2020 Rut Report

[Canis Latrans]

Hey guys is anyone seeing any rut action yet? I'm asking people to post the rut related activity in their area in a clear and concise format. In the later phases it's important to describe the activity you actually saw, because it avoids confusion of people using terms such as seeking, chasing and peak rut differently. Over time, these threads will gather enough information specific to this state to help predict future ruts.

The below example is what I'm seeing and the format to be used. Lets help ourselves and each other better understand the rut and save it here for next year. If you are someone who has always thought about keeping a journal, but you never actually write stuff down, you may be surprised at how much what you write here can help you next year. 

Date:10/27/20

Area: Capital Region, around 4J
Phase: Pre Rut

Description: Limited movement during daylight. A few rubs have popped up but nothing much. I noticed a lot of new scrapes in the past few days. A trail cam shows a 2-3 year old buck with a swollen neck, but the video is at night at 10PM.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Canis Latrans

[buffalojay83]

10/25/2020

Area: WNY

Phase: PreRut

Description: Have young bucks ( a couple 1.5 year olds) following a doe, fawn, and spike for a few days on cam now.  This evening at about 5:55 spike gets grunted at by one of the 1.5 year olds, 1.5 year old comes in all bristled up and walking sideways to my grunt call.  Another trashy rack 1.5 year old comes in pushing a doe with a fawn and scrapes a few spots on his way  following her trail.  I have these same two bucks following her by my cell cam up to this am.  I have a real nice 9pt on cam all summer, he's been gone until 10/20 7pm, checking a heavily used doe trail. 

[cdbing]

10/25/20
1c (Suffolk County, LI) young bucks on their feet middle of the day following does. 10/24/20 &10/25/20 lots of new scrapes observed. Trail cam behind my house shows mostly nocturnal movement through 10/16/20. Sometime between 10/16 and 10/24 fresh rubs behind my house (camera battery died so cannot tell whether rub visited in daylight).

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[Steve D]

How about a 2020 DEER report. I have been hunting my tail off and not seeing any deer or deer sign period. Checked two cornfield edges the past couple of days with not a single track to be found. Any pictures on trail cams are at night and far & few between.

 Hardly any rubs, only a few scattered scrapes that are not getting freshened, and hardly any droppings. Most "historical" trails are covered in leaves and do not seem to be getting used.

[DirtTime]

25 minutes ago, Steve D said:

How about a 2020 DEER report. I have been hunting my tail off and not seeing any deer or deer sign period. Checked two cornfield edges the past couple of days with not a single track to be found. Any pictures on trail cams are at night and far & few between.

 Hardly any rubs, only a few scattered scrapes that are not getting freshened, and hardly any droppings. Most "historical" trails are covered in leaves and do not seem to be getting used.

Glad I'm not alone on that one. I started noticing less fresh sign before I headed north for a week. Not even a lot of fresh tracks in the mud.

 

At this point some snow would show fresh tracks better then the mud.

[Don_C]

9K- Went down to move a stand this afternoon. Scrapes are really opening up, fresh rubs popping up as well. We have plenty of sparing and some chasing on camera.


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[grampy]

4H Hilltowns of Albany County

Rubs and scrapes popping up more over the last week. Young bucks seen running doe's. But the girls want nothing to do with them.

[Hock3y24]

7s, Rubs and scrapes starting to show, little bucks still showing no interest in does. 

[mlammerhirt]

Starting to ramp up in 9h......scrapes popping up everywhere. My buddy shot a stud 10 140" last Friday after making his way across a field and working a scrape on the edge of a field.
Then at another property from Sat. Onto Sunday morning scrapes opened up all over the property. Here is a pic of one of the visitors.

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[Buckstopshere]

Time to be in the woods! As predicted, mature bucks are starting to be on their feet in the daytime. A few days ago, spike bucks were running does...all the excitement seems to bring the old guys out. 

[First-light]

I checked in with my neighbor in 8P. He stuck a nice 6 pt with a recurve! He said the deer are on their feet and bucks making all kind of sign. 

[Buckstopshere]

'Course anybody can get a good photo of a good buck on excursion. And it doesn't prove much, right? But here are a selection of bucks coming into one of my zip-tied scrapes. The times and dates are accurate. Other bucks hit it at nighttime. 

[Buckmaster7600]

The rut starts when the bucks decide their ready and the rut ends when the bucks decide to be done. That’s why ilI take 2 months off of work for deer season. The buck I killed 2 weeks ago was chasing a doe but I haven’t saw any actual rut activity since.


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[doebuck1234]

Took a quick walk along hedgerow yesterday to dispose of buck bones from butchering.bucks making scrapes along hedgerow with no branches/tall weeds or anything around it.havent checked cam yet,am excited to though!

[Rebel Darling]

Date:10/27/20

Area: 4L
Phase: Pre Rut

Saw some young bucks pushing does around.  Scrapes starting to pop up, same with rubs.  Not widespread.

[Whereareyoubuck]

On 10/28/2020 at 3:39 PM, Steve D said:

How about a 2020 DEER report. I have been hunting my tail off and not seeing any deer or deer sign period. Checked two cornfield edges the past couple of days with not a single track to be found. Any pictures on trail cams are at night and far & few between.

 Hardly any rubs, only a few scattered scrapes that are not getting freshened, and hardly any droppings. Most "historical" trails are covered in leaves and do not seem to be getting used.

Same here. By this time in past years, I will have seen several big bucks, in person as well as on the cameras. So far nothing even on the cameras. No deer poop, no scrapes, no rubs. 

[Kmartinson]

Scrapes opening up in 7r, still lil slow but def. Bumping and chasing. Daylight movement for smaller bucks and does. They have been tight to secure bedding and no ag field sign at all. There is food everywhere in the woods and leaves on the trees still. Our deer aren't coming to ag just yet.

[Dabills]

Finding fresh scrapes on field edges and just inside on well traveled paths. Witnessed first scraping activity in person on October 16. I'm in 8h.

[Dabills]

Can't figure out how to edit but wanted to add I found a fresh rub this morning about 50 feet from the house they're brave at night

[NYBowhunter]

On 10/29/2020 at 12:01 AM, Buckmaster7600 said:

The rut starts when the bucks decide their ready and the rut ends when the bucks decide to be done. That’s why ilI take 2 months off of work for deer season. The buck I killed 2 weeks ago was chasing a doe but I haven’t saw any actual rut activity since.


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Actually its the female of almost all animals that controls when the rut/ breeding will occur. Males of the animal kingdom can and will breed anytime of the year if allowed too. Those bucks only stop breeding and chasing because the females are no longer receptive. 

[Gencountyzeek]

First scrapes opened up in my part of 8g in the last couple days. Had a shooter buck walk through today, grunted, rattled, snort weezed, he could careless. Just kept walking and feeding. 

[Nomad]

I moved a ladderstand , around Oct 19th , had to go through a thicket, it was loaded with scapes and rubs 8H . I may have hunted there once since , only saw flatheads .

[Cabin Fever]

8J - Scrapes opened up and have pics of big bucks harassing, chasing, and trailing does every night for the past week. Zero pics or sightings of daytime activity yet.

[BizCT]

awesome pics @Buckstopshere. I've had big bucks at my scrapes since early october. hoping this weekend cold temps gets em on their feet daytime.

[chrisw]

Actually its the female of almost all animals that controls when the rut/ breeding will occur. Males of the animal kingdom can and will breed anytime of the year if allowed too. Those bucks only stop breeding and chasing because the females are no longer receptive. 

Exactly. Males can and will breed anytime, but it's the estrous cycles that dictate when that happens. Same as in the human world, we're just waiting on women!

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