rut and scoring on a buck does not necessarily correlate. A lot of times, the arrow misses...we hold out for that bigger buck...or work/life gets in the way and we can't be in the woods at that peak time. The main peak is a crazy time in the woods and just being there does not guarantee a kill.

[Doc]

I suppose that the first thing you have to do is define which phase of the rut you are talking about. When the time comes that the bucks are chasing does over every hill and valley, I really can't say that I have had a lot of luck. And when that part of the rut is in full force, luck is all you can call any success. That's the time when you see bucks of all sizes that you have never seen before and they are running at a full trot (makes for a lousy shot) after a doe through the middle of the woods, nowhere near any trail and nowhere near where you are standing. That's a pretty tough deal for a bowhunter. Not exactly my favorite kind of deer hunting.

[Buckstopshere]

You are absolutely right, Doc.

But the peak of the rut to me, and I think to most deer hunters is when the bucks are really running, chasing does. This crazy running time only seems to last for a couple days, and then settles down.  It's a ball seeing all the action!

However, I usually kill my buck just prior to that time, or just after when the bucks lock down with the does.

[Doc]

You are absolutely right, Doc.

But the peak of the rut to me, and I think to most deer hunters is when the bucks are really running, chasing does. This crazy running time only seems to last for a couple days, and then settles down.  It's a ball seeing all the action!

However, I usually kill my buck just prior to that time, or just after when the bucks lock down with the does.

Yeah.....I can only remember one buck that I ever killed during that "crazy-time". A doe ran by about 50 yards away, so I quickly re-positioned myself into a near collision course with the trailing buck. He nearly ran me over, but stopped dead still at 10 yards broadside when he winded me. I had already drawn from behind a huge blowdown. I think calling that a stupid blind luck situation would be understating it a bit. Other than that one time, all other sightings during all that running occurred out of bow range and offered no shots. So I really try to get my deer before all that nonsense starts.

[Buckfever85]

Ok i guess it would be the pre rut time just before everything goes crazy when you start seeing bucks you have never seen before and they are acting real stupid and looking for that hot doe but not on the chase yet.

[growalot]

You are absolutely right, Doc.

But the peak of the rut to me,  and I think to most deer hunters is when the bucks are really running,  chasing does. This crazy running time only seems to last for a couple  days, and then settles down.  It's a ball seeing all the action!

However, I usually kill my buck just prior to that time, or just after when the bucks lock down with the does.

that sums it up for me...great watching and a tad frustrating...Ive had buck running doe right under my stand...but moving deer for me on a bow shot...well they can just keep right on moving....and It's always the doe that stops under the stand while the buck waits just out of range for her to decide where to move......most takes are early when the boys are more concerned with each other

[G-Man]

Cooler wether will create more daytime movement earlier in the season but this isnt rutting, rut breeding period is when the bucks are with does and as the term is used "locked down" i like hunting 10-14 days before as the bucks arn't chasing but are checking doe groups looking for the first one to come into heat. watching bucks chase does all over is fun but as its bow season i want them as perdictiable an not wired up as possible! thats why i really hope they open it oct 1 next year as bucks can still be in their summer patterns an in bachlor groups. no more i saw him all summer then he dissappeared! two weeks before the season!

[nyantler]

Ok i guess it would be the pre rut time just before everything goes crazy when you start seeing bucks you have never seen before and they are acting real stupid and looking for that hot doe but not on the chase yet.

The pre-rut is always better in my opinion... the bucks are searching more than chasing... they are usually much easier to call and moving much slower when you see them.

[phade]

Seeing bucks go all wonky is pretty fun.

I've killed a few bucks during that time, but far more in that last weekend of October to November 6-7 timeframe. That second/third week of bow can be exciting if the temps are nice and cool...I don't usually get out to hunt much that final week of bow M-F before gun season because I usually burn up my vacation the first two weeks of the season. Before bowhunters lost that last weekend, it was either a great weekend or a tough hunting weekend based on the rut activity...some years it was great with plenty of bucks chasing. In other years, it was the traditional lockdown and buck sightings were usually sporadic when they were in-between does or so tight to the ones they were locking down that you couldn't make much of a play on them.

One of the biggest bucks seen in my life while in the woods was that last Sunday afternoon before the final Monday gun opener. He had a doe locked down and I had two choices to get to a particular stand. I chose the wrong path and bumped both of them up heart-attack style. Other trail would have led me safely to the stand and things may have been different since they were almost borderline bow range when bedded.

[nyantler]

I agree... Seeing bucks go all wonky is pretty fun.

[gjs4]

The chase phase of the rut primarily falls the first full week of November..... use a field diary and youll agree

[wdswtr]

The chase phase of the rut primarily falls the first full week of November..... use a field diary and youll agree

Funny you mention the field diary.  At camp last year we were going over our notes on the rut and the conclusion we all came to was that we have noticed the rut getting later over the years.  Diary is at camp or I would look at it right now and throw some dates down.  Its wasnt really noticible until we wnet back quite a few years but it indeed is what we have seen.  Use to get the rut during late bow but now its been falling during the first of the gun season on my hill.  But then again you get like 20 different descriptions when you ask 40 guys to expalin what the rut is. 

[Doc]

The chase phase of the rut primarily falls the first full week of November..... use a field diary and youll agree

Funny you mention the field diary.  At camp last year we were going over our notes on the rut and the conclusion we all came to was that we have noticed the rut getting later over the years.  Diary is at camp or I would look at it right now and throw some dates down.  Its wasnt really noticible until we wnet back quite a few years but it indeed is what we have seen.  Use to get the rut during late bow but now its been falling during the first of the gun season on my hill.  But then again you get like 20 different descriptions when you ask 40 guys to expalin what the rut is.

Well, it's all that damn global warming that Al Gore is always talking about.